Highlighting support for students in recovery
Student Disability Services (SDS), in collaboration with Cornell Cinema, is sponsoring Recovery in Community, a spring 2026 film series and book talk featuring powerful stories about substance use, recovery, and belonging.
Developed through a student-led process, the series reflects guidance and consultation from Cornell Health and other campus partners, who served in advocacy and advisory roles to help center dignity, multiple pathways to recovery, and the importance of supportive campus communities.
Through film screenings, discussion, and a special book talk, Recovery in Community invites students to engage with nuanced portrayals of recovery — not as a single outcome, but as an ongoing, community-rooted journey. All events are free and open to the Cornell community.
Exploring recovery through film
Curated by Cornell students and informed by peers with lived experience, the Recovery in Community film series resists stereotypes and simplistic narratives about substance use. Instead, it highlights resilience, connection, and the social contexts that shape recovery.
Free Spring 2026 screenings at the Cornell Cinema:
- The Outrun — Thursday, February 12, 6 p.m.
- Crazywater — Thursday, March 12, 6 p.m.
- Generation Found — Thursday, April 16, 6 p.m.
Free popcorn is provided at each screening and following the films there will be followed by opportunities for reflection and conversation, creating space for students to engage thoughtfully with the films and with one another.
Book Talk: Recovery, justice, and storytelling
The series also features a book talk with journalist and Cornell alum, Keri Blakinger ’11, BA ’14, whose memoir Corrections in Ink: A Memoir examines addiction, incarceration, and recovery through lived experience and investigative reporting.
- Book Talk: Corrections in Ink — Wednesday, April 22, 7 p.m. | G10 Biotech,
This event expands the themes of the film series, connecting personal stories of recovery to broader questions about systems, stigma, and belonging.
Supporting students living with substance use disorders
At Cornell, students living with substance use disorders — including those in recovery — are part of a diverse and valued community. Campus partners work together to reduce stigma, promote access to care, and foster environments where students can seek support without judgment.
Recovery in Community complements these efforts by creating shared spaces for storytelling, empathy, and connection — reinforcing that recovery is supported not only through individual care, but through community understanding.