Vandal Recovery Program offers support

New program coordinator talks resources and opportunities available for UI students

Grace Giger ARGONAUT

Reaching out for help can be the most challenging step for those struggling with addiction. That’s why the Vandal Recovery Program provides a safe space with an abundance of resources to support students on their recovery journey. Located at 822 Elm Street, the center is staffed for dropins Wednesday and Thursday from 1-4:30 p.m. and Fridays from 2-4:30 p.m. There are also events scheduled throughout the week, and students can text or call the Vandal Recovery number at 208-874-2942 to find out more information, ask questions or schedule an appointment.

Vandal Recovery Program Coordinator, Emily Levine, also serves as an on-call crisis worker at the Latah Recovery Center and just began working at the Vandal Recovery Program in January of 2023. Although she is new to the program, Levine is passionate about spreading the word about the resources provided by the program and getting students connected with programs that could help them on their recovery journey.

“What Vandal Recovery is trying to do is raise awareness that it’s okay to seek services for the long term,” Levine said. “And that it’s okay to have a community of people who want to practice healthier lifestyles, and that there’s other people on campus that share the same values.”

The program supplies students with many different free resources such as condoms, Narcan, a medicine used to reverse opioid overdose, and hygiene kits with basic supplies like toothpaste or hairbrushes. Along with providing free health materials, the recovery program also serves as a safe space for students who need help connecting with other resources or finding help.

“If someone showed up in my office, and they were clearly distressed, I can de-escalate the situation and I can contact the crisis center and let them know that...the person is in crisis,” Levine said. “If they want to talk to a clinician, I can bridge that gap and we can set it up so that the person can get the help that they need.”

Vandal Recovery is also a place for long-term recovery, and the program hopes to create a space where students in recovery can find a community to support and encourage them. This community aspect of the program includes promoting sober activities on campus and weekly recovery meetings that convene every Tuesday at 6 p.m.

“The recovery meeting addresses a wide variety of issues like mental health challenges, substance abuse challenges and eating disorders. The group tries to find a broad way to share our experiences and how we got through our struggles that could potentially help someone else if they’re struggling with something similar,” Levine said. “So, it’s just a safe place to go and be able to non-judgmentally share and disclose things that people are struggling with.”

Levine emphasized that all of the resources and services provided by the Vandal Recovery Program are completely confidential, so students do not need to worry about anyone finding out about the help they have received. The stigma surrounding addiction and recovery can make it challenging for students to reach out, but Levine explained that there is no shame in asking for help.

“It’s hard to get to the point where you’re admitting that you need a little extra help, or that extra support,” Levine said. “But for me personally, when I finally had the courage and reached out and was able to ask for help, it was so relieving to be able to have people reach back and say ‘we know what you’ve been through, and it’s okay. And we’re here to help you through it.’ So, I would encourage people to definitely reach out if they feel like they’re struggling with anything.”

For anyone in recovery or wanting to start their recovery journey the Vandal Recovery Program is a safe and judgementfree place to find community and get help. Other resources available for students on campus include the Counseling and Testing Center and the Hope in Change: Alcohol and Other Drugs Support Group meets Wednesday’s from 5–6:30 p.m. in LLC 3.

“There’s no shame in getting help. We all deal with things that are challenging and hard in life, and having that extra support is ok,” Levine said. “I’d encourage people to reach out when they’re struggling, because it’s not fun going

Dot Bystander Intervention Training. Attendees will learn techniques to assess and intervene in risky situations and will be given the tools needed to empower bystanders and reduce interpersonal violence in our community. Registration is required and those interested can register online at the UI website.

“Cocaine Bear” review

Horror and Hilarity: a movie and the true events it’s based on.

through it alone.”

Imagine a 500-pound apex predator high on cocaine set loose in a national park with a taste for human flesh. That is a loose plot summary for the movie “Cocaine Bear,” released in late February. What’s even more shocking about the movie, is that it’s loosely based on true events.

The movie takes place in 1985, in the height of the Reagan administration’s War on Drugs. A drug smuggler attempts to parachute out of a plane with dozens of kilos of cocaine into Georgia. His parachute fails to open, and the cocaine drops into the forest below. It drops down beside a bear’s cave, and the bear gets into it, thus creating the “Cocaine Bear.” Criminals and police race to recover the cocaine while helpless hikers and park rangers flee from the hungry, drug-addicted bear.

The most shocking aspect of the movie is that it’s based off of true events. The real events of “Cocaine Bear” fortunately did not play out like the movie, however. In real life, in 1985, there was a drug smuggler who jumped out of a plane with around 40 kilos of cocaine, but due to the heavy load, his parachute did not open. Three months later, a bear was found dead in northern Georgia along with 40 opened packages of cocaine. The bear presumedly ate the cocaine and died. The bear was stuffed and is currently on display in a mall in Lexington, Kentucky. Luckily, it never even came close to attacking, let alone eating anyone, which is where the movie takes its strongest creative liberty.

The movie is a dark comedy with strong elements of horror, but lots of tension-breaking moments of humor. “Cocaine Bear” also features some actors you may be familiar with, such as Jesse Tyler Ferguson from “Modern Family,” O’Shea Jackson Junior from “Straight Outta Compton,” Alden Ehrenreich from “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” Kristofer Hivju from Game of Thrones, and most notably the late Ray Liotta from “Goodfellas.” This would be the last movie Ray Liotta would star in before his death. The movie also features Scott Seiss, who you may see on TikTok frequently.

Despite how dumb and simple the plot of the movie sounds, it is a decent movie. It has a good production value for its 35-million-dollar budget, and the notable cast adds to the horror and hilarity of this movie. Overall, I would recommend watching this movie if you are a fan of the dark comedy genre, and I would rate it 7/10.