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Getting to the CORE of addiction CORE program helps Southern Oregon University students succeed against drugs and alcohol Comment By John Darling for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By John Darling for the Mail Tribune Posted Mar. 21, 2016 at 12:01 AM By John Darling for the Mail Tribune Posted Mar. 21, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Social News You might not guess that people going to college are old enough to have alcohol and drug problems that are serious enough to get into a recovery group. But there are, and they do. At Southern Oregon University, the group is called CORE, Community of Recovery in Education, and it meets every Tuesday to listen, be a friend, sustain each other in their 12-step regimen and find other kinds of fun (beyond alcohol and drugs), such as bowling, a ropes course, snowshoeing at Crater Lake, hiking Grizzly Peak and the group's annual spring barbecue. The group shares these adventures with similar groups from University of Oregon and Oregon State University. Alcoholics Anonymous is usually just that — anonymous — but CORE members do the opposite, putting themselves out in public, “tabling” on the quad, being active in prevention and recovery and meeting with incoming freshmen, where they talk to 500 people a year, says Victor Chang, CORE program coordinator and director of counseling at SOU. “College is really stressful, and being in recovery is challenging — and students are in a recovery-aversive environment, where there’s lots of use and abuse,” says Chang. “Your peers are using — recreationally, socially — and we offer a little bit of a safe haven for them, where there’s community support.” CORE supports students in academic success and engaging in campus life, encouraging them to take leadership roles in activities, while protecting their recovery process, says Kristine Case, CORE program assistant and a senior in business. “My goal is to let people know we are here, says Case, as well as to help students balance the demands of studies, work and social life. In her case, it’s all these, plus raising seven children and grandchildren in a marriage. At weekly 12-step meetings, members encourage each other for entering recovery, talking about cravings and triggers in our society for using alcohol and drugs — and relapsing, which is not infrequent, says Case. “We check in and get different ideas about how to approach a problem,” says Nina Twedell, a marketing and economics senior. “My recovery is going well. The group is a lot of support and encouragement in times when I feel very alone. It’s given me a lot of stability when I’m going through changes and realizing that I can’t necessarily hang in certain places with certain people anymore.” Case says that, in group, members practice a lot of “mindfulness,” where you be present and face problems by breaking them into little pieces you can achieve now. Fun and connecting with others is important in recovery, she adds, and “if you try to get clean and sober because you think you have to, then that drink is going to look a lot more attractive. “We challenge people appropriately and also give plenty of kudos, academically, socially and for milestones in recovery,” says Chang. To reach CORE, contact Victor Chang at [email protected] or 541-552-6813. CORE’s page is at www.sou.edu/core/index.html . John Darling is a freelance writer living in Ashland. Email him at [email protected]. By John Darling for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By John Darling for the Mail Tribune Posted Mar. 21, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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