November 2015 Mortuary Science Class of 2016 Newsletter
Class Welcomes a Variety of Guest Speakers
This month the class had the privilege of meeting and listening to guest speakers in our Funeral Directing, Psychology of Death and Dying, and Embalming classes. On November 18th a panel of mentors from the class’s mentoring program including Gene Andrus, Michael Lope, David Kessner, and Beverly Neal came to speak. The topic spoken on was “The Dos and Don’ts of Funeral Service” which was followed by a Q and A session. Mentor panel from left to right: Beverly Neal, Michael Lope, David Kessner, Gene Andrus
Both Tom Lynch and Patty Lynch from Lynch & Sons Funeral Homes addressed the class also. Paddy, who was featured on the PBS television special The Undertaking, shared inspirational quotes and gave advice on how to succeed as a funeral director. Tom Lynch on a separate date took time to speak about his experiences in the funeral profession as well as the Lynch family’s history. The class learned that Tom is a traveler as well as a poet. At the end of his presentation, Tom, co- author of the book The Good Funeral, graciously gifted everyone in the class with copies. Thank you to all who Eugene Applebaum Community Apple Days On November 11th the university hosted an event that invited local high school students to come to the Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences building and learn about programs the college has to offer. Program Director Mark Evely and Anatomy for Mortuary Science teacher Crystal Green were there hosting along with many students from the class. It was a great way to educate prospective students on what Mortuary Science really is, debunk any misconceptions about the profession, and hopefully inspire high schoolers to take the education path to become future funeral directors. P a g e 2 Mt. Elliott Cemetery Association Field Trip
On October 28th the Mortuary Science class took a field trip with Be sure to like the the Mt. Elliott Cemetery Association. The class visited multiple Wayne State cemeteries, a University mausoleum, and a Mortuary Science crematory. Despite the Program on gloomy weather it was Facebook fun and a fantastic opportunity for the class to be educated outside of the classroom. On the bus a video was played and narrated that showed a disinterment. The class was given lunch and literature from Resurrection Cemetery which provided them with maps and consumer guides to give insight on the information that prospective families receive. At the first stop a burial was witnessed. The machinery and physical placement of a vault from its original location to the grave was demonstrated. (pictured top left) The crematory operator at Resurrection Cemetery took the class step by step through the process of cremation. All of the finer details such as intake process, temperature, and length of time it takes to complete a cremation were discussed. The mausoleum was the final stop. Students explored the multiple levels of Blake Ashley, crypts, niches, and private family rooms. LaShonda Martin, and Mallory Walker learning about the cremation process (above)
Just one of many styles of available crypts students got t o s e e a t Resurrection (left)
Kevin Drummelsmith and Jerrell Shine touring the Resurrection Mausoleum (far left)
P a g e 3 Michigan Embalmers Society Seminar On November 6th the Michigan Embalmers Society along with Eversight Michigan and Gift of Life Michigan came together for a seminar that welcomed members and students alike. The topic was “Tapestry of Giving: Our Interwoven Roles in Tissue Donation.” Representatives from each organization spoke about the importance and benefits of being an organ and tissue donor. There were touching personal stories shared, too, about loved ones who have both saved lives and had their lives saved because of donation. Eversight Photo taken from Michigan Funeral Directors Association Facebook page also invited everyone to make a visit to the Donor Memorial Garden at their home location in Ann Arbor.
Open house success With a turnout of almost 500 people we are proud to say the 2015 annual Mortuary Science Open House was a huge success! Many funeral directors, alumni, friends and family were able to make it. A thank you goes out to the students who put in their best effort to make it possible. Also, thank you to the Clinical Laboratory Science and Pathology Assistant students for being so cooperative and adding many interesting aspects for the guests to see.
P a g e 4 Student Spotlight Michael Fisher Hometown? My heart is in Whitmore Lake, MI although I temporarily reside in Pinckney.
Favorite thing to do when you are not in class or at work? Engaging in the outdoors. I love fishing and hunting. Most of all I love spending that time with my family.
What led you to the path of Mortuary Science? It has been a calling of mine since I was a child with a fascination of ancient Egyptian mummification. That led to me learning about the American way of funerals along with its history including the funerals of U.S. Presidents Abraham Lincoln and JFK. My motivation though came from the funerals of loved ones. Those funeral helped to inspire how I, as a funeral director, would do the best I can to help serve families in their times of need.
What is your favorite course? I cannot just choose one favorite of anything, I will always have lots of favorites. I will say that I absolutely love Embalming. The process of embalming is where my heart lies. Also, Restorative Arts, because it gives us the foundation to become individuals who can give a family the opportunity to view their loved one when no one else believes they can. I also love our Funeral Directing and Psychology of Death and Dying classes.
Hometown? I was born and raised in Southeast Detroit until I was six years old. My family and I then moved to Allen Park, MI where I currently reside.
Favorite thing to do when you are not in class or at work? Most of my time outside of school is spent studying or shadowing embalmings, however I enjoy working out, walking my dog, and playing with my nephew Ezekiel.
What led you to the path of Mortuary Science? My grandmother and grandfather both passed away in a two year span. My family chose to use the same funeral home for both services so we became familiar with the funeral director there. He spoke with me about my future interests and introduced me to the idea of funeral service. How much he helped my family in our time of need inspired me to eventually do the same with other families in their most difficult times.
What is your favorite course? I have come to realize, from losing loved ones personally and from hearing other’s stories, how important the last goodbye is when someone passes away. The Kelsey Hill closure that comes from actually seeing the deceased at a funeral home is unprecedented in the grieving process. Because of this, Restorative Arts has become my favorite course. The knowledge attained in that class gives students the opportunity to give families that last goodbye when they may have otherwise been denied it due to conditions surrounding the death. P a g e 5 Student Spotlight Elle Lehman Hometown? I am from Portland, Michigan, which is about twenty minutes west of Lansing.
Favorite thing to do when you are not in class or at work? I enjoy spending time with my family and friends. I love sharing laughs and making memories with them. I also enjoy traveling and exploring new places, whether it be on my own or with friends and family.
What led you to the path of Mortuary Science? My path to mortuary science and the profession of funeral service was quite simple. My father is a funeral director and owns and operates our family funeral home. I have been around the business my entire life and have helped out at the funeral home ever since I can remember. More recently, I had considered actually going into funeral service as a career and began to work more closely with my father. At this time, I realized, not only did I have the passion to help families in their time of need, but it is something that I was good at and felt comfortable with. All in all, I am honored to be able to be there for a family in a time of grief and to serve them.
What is your favorite course? All of the mortuary science courses we take prove to be interesting and informative. However, I especially like Restorative Arts because it is the most challenging course for me as a student. I am very intrigued by and enjoy going through case studies step-by-step, start to finish, in order to be able to understand how to offer a family closure and give them something they may not have had before.
Hometown? With the exception of moving to Mt. Pleasant, Michigan for a few years, I have spent the majority of my life in downtown Farmington, Michigan, where I currently reside.
Favorite thing to do when you are not in class or at work? When I am not at school, studying or working at the funeral home, the rest of my time is centered around my family. I am blessed with an incredible family; my mother, my father and my two sisters. I enjoy making people laugh and surrounding myself with positive people. I also utilize my “me time” with reading, writing, running and cooking. I enjoy spontaneous adventures with my friends, playing with my yellow lab, listening to live music and spending as much time outdoors as I can.
What led you to the path of Mortuary Science? My curiosity of the profession developed as I grew up down the street from a funeral director. I experienced a series of losses in my family and my community at a young age, and I always felt the most sincere need to comfort people during difficult times. I took a left turn and chose to attend college for a teaching degree, often thinking back to my original ‘calling’ as graduation approached. After enduring another heavy loss, I left school to pursue my passion of serving families as a funeral service professional.
What is your favorite course? All of our courses that we take in the program Megan McAllister here are very beneficial to us as future funeral service professionals. I would have to say that Psychology of Death & Dying would be my favorite course. Not only do we have a wonderful instructor, but for a simple course name, we learn a vast amount of various things. We study numerous social and cultural perspectives, counseling approaches to sudden death or unexpected deaths, grief reactions and we manage our own self-care.