Solemn sounds of bagpipes and the strong scent of burning incense filled the air around the Indian Mounds on Thursday afternoon as students gathered to remember and celebrate lost lives.
In the “Remembrance Ceremony” designed to put students in touch with death by remembering life, the Social Work 4070, Grief and Bereavement class, organized a brief observance to honor fallen military troops, tsunami victims and deceased students.
Professor Sherry Smelley said the ceremony honors the life and sacrifice of those who have died. It was also a way for her students to remember loved ones they have lost, even if it was years ago, she said.
“We recognize the value of ceremony,” said Stanley Masinter, the ceremony’s bagpiper and a friend of Smelley. “It’s about keeping people in touch with their own grief.”
In her unique class — which focuses on understanding death and learning to grieve — Smelley said she teaches her students how to cope with grief and sadness and how to decide when it is time to let go.
“In this country we have tried to push ourselves away from death,” Smelley said. “We’ve separated ourselves from being able to grieve. But if we don’t grieve, we don’t heal.”
Smelley said her class teaches students not to fear death, because those who do not understand death can never fully appreciate or live a rich life.
Missy Jones, a general studies senior, said the elective class unites students from different cultures and majors to talk about grief and loss.
“You get guys in [class] that don’t usually talk about death,” Jones said. “But we learn people’s styles of grieving. It’s different for everyone.”
Jones, who said she took the class because of a recommendation from another social work professor, said listening to others talk about ways they grieve helps her deal with her own grief.
Bradley Gauthier, a geography senior, said after taking this class, he appreciates funerals more than he ever had in the past.
“It’s easier now,” he said. “It’s not as painful to say goodbye.”