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Spring 2017, Vol. 42, Issue 3, April
Trump’s proposed cuts may harm climate change programs By Amanda Dedicatoria Triton’s Call Staff
The Trump Administration is looking to cut the budget of one of the government’s climate science agencies by around 16 percent, or $1.5 billion. This proposal could put coastal communities throughout the nation at a disadvantage as they try to adapt to the effects of rising sea levels, storms, and other climate change related events. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Continued on page 3
The Trump Administration has proposed budget cuts to several scientific institues and agencies, such as UOG’s Water and Environmental Research Institute (WERI) shown above. Photo by Amanda Dedicatoria
Glimpses executive speaks at Alumni Association’s March luncheon By Jose Castro Triton’s Call Staff The University of Guam’s Alumni Association hosted a luncheon that took place in the Charlotte Ballroom at the Lotte Hotel on March 30. This month’s event marked their fifth meeting since the beginning of their assembly in September of last year. Roughly 30 people attended the luncheon. UOG Director of Development & Alumni Affairs Norman Analista explained that, “The main focus to have these monthly assemblies is to not only be more informative, but to also reconnect with former UOG graduates.”
Maureen Maratita, UOG alum and publisher of Glimpses Publications speaks to attendees of March’s UOG Alumni luncheon. Maratita spoke about public relations and crisis management. Photo by Jose Castro
The guest speaker for the event was Maureen N. Maratita, publisher of Glimpses Publications. Maratita is a UOG alum, former Triton’s
Call chief editor, and one of the recipients of the 2016 UOG Distinguished Alumni Award. Maratita prepared
a presentation titled, “Public Relations Crisis Management and Press Relations,” where she described how the media could have a proactive relationship with the community. Maratita explained that a phone call, a news article, a commercial advertisement, or even a TV or radio broadcast, could engage the public for open interpretation. “The community wants to hear about what goes on and the best way to prepare for a crisis is to effectively report accurate information,” Maratita said. “Seek truth and report it.”
As publisher at Glimpses, Maratita said she has to be ready to handle situations dealing with public relations. Annette Santos, Ph.D., dean of the School of Business and Publication Administration, also attended the event. “It’s always wonderful news to see how well everyone is doing and the progression the University has made for the students,” Santos said. She herself is a UOG alum, having graduated in 1985. The next luncheon will take place sometime during the end of April at the at Lotte Hotel.
University of Guam, Triton’s Call, April 2017
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UOG students avail of affordable courses offerred at GCC By David Borja Triton’s Call Staff Some UOG students see dual enrollment as a progressive and affordable way to learn and gain credits towards completing a degree. Dual enrollment consists of concurrently attending both the University of Guam and Guam Community College. General Education courses can be a bit expensive for students who do not have a scholarship and splitting the cost by taking class-
Taking GCC classes is an alternative method for those who still have ambitions to attend the University. Photo by Dave Borja
es that are available at GCC is one of the methods to deal with
financial challenges. Audrey Meno is one such student who has
availed of dual enrollpermanently on island ment. and pay Guam income A sophomore majortaxes/are claimed as ing in Communication, dependents, only have Meno said a goal she to pay $130 per credit has this semester is to at GCC, compared with be immersed among $210 that UOG charges different viewpoints per undergraduate from the classes she is credit. However, dual taking at GCC. enrollment does have “I also go to get my its challenges. Gen Eds at GCC (the “The biggest frustraones that do transfer tion would be having to over to UOG) because really coordinate classit is cheaper,” Meno es that don’t coincide said. with what is scheduled between the two camMeno feels that this works best for her situation. Resident stu- Continued on page 3 dents, or those who live
Proposed budget cuts: Trump to release more detailed plan Continued from page 1 is a science agency focused on the conditions of the oceans and the atmosphere and conducts research to improve understanding of the environment. It is a part of the U.S. Department of Commerce and oversees the National Weather Service. The budget is targeting a number of climate research programs under NOAA that provide resources to prepare members of coastal communities for the effects of climate change and inform them of local conservation efforts and issues. “What’s being suggested are real cuts,” said Mark Lander, PhD., assisant professor of tropical meteorology at UOG’s Water and En-
vironmental Research Institute (WERI). “Real cuts would greatly affect our research.” WERI is sponsored by the United States Geological Survey (USGS), which is another scientific agency that may suffer a budget cut. “Nobody knows what’s going to happen,” he continued. “Because it’s never happened before.” One of the programs that may suffer under the cuts is the $73 million Sea Grant program, which supports over 3,000 scientists and pays for coastal research in 33 university programs across the nation. The program relies on establishing a connection between academics and their local communities. According to Mother Jones, Congress creat-
Publisher Francis Dalisay, Ph.D. fdalisay@triton.uog.edu
ed the Sea Grant program in 1966 to better scientific understanding in the fishing industry. Since then, it has helped pay for projects that encourage commercial fishers in California to adopt sustainable practices, supported endeavors to improve water quality in the Chesapeake Bay, and back outreach efforts to educate elementary school students about Guam’s ocean resources. “Our main job is to bring the science of our coastal resources to the people through extension, education, and outreach,” said Austin Shelton, PhD., assistant professor of UOG’s Sea Grant branch. “We bring the science to our local community in a format that is usable and useful for them.”
Co-editors-in-chief, staff writers, copy editors David Borja Jose Castro Woody Castro Amanda Dedicatoria
According to the Washington Post, the Office of Management and Budget said that the administration wants to “prioritize rebuilding the military” and would seek “savings and efficiencies to keep the Nation on a responsible fiscal path.” While the proposed cuts are worrisome, Shelton remains optimistic. “We’re confident that people across the nation will recognize the value of the program and what it provides to coastal communities and there’s a lot of people who don’t want to see that go,” Shelton said. “[The budget] is still very early on in the process in Congress, so we’re confident that Sea Grant will stick around.” For now, the cuts
Contributors Isabella Alvia Calvin Cho Therese Martinez
remain only a proposal. President Donald Trump is expected to release a more detailed budget plan in May. UOG’s Sea Grant program has conducted several outreach events such as having interns educate elementary students about turtles and taking students and members of the community to see sources of erosion. It is currently collaborating with UOG’s Center for Island Sustainability (CIS) on the Guam Restoration of Watersheds (GROW) Project, which will potentially re-vegetate the badlands on the southern half of the island. “We’re just gonna keep doing our work for the university and the people of Guam,” Shelton said.
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By Amanda Dedicatoria Triton’s Call Staff
UOG’s Sea Grant program and the Center for Island Sustainability (CIS) are collaborating on a project that could potentially improve the health of Guam’s ecosystems. The Guam Restoration of Watersheds (GROW) Project, aims to develop tools to slow erosion in the badland areas of the island. The project will involve testing different species of savannah plants to see whether or not they will thrive and supplement a badland. The GROW Project is the brainchild of Austin Shelton, PhD., an associate professor at the UOG Sea Grant and Else Demeulenaere, an associate director of CIS. Shelton has been conducting research on watershed restoration since he was a graduate student. He had some success with planting trees and using sediment filter socks in Umatac. “Else and I came up with the idea for the GROW Project because we had a desire to find tools that would [work] more quickly,” Shelton said. “I’m a
UOG’s Sea Grant program and CIS’s GROW Project aims to slow erosion in the badland areas of the island. Featured here is the nursery for the project behind the CIS building. Photo by Amanda Dedicatoria
marine biologist focused on the health of downstream reefs and she’s a botanist, so she knows a lot about the plants [involved] and what they’re used for.” According to Shelton, different types of mosses, shrubs, and trees will be tested over the next few months. “After we collect data on all of those, we’ll be able to start pumping them out and testing them in the field,” he said. “Whatever is most effective will be used for propagation and deployment in our watersheds.” Sea Grant research assistant Lauren Swaddell said one tool has been shown to be successful, and it is not
even native. Swaddell said, “We know of acacia trees. [They] fix nitrogen into the soil and because eroded and burnt areas don’t have as much nutrition, having a nitrogen-fixing plant there is beneficial.” Acacia trees are also fire-resistant and are known to thrive in a badland. Although acacia trees have proved to be helpful in restoring a badland, Swaddell said that relying on them could prove to be expensive. “We want to look into the local resources we can use,” Swaddell said. “We have a lot of native species that are here for a reason.”
The making of a badland Badlands are plots of land, usually on hills, that lack nutritious topsoil and cannot support vegetation. They are created when mechanisms that expose the soil layer such as erosion, arson, off-roading and animal feeding make it difficult for plants to grow back. They mostly occur in grassland areas and older badlands are much harder to re-vegetate. Badlands are eroding bare soil areas. When a badland is subject to heavy rain, sediment can flow into a river system and affect water quality or into a bay and damage coral.
Coral animals have a symbiotic relationship with algae that provides 90% of the energy the coral needs through photosynthesis. Without clear water and access to sunlight, receiving food becomes difficult for the coral. The importance of watersheds A watershed is the catchment area between the divides of mountains where rainwater collects. Rainwater flows through land and rivers and eventually ends up as discharge on the reefs at the bottom of the watershed. Guam has 14 watersheds and everything that impacts them affects not only the water, but the land. While the GROW Project is still in its early stages, the members of the project are highly optimistic about it. “I’m so happy that this project is starting on Guam because we need it,” Swaddell said. “We have some passionate and well-educated people who are a part of the team and we just hopefully we can combat the issue and influence other island areas that are going through the same thing.”
UOG-GCC dual enrollment: Benefits and challenges Continued from page 2 puses,” Meno said. “Sometimes I want to take one class at UOG and one at GCC but both are on the same days and same times.” Meno said she often makes a decision of which class has more priority for the current day. While these deci-
sions can be somewhat of a hassle from day to day, Meno explained that gaining a better grasp of managing it all can prove to be beneficial. Krystal Calvo, a Fall 2017 graduate of UOG, recalls her experience early on with dual enrollment. “I wanted to immediately go into the Com-
munication program at UOG when I first started college,” Calvo said. “However, I realized it wasn’t the best choice for myself to take gen ed courses at the University at the time since I was on my own paying for things.” She finished her mathematics and lower level science classes at GCC while taking one
to two classes at UOG before eventually transferring to UOG full time. “Students shouldn’t be too caught up in stacking as many classes in a semester if it’s not most tailored to their budget,” Calvo said. “I split the first couple of courses and was able to finish my Communication degree within a four-year period. For
those that it applies to, dual enrolling is a big help.” Noah Austin, a freshman at GCC, added that this method works to his benefit as well “Although I’m currently not attending, the credits I’m receiving now are for my aspirations for [an] undergrad degree from UOG,” Austin said.
3 University of Guam, Triton’s Call, April 2017
Sea Grant and CIS jumpstart GROW Project
4 Publisher’s note: The stories appearing on this centerfold were produced as part of a special project on data journalism.
University of Guam, Triton’s Call, April 2017
To see more stories like these, please visit our web site, tritonscall.com.
Tracking Guam’s stray animals: More can be done to reduce their population Therese Martinez For Triton’s Call Not enough is being done to deal with the problem of stray animals on Guam. The results of a survey conducted by the Humane Society International in 2014 estimated that there are an estimated 61,000 dogs on Guam, and about 24,500 of them are strays. This estimate does not include the feral cat population here on island, because cats harder to track due to their evasiveness. We need to reduce the number of strays because if left as is they will continue to be hazards to the community, spread diseases to other animals, and continue to increase in population. Alison Hadley, executive
director at Guam Animals In Need describes how they have seen all the cases ranging from healthy animals, animals hit by cars, sickly animals, elderly animals, and stray and feral animals. Another reason why we need to reduce the amount of strays is because they could potentially spread diseases to outdoor, home-owned dogs. Common health issues for animals that are brought into GAIN include the parvovirus which affects puppies, upper respiratory infection which
affects kittens and adult cats, and internal parasites, such as worms in both cats and dogs. Hadley states that the number of animals brought into GAIN fluctuate heavily depending on many factors, but on average there are 100 or more animals that come in every week. This would mean that GAIN receives an average of 400 or more animals every
month. Just three days into April 2017, Hadley said that they already received 44 animals. In 2015, GAIN received 5,173 animals—similar to the number of animals received in 2010. Hadley noted that annual intake numbers have undoubtedly increased since then. If all the animals brought into GAIN were stray dogs
then that would mean about 20,000 are still out roaming around Guam, most likely unspayed. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals explains— female cats can breed up to three times a year with an average of four kittens per litter, while dogs can breed twice a year with an average of 6 to 10 puppies.
A snapshot of the island’s meth epidemic and the role of treatment By Calvin Cho For Triton’s Call Guam has been experiencing a steady rise in methamphetamine use and abuse. In just the previous year, we have seen a massive drug bust that occurred when a man was caught with 18 pounds of methamphetamine in his possession. The meth, which was acquired from the mail, was reported to have a street value of well over $5 million. The annual report of 2015 indicates there have been over 233 cases in juvenile drug court and 229 cases in the adult drug court, which was double the amount of cases since 2014. In December 2016, The Guam Daily Post devoted an entire Sunday edition of their paper to report on the island’s meth problem. On that edition, an article asked the question: “Are we entering another ‘ice age?” As we face this dangerous era of meth-
amphetamine abuse, it is timely to consider whether Guam is properly equipped to both assist those who are suffering from substance abuse and prevent those from acquiring methamphetamine altogether. For this story, I will address the first part of this question—whether the island has the means to assist those needing treatment for meth addiction. Through my research, I have found there are four locations in total that provide treatment for those who just wishes to recover from substance abuse, and undergoing probation for committing substance abuse-related offenses. New Beginnings began as the drug and alcohol branch of the Guam Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse. During the department’s recent transition into the Guam Behavioral Health and Wellness Center, its drug and alcohol division
was renamed and reorganized as New Beginnings to symbolize a new start for those who are undergoing substance treatment. New Beginnings contracts with three other organizations to help offer services and housing for those who are recovering from issues that resulted from substance abuse. These organizations are Salvation Army Lighthouse Recovery Center, Sagan Na Homlo Drug and Alcohol Treatment Facility for Youth also known as Sanctuary Inc,
and Oasis. The rise in the methamphetamine epidemic is also mirrored in the rise of patients who are undergoing treatment. I spoke with Athena Duenas, the director of New Beginnings, to get her view about the state of treatment on Guam. Duenas first stressed that “treatment is important because treatment is all about getting someone’s life back on track.” She offered some statistics. Since the last fiscal year of 2016, there have been
958 accounts of individuals who have gone to substance treatment. A problem with this data is that the amount of total patients undergoing treatment may be skewed because some patients attend more than one of these treatment centers, and they would be counted more than once if they did. Nevertheless, the general mission of these facilities is to get one’s life in track. Jeremiah Santos, a peer recovery specialist at New Beginnings, the goal of the treatment program is to “do everything it takes to help those who are addicted to recover from themselves and get them back to society and back to their family.” He stressed the point that the methamphetamine problem on Guam is an epidemic and we
Continued on page 5
By Isabella Alvia
For Triton’s Call The island’s residents should work together to raise awareness of the homelessness issue and take action to effectively minimize it. The Guam Homeless Point- In-Time count consists of data of the annual total number of homelessness people accumulated on the island. Over the years, the count has both risen and dropped significantly. According to the results of the 2016 Guam Homeless Point- In- Time final count, the number of homeless people on Guam had decreased by 18% since 2015. Organizations such as the Guam Housing & Urban Renewal Authority (GHURA), Guam Homeless Coalition and the University of Guam School of Nursing have all contributed to the data acquired regarding the number of homeless spotted on the island. As shown on the bar graph, there were a total of 973 unsheltered homeless persons in 2016 who reside in private or public places such as a car, bus stops, and abandoned buildings. All locations are not suitable for residence. On the other hand, there are about 112 persons living in emergency shelters and transitional housing programs. At the time of writing this, the 2017 Guam Homeless Pointin- time count has not yet been released. From 2007 to 2016, there have been both declines and increases in the number of homeless
people on Guam. GHURA along with other partner organizations continuously work to mitigate the homelessness issue in the hopes to eliminating as much as possible. Included in the count were different ethnic groups and the amount of homeless people. As the count indicates, Chuukese (454) and Chamorro (354) ranked the highest ethnic groups among the rest as shown in the graph below. To provide further insight to this issue, I took it upon myself to interview Amor Say, an A.D.A. Representative and planner of GHURA. She has been an active member of the organization since 2003 and was able to provide us with current data and insight to her opinions regarding the homelessness issue on Guam. “We try to help those on the streets, especially families who have been homeless for many years,” Say said. GHURA’s primary goal is to assist and provide funding to low-income renters and homeowners in obtaining suitable housing, and to eliminate homelessness gradually by developing new communities. GHURA is also in partnership with other organizations such as the Guam Homelessness Coalition, Sanctuary, Salvation Army, and many more. On Jan. 29 of 2016, there were over 200 volunteers that assisted in the island’s homeless population count. The homeless count
on Guam consists of singles, families, and those suffering from mental illnesses and disabilities. “Our outreach team goes around Guam in search of any homeless person in need. We spread the word to other organizations, however, not everyone wants to be helped,” Amor states. GHURA prioritizes assistance for those with families and disabilities. Singles, however, have a tougher time being assisted as they would find ways to work around the system and even leave their homes to beg on the streets again. Amor explains various instances in which some homeless would abuse their privilege of having a roof over their heads. She shared a particular instance involving a family consisting of a mother and her two daughters who were granted a shelter, but refused it. The mother
felt it was rather safer for her children to sleep out on the streets than in a new, unknown home. Amor then realized that mitigating the homeless issue in Guam would involve more effort than just providing houses for families in need as they take time transitioning into a particularly new lifestyle that may seem normal for others. Amor shared that it was very difficult for her to trust certain homeless candidates following those instances as some still
abuse their privileges by continuously begging on the streets and not taking action to find jobs to better their lives. Nevertheless, there are various actions the community can take to minimize the homelessness issue on Guam. Services provided by the Guam Housing & Urban Renewal Authority (GHURA), Guam Homeless Coalition, and Guam San Jose Homeless Shelter are continuously working to provide enough homes to shelter those in need.
Treatment a key pillar to combat meth addiction Continued from page 4 should treat it as a disease requiring treatment. Mr. Santos invited me to attend a NA (Narcotics Anonymous) meeting at the New Beginnings to see a sample as to how people receive treatment.
It was compelling to see that many of the people who were in attendance at this meeting were around my age—18 to 25. Throughout the meeting, the attendees’ determination to recover was apparent, they actively engaged in the conversation and they took pride in their efforts to staying sober.
One thing I had learned is the treatment process is based on a common practice here on Guam—one that is akin to the concepts of “inafa’maolek” and interdependence. In a NA meeting, those who are undergoing treatment treat other members as family or friend. They show compassion
5 University of Guam, Triton’s Call, April 2017
Homelessness on Guam and the search for solutions
and empathy for one another and they try to help motivate each other to make sure that they can overcome their addiction and come back as a proud member of society. NA establishes the concept of trust that no one will exploit or reveal the secrets that the others have spoken within the meetings.
The most important part is they help remind each other that they are not alone in the path to recovery. No one is truly safe from substance abuse as it can happen to anyone, regardless of age, sex, and/or ethnicity and at times it seems like we forget about that fact.
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Sigma Tau Delta welcomes new inductees By David Borja Triton’s Call Staff The Sigma Tau Delta had its annual induction on March 30. The event inducted 14 new members into the English Society. Sigma Tau Delta is an international collegiate honor society that is inclusive of the top 30 students of their class and that maintain a GPA of 3.5 or higher. The society presently has over 850 chapters in the United States and abroad. Aubrey Yatar, president of the English Society, devoted time to organizing and decorating for the event. The new inductees worked hard to decorate, design, and create a great atmosphere for the event,” Yatar said. “We worked with the CLASS Dean’s Office to allocate the tables and chairs as well as to secure the lecture hall for use.” Yatar was also able to
New Sigma inductee Kreeshia Aquino lights the ceremonial candle. Photo courtesy of UOG Integrated Marketing Communications
secure CLASS Associate Dean Sharleen Santos-Bamba, Ph.D., and Assistant Professor of Chamorro Studies James Perez Viernes, Ph.D. as keynote speakers. Viernes, in particular, spoke on his experience as University student and the sense of pride that comes with being in the program.
Since there are only a select few that get the chance to be a part of this experience annually, there is a certain mystique that comes with the opportunity. Yatar explained that the most appealing aspect of being inducted would be that it is a nationally recognized student honor society. “I saw this opportunity
to be selected to join the society and a great way to develop new connections and meet new people within the same area of interest as myself”,” Yatar said. Kreeshia Aquino, an English and Communications double major, who will be graduating this Spring, was one of the 14 new inductees. “I received my invi-
tation at the beginning of the semester and couldn’t help but accept it,” Aquino said. “Being I’ve been a double major for over a year as well as a member of the honor society in Communications, I feel that it was very satisfying to be able to join another group that recognizes all of our hard work.”
UOG prof. receives film award from international academic organization
By Woody Castro Triton’s Call Staff Raymond Anderson, Ph.D., a UOG associate professor in Mass Media, will receive an award of excellence from the Broadcast Education Association (BEA). The award is for a film script Anderson entered in the Festival of Media Arts competition. BEA is the flagship international academic organization for the National Association of Broadcasters. Both organizations collaborate to inspire and educate individuals who are interested in the field of radio and television broadcasting. Anderson will attend
the BEA conference in Las Vegas in mid April to receive the award. Anderson, who is originally from Jamaica, has been teaching at UOG for about two years. Prior to moving to Guam, he served as an associate professor at Sterling College in Kansas. “It is refreshing to be back on an island,” Anderson said. He also enjoys connecting with the island’s local residents. The script he wrote is a drama/comedy called “The Centenarian’s Birthday Party.” Anderson explained that the script went into development and
outlining in 2013, but that core writing did not begin until 2016. “I kind of had been wanting to do this one for quite a while because I felt so passionate about it,” Anderson stated in a Pacific Daily News article. The script’s plot is centered around a married Jamaican man and the troubled relationship he has with his family while living in the United States. Conflict in the story arises when the husband has an affair with another man, which prompts his wife to take their two children and leave him to go back to Jamaica. The husband later de-
cides to marry the man, but longs to connect with his family after being ostracized for his decisions. The husband hopes to make amends at his father’s party where he becomes a centenarian, or a person who is 100 years old. The fundamental ideas and inspiration for the script came from Jamaican culture and Anderson’s experiences as a Jamaican transitioning to living in the United States. Anderson was also inspired by a movie called “Monsoon Wedding,” a 2001 film that employed dramatic and comedic elements to discuss the bonds that
bring families together. With his background in film and broadcasting, Anderson hopes to inspire his students in the Communication program and the community through his teachings and work so they could pursue their own aspirations. “I’d really like to help build Guam’s ability to tell stories more regularly in film form both as fictional documentaries and short films,” Anderson said. Anderson has plans to collaborate with UOG’s English program to create more student short films regularly and hopes to enter them into student film festivals.
By Woody Castro Triton’s Call Staff The Isla Center for the Arts hosted the 19th Annual Art-a-thon, which was open for public viewing through April 14. The exhibit showcased over 60 artworks and pieces that were selected from 800 students from 22 schools who participated in the 2016-2017 Isla Art-a-thon. The schools that participated in the exhibit included Simon Sanchez High School, Agueda Johnston Middle School, Harry S. Truman Elementary School, LP Untalan Middle School, and John F. Kennedy High School. The exhibited artworks were selected by a small committee that looked at elements like perspective, color, shapes, and sometimes the overall theme of the artwork. Chosen participants received certificates and small prizes for overall elementary, middle, and
An untitled artwork by Tabytha Flores from Southern High School won Director’s Choice. Photo courtesy of Isla Center for the Arts
high schools. The students created remarkable pieces using a variety of methods such as graphite, pastels, colored pencils, ink, collage, mixed media, crayon, watercolors, print, foil relief, and acrylics. According to Velma Yamashita, assistant professor of Art and coor-
dinator of the Isla Center for the Arts, the exhibit had attracted over 430 visitors. “It wasn’t too bad, it was better than last year’s [attendance],” said Gi Flores, an assistant at the Isla Gallery. “The past few years have been a challenge. Financially it was hard to
get people involved in the event,” Flores said. According to a UOG announcement, this year’s Art-a-thon raised over $29,000 with 40 percent of the funds, or $11,000, given back to the participating schools to assist with art-related materials for their stu-
dents. Flores said they never have to raise a specific amount of money. The money comes from the work of the student. “It’s really hard for the kids to have the courage to ask their relatives for donations, so we never pressure them,” Flores said. The goal of the Art-athon is to recognize and promote student’s artworks and achievements, particularly for students at the K-12 level. “It is our hope that the students not only enjoy creating the artwork but also learn to appreciate art and exhibits,” Yamashita said. The Isla Center’s next show is the UOG student exhibit, which will run from May 4 to June 23. This exhibit will feature works produced by seniors and other undergraduates.
Movie review: “A cure for wellness” and its mental health theme By Therese Martinez For Triton’s Call The recently released “A Cure for Wellness” describes an illness that plagues the patients that go to a remote wellness center in the Swiss Alps. The movie’s plot revolved around an obsessed baron, his wife and a castle on the hill that is burnt to the ground. Such a story seemed straight out of European folklore. The Baron used the disguise of a recovery center to experiment on people with the use eels. Through his experiments he was able to create an elixir that allowed him to survive for 200 years. Spending that amount of time just to create a pure blood heir felt like too many plots jammed into one story. However, the movie is more than just a genre pot of dark mystery, hor-
ror and fantasy. The main character personifies the human psyche as he goes through the five stages of grief and deals with trauma and depression through the course of the movie. In the beginning of the movie, the standard of working hard to the point of exhaustion causes the death of one of the characters. After the random worker’s death, they are easily replaced representing the disposability of a worker. While the issues of being constantly stressed and depressed are viewed as being weak, both in reality and in the movie, workers like the main character cast these mental issues aside. They also avoid social and familial relationships for the purpose of pursuing a successful career.
The main character Lockhart, played by Dane DeHaan, is a young executive who is sent to a wellness center in the Swiss Alps. He is tasked to bring back his company’s CEO, Pembroke, who had went to the center and refused to come back. Before Lockhart departs to the wellness center, his mother passes away and later on in the movie it is revealed that he has repressed memories of watching his father’s suicide as a child. Even before his mother’s death, Lockhart was already deep into the first stage of grief as he experienced denial and isolation. His stages into grief explain the repression of his father’s death and the distance he kept from his mother. Lockhart arrives to the asylum-like wellness
center and is unable to meet with Pembroke because the workers deny him access into the facility, in particular Dr. Volmer, the head of the wellness center. Later in the movie it is revealed that Dr. Volmer was the mad baron from 200 years ago. After multiple events, Lockhart, with a broken leg, ends up staying at the facility. He then begins to uncover the facility’s secrets. He enters the stage of anger, which resulted from Pembroke’s unwillingness to come back with him to New York and from Dr. Volmer’s diagnosis of Lockhart having the illness everyone else in the center had. Later in the movie, Lockhart enters the third stage of grief, which is bargaining. He agrees to Dr.
Volmer’s treatment even though he still believes that he doesn’t have an illness. As Lockhart begins to uncover that the patients of the wellness center are being kept as guinea pigs and fodder for Dr. Volmer’s eels, he undergoes the fourth stage of depression. Lockhart realizes that there is no hope to fight back. He then enters the last stage of grief which is acceptance. He then quits his job as the employers who sent him drive up the castle’s road finally breaking free of his grief. Although this movie is not an exact replication of the five stages grief, to those who have experienced the death of a loved one, the phases that Lockhart goes through may be familiar.
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Isla Center for the Arts hosts 19th annual Art-a-thon
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