 "Photo: Isaac Elster")
Some lives may have changed in a small viewing room in the Student Center on a rainy Tuesday evening. It was as simple as projecting a film. Anti-Drug Wayne recently put on one of their first film presentations open to the students titled “Requiem for a Dream” on Oct. 21.
The “Just Say No” campaign of the 1980s, which has been taught in most schools to this day, often does not do enough to show young people the real effects that drugs can have. Desiree Kelly, president of Anti-Drug Wayne, wanted to drive that point home.
“Making the statement ‘say no to drugs’ will not convince anyone,” Kelly said. “Our goal is to show them — let them see the effects and harms of drugs, so they will convince themselves.”
“Requiem for a Dream” has been hailed by many critics as a stunning film that presents a surreal but somewhat accurate story about heroin addiction that many do not learn about in a classroom. Some people end up finding out through personal experience, which is something that Anti-Drug Wayne is trying to prevent.
One viewer of the film, Seleena (last name withheld), said that she never really saw how terrible the effects of heroin addiction were until she saw this film.
“I have family members who were users, but even then I didn’t see the extent of it all,” she said. “Even though this is a Hollywood interpretation, it really opened my eyes.”
Evgeniya Khilji, political science major and Anti-Drug Wayne vice president, had a similar reaction to the film.
“I think this movie had a great impact on the audience. It at least had a great impact on me,” Khilji said. “First couple of hours after the movie, I felt depressed. I think after watching this movie, at least a couple of people will refuse to try drugs for the first time.”
Anti-Drug Wayne was founded by Kelly, Khilji and Joe Fresard last year after noticing there weren’t any organizations on campus dedicated to anti-drug awareness.
“Our purpose is to promote awareness. Drugs are no place for a college campus, and yet they are here,” Kelly said.
The group is hoping to spread awareness and a strong message of motivation to Wayne State students that drugs are not the way to solve problems or a means to help escape the pressures of everyday life.
“That is basically the main idea of our organization: to tell students about the negative side of drug use,” Khilji said.
The group plans to keep spreading the information throughout the rest of the fall and winter. Four additional screenings are planned to be held during this period, including those for “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” and “Candy.”
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