To Ben: (from T/W group)
http://ben11thgradehistoryblog.blogspot.com/
"While reading Stiff, one of the topics that bothered me the most was donating our bodies to science. This post was really interesting and well-written. I was surprised to see that even recently, there are problems as the one you mentioned with the crematorium. "The article also states that over 16,000 lawsuits have been filed over the past 19 years arguing that the body parts of people's loved ones were being dismembered from the body and sold without the consent of the family." This is really disturbing, and made me less likely to donate to science. It may have benefits, but I don't like the risks since there are certain things I definitly don't want my body to go through after death (such as beautifications/plastic surgery)"
To Sarah:
http://sarahfrancesca23.blogspot.com/
"I found your project very interesting and I was curious about what people our age that have not taken the course would think about 'care of the dead.' I found it especially interesting that all interviewees had different answers. The video was also very fun to watch. A line I found most insightful was, "So what separates us from many other teenagers is that we have had a number of moments to really think, to discover and to understand that we have a choice when it comes to our bodies both in life and death." I have to agree with that ending statement because death was a topic I never considered before taking the course. Now, that I have learned the different choices we can make about our bodies, I actually took more time to think things through of what I really wanted. (Though I am also undecisive.) Perhaps knowing that there's so many things to think about make us have to reconsider and second-guess ourselves."
To Rossi:
http://rossi63blog.blogspot.com/
"I found your post really interesting and fun to read. I thought home funerals were 'better' than the traditional funeral procedures, but this interview made me think otherwise. A line that caught my attention was, "The home funeral caused a negative reminder rather that a happy living one." I think I rather be remembered for the good times versus the bad, and though I thought at one point that having a personal home funeral would help people move forward after mourning with their own terms-perhaps this does not apply to everyone. Maybe avoiding reality, avoiding the fact that the person they loved has passed away-is the right decision for some. The interview made me re-think about the home funeral idea. This was a nicely written post."
To Michelle:
http://michelle-normalisweird.blogspot.com/
"This was a very interesting read because its always good to be aware of the different cultures/beliefs around care for the dead. (Instead of focusing solely on the U.S just because we live here.) I found this particularly interesting (about the Teravih), "During which they did not do certain things like wearing new clothes or indulging in sweets or attending any festivities, all done out of respect to the deceased." I never knew this, and I found it really interesting how different certain places deal with death than we do. I feel as though these practices of India culture faces death in a more personal way, and though I do not believe in Hinduism/Buddhism, this post made me think India as a country deals with death in a more healthier way than the U.S does."
To Raven:
http://ravenwnormalisweird.blogspot.com/
"I really enjoyed the video and I found each intereviewee's answers interesting and unique. I think you did a great job with your video and I especially found the idea of our social norm of making a big deal of caring for someone after they have passed away very true. I thought not having consent before using a body for organ donations was disrespectful, but after hearing one of the interviewees I found myself convinced that regardless, people should donate their bodies after death to serve a purpose before decaying to the ground. Overall though, good job!"
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From Ben:
"I think you did a very good job compiling your research. Not only was it a good idea to start by looking back to the previous illness and dying unit (sort of) by viewing the health care report, the fact that you actually took the time to send that e-mail was very impressive to me. One of my favorite lines was, "It’s a bit reassuring though, that there are ways to get around the restrictions of home funerals in the state." I liked this because you acknowledge that although it is not usually a good thing to dodge the law, certain restrictions neither promote the funeral or burial experience. Nice job!"
From Sarah:
"Megumi -
Well done. Your essay was concise, and included some very good information. As someone who is considering a home funeral, this post was significant to me personally. My favorite line was, "The ‘traditional’ way to care for the dead only happened within a few years. It was normal before for families to care for the dead bodies of their loved ones-why is there now a need to hand over the body to strangers? " I wonder though what the norm might shift to next or if the practices we predominantly see throughout society today are here to stay. I hope that in the near future (sometime soon) New York will pass a law making it legal to care for the body without a funeral director. Even though this is possible with the director supervising it seems like there is probably a lot of pressure coming from the director towards the customer. Overall though this was a good post!"
From Mom: (Mentor)
"I thought this was very well written. Though I'm not really for home funerals, I do find it a bit strange that New York requires a funeral director to watch over the process when most states allow it. A line I liked was, "It just does not make sense to me why there’s a whole process to deal with a funeral director. It is as if families are not trusted to care for their loved ones." I don't necessarily agree that that is the reason for the restrictions NYS has for caring the dead, but there are aspects where society puts up a lot of rules/regulations that limits the choices we can make as individuals. Overall, I never knew about home funerals and this was an interesting read."
From Michelle:
"After watching "A Family Undertaker" you mention that became interested in home funerals, so you decided to research more on this and also see if home funerals are restricted in New York State. I valued the topic of this project because it is a topic that was important to you personally being that you currently live in New York and might like to have a home funeral. I also after watching this documentary found home funerals interesting, they seemed more personal than the ones done at funeral homes. Your project mattered to me because now I know that I can choose to have a home funeral here in New York, of course with attendance of a funeral director. Enjoyed reading your post, only thing could have added to make it better would have been comparing it more to regular funerals, but besides that good job"
From Raven:
"I think it's interesting that you chose to focus on the aspect of funeral homes and care of the dead rituals in New York. "A family undertaking" was an informative movie because it helped me to think about different options for the care of the dead rather than the traditional model that is dominant in our society. Good job."
From Kristen:
"I like your essay and all of the research you did to find out more on home funerals in New York. I also found it interesting that New York is the only place were a funeral director is required which I didn’t know. I’m wondering now though why was it so hard for you to find more detailed info on home funerals in New York, why is it kept a secret? Personally I think its something that should be able to be accessed publically."
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