As a whole, my 20% project is going quite well.  The past week has consisted of communication with my mentor, the viewing of 3 educational documentaries on opiate abuse, and the beginning of the editing process on my final project.  I also went down to the library to try to start to get some interview footage but changed my mind as very few were sober enough to talk.

The first video I viewed was titled “Smack in Suburbia/ America’s Heroin Crisis” which placed an emphasis on just how prominent opiate addiction is in the United States and that it is not region specific.  It also payed great attention to individual addicts and their stories which I enjoyed as that is what I am attempting to do in my project.  Throughout my whole life, I have always been interested in these illegal substances that can destroy lives in a matter of weeks and have watched countless short films on the topic.  This 31 minute BBC documentary is my personal favorite because it covers all spectrums of the drug which many documentaries ignore. Next, I watched “Chasing the Dragon” which is made by the FBI and DEA.  This video really emphasizes the sheer danger and power of the drug.  Lastly, I watched “Teenage Heroin Epidemic” which I did not find as educational as the other films. It was a bunch of cut scenes of people shooting up heroin. As a personal recommendation, I would suggest any CBS or BBC short film on the drug to anyone wanting to learn more as they are short and concise, and place less emphasis on keeping the viewer entertained with shocking and overly-emotional cut scenes (although any visual images of these substances being consumed can be found disturbing).  

My mentor has helped me in a number of ways.  For example, she found out about the opening of a local methadone clinic, saving me a drive to Chico.  She also did a fair amount of independent research and discovered a drug abuse treatment center in Redding for Medi-Cal patients, which means that those who can’t afford it might have treatment options.  As far as one un-expected challenge, when I first started this project, I assumed it would be no problem to walk up to somebody and mention an interview about addiction.  In reality, it might be harder than I thought. The first place I went to was the library.  I found myself intimated by the fact that the homeless in Redding are not always approachable (and usually in pack of 10 or more people, adding potential risk).  After giving it a day of thought, I have decided to try again, except this time I may try environments where they would need to be sober to be there.  I am not exactly sure where that would be, but I will give it some serious thought.  As far as comments from my peers, they have been positive and interesting.  Out of all the social factors included in this project, keeping up with other students posts has helped the most in providing ideas.  So far I have learned quite a bit although the project is beginning to appear a little bit overwhelming.  The most enjoyable thing about this assignment is the fact that it collaborates passion and school and in all honesty some days it doesn't feel like I am actually doing English work.