The Last Responders, a student organization whose aim is to educate the public on dealing with death, is enjoying a revival.
It now has almost 30 members after returning as a student organization last year at North Campus.
“When you talk about death, people are always afraid or they don’t want to talk about it,” said Chelsey White, the organization’s president. “[So] the purpose of the club is to get death out in a positive way.”
To accomplish their goal, TLR plans a series of educational seminars and community service projects this year to showcase what the field of funeral services is all about. Some of the professionals the club hopes to invite include crime scene technicians and medical examiners.
“Nobody thinks about death because no one wants to talk about it because it’s [seen as] such a negative topic,” said Brianna Gamboa, the club’s president last year. “[People] need to be educated on death that way when you are caught up in that moment, you know what to do.”
The club works in conjunction with Miami Dade College’s funeral services program. It hopes to nurture the communities future embalmers. They work with priests, social workers, and psychologists to gain experience they need so they can deal with death in a dignified manner.
“Embalming is an art and a science,” Gamboa said. “You get to learn the [tactics] of preserving and art. You have to be cognitive and make the person look decent enough to help that grieving family.”
Club members say the funeral services field allows students the opportunity to serve the families of the dead and in many cases leave a lasting impression. But the career, they say, also leaves a positive mark on their lives.
“This program has changed me for the better,” said TLR treasurer Anthony Zanders. “Before this program I was shy. [I] never wanted to do public speaking, but now [that] I have broken that shell. [ I am willing to] speak publicly.”
And that breaking down of walls is exactly what the club wants.
“We are not afraid of a conversation. We are open,” White said. “Come talk to us; we are open people.”
Students who want more information about the organization can send an email to lastresponders2017@yahoo.com. The club meets in the Funeral Service building (Room 3142) on Mondays and Wednesdays at noon.
