For my Capstone, I worked with my grandfather to help write his memoir. When I was born, my parents invited my grandparents to write a page or two about their life and family history, or whatever else they wanted me to know. My grandfather, Harvey, who I call Zayda (Yiddish for grandfather) ended up writing over 80 handwritten pages starting at his grandparents coming to the United States, up until when I was born. We worked together every Wednesday transcribing the pages onto a document, adding photos, and doing research. Through this process, I learned more about my family history, which I would not have ever been able to do without him. I also learned more about formatting a book and professional writing.

Bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/13vpYwmtr2GGgpkem7hBizBi2-4PQdMKKBYBy72YgCNQ/edit?usp=sharing

For my Capstone, I’m working with my grandfather, or Zayda as I call him, to transcribe his memoir, which he began writing when I was born. There are over 100 handwritten pages, none of which have been read by anyone but us. This project has not only strengthen my relationship with him, but taught me things I never would have known about my family.

When we started reading One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, the connections between my grandfather’s stories and the book were immediate. He began his residency in the early 70s, about a decade after the novel came out. He recalls the intensity of the locked unit with adult patients and the “biological revolution in psychiatry,” as he put it. Sometimes the things he tells me are surprising, like that he entered psychiatry when these breakthroughs about depression being caused by your brain. Just in his lifetime, he has seen a complete transformation in how mental illness is diagnosed and how those who suffer from it are treated.

Very early in the book, we see that the Big Nurse (and aides and doctor) have considerably more power than the patients. The Big Nurse controls everything on the floor, including the medications and who goes to the Disturbed ward. Her obsession with routine has created a hostile environment. I often find myself comparing my grandfather to the Big Nurse (even though he didn’t have that kind of jurisdiction during the time I mentioned) when she seems particularly cruel. “The length of the time he spends in this hospital is entirely up to us,” (137). There appears to be little resentment or hesitation from the ward’s professionals, which seems absurd today. They had complete control over these people, and from what we can see, they weren’t cared for in the way they should have been. Knowing my grandfather was one of the individuals in the ward who had authority, I often get fearful, perhaps irrationally, that he may have participated in the unfair treatment of patients.

My grandfather and I have spent hours talking about the transformation my grandfather witnessed in psychiatry. Things that seem so obvious now were groundbreaking at the time. “The idea that serious mental illnesses were disorders of the brain, with genetic and neurochemical determinants, was emerging,” he says about his residency. Empathy and understanding, which had been lacking, as we can see in the book, were appearing regarding those who have severe mental illness. The knowledge of mental illness has changed considerably in the past 50 years, so what we know as usual treatment is entirely different than what Kesey and my grandfather did. “They’ve learned a lot since then,” (111) Bromden says, comparing his current placement to the “old hospital.” Somehow, he is making the ward we know well sound like a privilege. The two moments I’m discussing are almost ten years apart, so there has been progress, but it still seems insufficient. We know that at the time of the book, they are still performing lobotomies and using harmful (and not scientifically proven) ways to “fix” the patients. While reading, it often makes me think that no matter how progressive we feel at a certain point, in the future, we will look back and be shocked at how far behind we were.

For the second year of his residency, he was placed into an adolescent unit, which he says was philosophically different. [It] was organized as a therapeutic community, each day began with a morning meeting in which the previous 24 hours events in the life of the community and its members— the 24 patients and the staff could be discussed, confronted, explored, validated, and processed.” I remember hearing him say this and me typing it and thinking, “Huh, that doesn’t sound so bad,” then I read the group therapy from Bromden’s eyes, and my perspective changed. Group therapy is when they are drugged the most, as a way to subdue their personalities and allow Nurse Ratched to be in complete control. I know the book has some magical realism, yet I cannot stop asking, “What was it like for the patients where Zayda worked?”. I can only hear what it was like from his perspective, but the novel has forced me to consider what it felt like to be the patients he was working with, many of whom weren’t there by choice, and there were often patients who attempted to run away (just like McMurphy). I think this shift in perspective is invaluable since it allows me to empathize more with the people in the book and his memoir.

In chapter six of The Handmaid’s Tale, Gilead is still being introduced to us as readers, and so is Offred. I first noticed Offred’s word choice on the first page while beginning this chapter. “We walk, sedately” (30) is how she describes her and Ofglen’s stroll into town for groceries. This line stood out to me just because it’s strange. I had never heard this word before, but I used my best judgment to assume what it meant as I read. It’s a curious word to choose, although using it in this context makes sense. While it means to do something “in a quiet, relaxed, or slow way without excitement or risk,” that’s not how I first thought about it. I imagined Offred and Ofglen walking like they were under sedation (obviously, since that’s where the word comes from), dazed or unconcerned with their surroundings. I doubt this was a careless choice by Atwood, so there is meaning to be uncovered. Using this specific word means something to the world-building. Offred and Ofglen’s movements, described as “sedately,” insinuate a slowness to their walking. I think this is because of their lack of enthusiasm and their medical/incapacitated state.

The line directly after that one also struck me as peculiar; “The sun is out, in the sky there are white fluffy clouds, the kind that look like headless sheep.” (30). I feel like the average person wouldn’t have noticed that darker shape in clouds. Like, wouldn’t cotton balls have made more sense? So I got the feeling that she only made this observation because of the current situation she is in, being a Handmaid. This glum and wicked world is becoming normal to her, so maybe she just naturally thought about headless sheep. I took this quote as Atwood trying to portray that Offred’s perspective is changing (in minute ways like this) as she spends more time in Gilead.

As I continued to read, other quotes stuck out to me. Ofglen and Offred continue their walk and pass by the football stadium. She points out that Men’s Salvagings are held there, “As well as the football games. They still have those” (31). I thought this was such a curious note to make. She’s referring to (what I’ve gathered are public) executions and then quickly switches to the fact that they still hold football games. It’s a stark contrast, referring to the continuation of certain traditions from “before” in a world that differs from what Offred was born into. This book often forces the reader to consider what life would be like if you were in Gilead, and how you would react to the abrupt changes. To think of holding public executions, that you were forced to go to, is kind of crazy. Offred has been in Gilead for a few years, and as I put myself into her shoes, I can’t imagine getting used to seeing that. Again, Atwood is doing this on purpose; she wants the readers to grapple with the new “normal” of this world and how it seems like people transitioned quite easily.

https://www.wevideo.com/view/2605002704

In my first Slate post, I went into the basics of what ghost nets are, how they end up in the ocean, and the negative effects they pose to the ecosystems they end up in. They’re a really huge problem since they’re made out of plastic, which as we know takes hundreds of years to decompose. They also start a vicious cycle of trapping animals, dragging them to the bottom of the ocean, breaking free when the animal dies, and catching something again. They’re so dangerous because they continue to do this even when there aren’t humans around to man them anymore. The Olive Ridley Project is an organization whose mission is” to protect sea turtles and their habitats through rescue and rehabilitation of injured sea turtles, education and outreach, and scientific research.” They’re located in the Maldives (which is below India) and they are doing some pretty awesome stuff. On their website, you can report a ghost net, contact them about a sea turtle emergency, buy a dog leash made out of a ghost net, and volunteer with them. This is a great example of people bringing awareness to this issue and doing something to change/stop it.

Seahart, who was a turtle patient for the Olive Ridley Project

For my Agent of Change, I decided to make a presentation for my advisory. For our last couple of advisory meetings, people have been presenting about their passions/hobbies. I thought this would be a great way to not only educate some people about this topic, but it’s also tied into one of my passions. I spent a lot of time working on the presentation, making sure it wasn’t too loaded with information and easy to follow. I wanted to keep it short so it wouldn’t bore people, but also be able to get enough information across. The most important thing I wanted to tell my advisory was how they can help this issue on an individual level. I always feel so bombarded when a big topic like this is shown to me and I often feel like there’s nothing I can do about it. I’m just a consumer that isn’t helping the issue. So I wanted to shine light on the fact that there IS something you can do to help this issue and it’s so simple. All you have to do is check where you’re getting your fish from and how it’s caught. My presentation for my advisory went really well! I got asked a few questions and everyone was super supportive. I felt like people were actually paying attention and absorbing what I was saying. Hopefully some of the numbers and stats that I had on my presentation put this issue into perspective and just how big of a problem it is.

I felt pretty good about doing this project. I felt like I was doing really good work and striving towards a positive change while doing it which was even better. When I learned about myself was how lucky I am to have been able to experience so much while scuba diving. I’m so lucky to have been able to see the animals that I saw and I should never take that for granted. I’m so grateful for all of the experiences I’ve had while diving and I wonder how my mindset will be different the next time I’m able to.

[Annotated Bibliography] (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1g9LgrOI_julXQL51bIWRHpOTHGIC2-t3k0lgPWA8U70/edit)

There are many underlying factors that negatively impact our oceans and the ecosystems within them. One of these factors is ghost nets. If you don’t know what ghost nets are; “Ghost nets are fishing nets that were lost at sea or deliberately thrown overboard. Even though they no longer serve a purpose, they continue haunting our oceans as they keep fishing without end.” The dilemma with these nets is that they are made from plastic (which doesn’t break down) and just add to the amount of plastic in the ocean. According to an article from the WWF, “Most modern nets are made of nylon or other plastic compounds that can last for centuries. According to a 2018 study in Scientific Reports, ghost nets make up at least 46 percent of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.” This quote truly stood out to me when I was doing my research. Plastic straws and bags tend to get the most attention when talking about plastic in the ocean, while these nets rarely get the same amount of coverage.

Below is a photo that goes into detail about the cycle that ghost nets fall into. This picture shows how truly dangerous these nets are since they continue to do their job, even when there are no longer humans to work them.

The destructive ghost fishing cycle

This issue is extremely significant because it’s often overlooked which makes it even more damaging. As stated above, ghost nets make up a huge percentage of the amount of plastic that is in our ocean. It also kills thousands of animals and isn’t as talked about as plastic straws or bags. Something that I learned that I think is super important to pass on is; It’s crucial to check where you’re getting your seafood. If you’re buying a can of tuna, you want to see a label on the front that says it was caught by line fishing. Usually, if it doesn’t say that, it was caught by these huge nets that are often turned into ghost nets. This is something that individual people can do that will truly make an impact

Threats of Ghost Fishing This is a great video that I came across while doing research.

This video talks about the Maldives, a country in South Asia that is made up of islands. Ghost nets negatively affect this country’s ocean by killing marine life and endangering coral (disease, invasive species, and parasites). The Olive Ridley Project is an organization trying to determine the key factors supplying ghost nets into the Indian Ocean. Maldivian law does not allow any kind of net fishing within its economic zone. Pole and line and hand line are the most used fishing techniques, but there are still areas where ghost nets can be traced back to. The Indian Ocean has two major monsoons that affect currents and decide where ghost nets travel. On the east coast of India (Odisha), thousands of turtles gather at this area for a “mass nesting event”. After they are born, adolescent turtles find large portions of “floating algae that act as mini-ecosystems complete with food and shelter.” Ghost nets can be mistaken as algae and young turtles often end up trapped in them.

Ghost net covering a coral reef

I’ve always loved everything related to the ocean and I think it’s super important to stay informed about topics that negatively affect your passions. This topic is really significant to me because I want to go into a field that is related to the ocean and I want to keep this beautiful environment in the best condition possible. I think it’s necessary for people to know about this topic because it’s a huge issue. The research I’ve for this project so far has been very eye-opening. Obviously, I’ve learned a lot since the beginning and I’m only planning on learning more. There’s so much to figure out and discover about this topic. I’m wondering about how individual people can help stop or slow the number of ghost Nets that are being added to the ocean and killing animals. Another huge question I have is where are ghost nets located because I’d love to dive there and help get them out.

Annotated Bibliography

In this final episode, Tina, Harper, Jabree, Ruby, and Faith give their final ratings of The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls, recap what happened since the last episode, and present some awards. List of awards; most responsible, funniest scene, best relationship between characters, most underrated character, and worst character. Page #s; 45, 146 & 218)