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Few college students can say they head to the local cemetery after class. Sam Gardner (19Ox, 21C), however, finds spiritual fulfillment among the tombstones: the student volunteers as a mourner for those who have no one to grieve for them.

He’s attended about eight funerals, many at which he was the only one present.

The deceased who do not have friends or family to bury them are sometimes put to rest by complete strangers. Gardner is one of those strangers, volunteering as a mourner and pallbearer.

Prior to attending Oxford College, Gardner was involved in a volunteer pallbearer program at his high school, the Roxbury Latin School, in Boston. He decided to continue the service during college. Through the Ave Atque Vale program, which is Latin for “hail and farewell,” Gardner volunteered as a mourner for indigent funeral services Boston. Often, the student volunteers were the only people present to grieve for the deceased, Gardner said. The school’s seniors have volunteered at 85 funerals since the foundation of the program in 2013, according to Roxbury Latin faculty member Mike Pojman.

Pojman, who founded the program, said Gardner was heavily involved in the program during high school.

“[Gardner] took an immediate interest in participating, and he served most often of anyone in the class,” Pojman wrote in a May 6 email to the Wheel. “I was greatly impressed — but not surprised — that he has been working to do … similar [volunteer work] at Emory.”

Gardner said that he initially struggled to find a means to continue his volunteer work near the Oxford campus. Covington, Ga., the area around Oxford, did not hold indigent services and city officials were not receptive to his outreach, according to Gardner. His adviser, Visiting Assistant Professor of English Sarah Higinbotham, helped connect Gardner with Fulton County Chaplain Rev. Cliff Dawkins.

Higinbotham said it was an honor to foster the relationship between two people as compassionate as Dawkins and Gardner.

“Dawkins responded immediately that he would love to have Sam’s help, and the very next day, Sam drove to help with a funeral,” she said.

Gardner said that indigent funerals in the Atlanta area typically occur at Lakeside Memorial Gardens Cemetery in Palmetto, Ga., and the drive to the cemetery takes him about an hour each way.

Gardner said that he was initially shocked by the number of indigent burials in Atlanta in which the deceased lacked mourning family or friends because it was significantly higher than what he had experienced in high school.

“In Atlanta, they’re burying four people every Tuesday and Thursday who don’t have a family … I was seeing a lot more bodies,” Gardner said.

The Ave Atque Vale program in Boston attends about 10 to 15 funerals annually, each senior typically participating once, according to Pojman. Since moving to the greater Atlanta area to attend Oxford in the fall of 2017, Gardner said he has volunteered at four services.

Despite the potentially upsetting nature of the volunteer work, Gardner said he believes every person deserves recognition as they are put to rest. All humans share a common bond and responsibility to one another, he said.

“No matter what kind of person an individual was in life, they should be returned to the Earth with respect,” Gardner said. “Whether they were a criminal, a nice person, the president — it doesn’t matter. At the end of the day, they were human.”

Higinbotham echoed Gardner’s sentiments, saying that his work extends “dignity to the people that Atlanta failed and forgot.”

Since working with Gardner, Higinbotham said she has become inspired to volunteer as a mourner herself. She attended her first funeral this January to honor those buried alone.

Although Gardner said he believes in the importance of respecting all human life, he recognizes that he benefits from the volunteer work more than those whose funerals he attends.

“The actual act of being present for the burial … [is] more for me to contemplate what’s important,” Gardner said. “What kind of connections do I want to make in life so I’m not in this position where no one is burying me [and] where no one remembers me? It’s a reflection on myself as a human.”

Mourning allows him to reevaluate his privilege and be more appreciative of everything he has, Gardner said.

At Oxford, Gardner said that he occasionally finds himself losing gratitude and feeling “less privileged compared to the people around [him].” Volunteering at indigent funerals reminds him “to think critically about what [he] can do because of privilege.”

Gardner’s friend, Isabela Cardenas (19Ox, 21C), said Gardner internalizes his philosophy of self-awareness.

“He’s really focused on being a good man — on being a good human,” Cardenas said.

Gardner said that he is hesitant to create an official Oxford program for volunteer mourners. While he is happy to help anyone get involved and volunteer, he said he does not want create the leadership hierarchy inherent to many community service programs. To him, there should be no president or secretary to regulate the volunteer work. Anyone who wants to support and respect the deceased should be able to, Gardner said.

Higinbotham encouraged Gardner to write an article about his service work and reflections on his place of privilege. Despite his initial reservations, Gardner’s article was published in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in May.

Gardner said he believed that his experience as a pallbearer was actually not the most important part of his story.

“I didn’t want the piece to be about me,” Gardner said.

He  wanted instead to highlight those who are buried alone.

“I’m careful not to go down that path and try to get recognition,” Gardner said. “It’s more about being a citizen of the world … [and how] to be a better person and have a better understanding of myself and the people around us.”

The post Oxford Student Mourns Atlanta’s Forgotten appeared first on The Emory Wheel.

Quiz: Which animal is your true summertime spirit floaty?

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Summertime can only be summertime with pools and floaties. We at the Clog want to know: Which animal is your true spirit floaty? Take this quick quiz to find out!

Contact Pooja Bale at pbale@dailycal.org .

The Daily Californian

At a state Medical Board hearing on Tuesday, former Keck School of Medicine vice dean Henri Ford testified that he suspected Carmen Puliafito for possible drug usage during his deanship at the Keck school. Prior to Puliafito’s resignation, Ford addressed his concerns and reported them to the a senioradministrator at the University.

In early 2016, Ford, now dean of University of Miami’s medical school, notified USC Provost Michael Quick about Puliafito attending parties with people of “questionable reputation.” According to Ford, he made the decision to contact the administration to express his concerns for Puliafito’s mental health and overall well-being.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Ford’s testimony was the first to indicate that people within the USC administration had suspected Puliafito for using drugs while serving as the dean.

Puliafito announced his resignation in March 2016 after serving as dean since 2007. In his letter to the USC community, Puliafito said he planned on returning to work in academic ophthalmology and wanted to pursue other identified opportunities in healthcare.

In July 2017, a Times investigation reported that Puliafito used illegal drugs, hosted in-office parties and kept in contact with criminals and other drug users during his time at USC.

Several weeks prior to Puliafito’s resignation, it was also revealed that he was present when 21-year-old Sarah Warren suffered a drug overdose at a party at a Pasadena hotel.

Puliafito accused Warren of introducing him to methamphetamine at the medical board hearing, which he testified to using with her once a week, according to the LA Times. He also denied Warren’s claim that he provided her with drugs, which she had told the Medical Board and the LA Times.

Warren did not testify before the medical board Tuesday, but the judge is still considering previous statements by Warren and her brother.

At the hearing, Ford testified that he first reported Puliafito to Quick because of his behavior a conference in Las Vegas. The dean did not show up because he was “partying” in his hotel room. Quick agreed to follow up but did not, Ford said.

Ford said he resigned as vice dean after seeing that the University did not require Puliafito to seek treatment and was instead told by administrators they had lost confidence in him.

Former federal prosecutor Debra Yang and her firm Gibson Dunn & Crutcher are currently conducting an inquiry into Puliafito’s case.

The post Former Keck vice dean testifies about Puliafito at state Medical Board hearing appeared first on Daily Trojan.

One of the highlights of Lt. Col. Shannon Stambersky’s career was when she saw cadets step outside of their comfort zone and embrace their host country’s culture during a three-week summer training program in Indonesia.

During her time at UCLA, Stambersky pioneered a summer cultural exchange program with 30 cadets in Surabaya, Indonesia, and will lead the program for the second time this summer.

Stambersky will be leaving her position as head of the UCLA Army ROTC program this August after 20 years of military service. Army ROTC is a military program that prepares college students to be lieutenants in the Army for four years upon graduation.

Stambersky, a logistics officer who served for 19 years and toured in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as a professor and chair of the UCLA Department of Military Science, will be working at the Pentagon in the Business Transformation Agency.

Maj. Steve Kwon, who is currently stationed at Fort Knox in Kentucky, will replace Stambersky in the fall.

Stambersky said she was honored that ROTC invited her to lead the Indonesia summer exchange program for a second time this summer. Stambersky said this was a prestigious invitation because not all officers are invited to return to lead the program again, but she will be returning to continue building a relationship with the Indonesian troops.

“That was a big honor to be asked to return, especially as a woman in their very male-dominated society,” Stambersky said.

Stambersky said the military can be unaccustomed to seeing women in charge of combat training, but her cadre’s welcoming attitude and experiences abroad deviates from this perception.

“Our cadets are very open-minded and when you talk about equality they actually believe it. It’s really kind of refreshing to see,” she said.

Stambersky said she was encouraged by the recent changes the Army has made to increase gender equality in the forces.

“In the time I’ve been here at UCLA, infantry and armor has been opened to women, women are able to go to ranger school now, all of these opportunities that I didn’t even think about are available to women in the Army now,” Stambersky said.

Stambersky said that she enjoyed working with both the Indonesian troops and her own cadre, and is particularly motivated by the opportunities she has to encourage character-building through training.

Capt. Tyrone Vargas said that Stambersky’s leadership helped UCLA Army ROTC become recognized as a top-10 Army ROTC program in the nation.

“Not to brag about it, but as a kudos to Stambersky, we were selected … because of not just the number of our cadets turning into lieutenants, but also because the quality of our cadets is remarkable,” Vargas said.

Stambersky said that she thinks her legacy in ROTC will be the army and life balance she created for her cadets.

“I’m getting more used to pushing (my cadets) a little bit more to not settle, don’t repeat old habits, always make things better,” Stambersky said. “Before, it used to be a real challenge for our cadets to keep up as students and cadets at the same time. We are more flexible, and more efficient with our time, and always try to do things that achieved multiplicity of effects.”

Vargas said he thinks this analytical approach will translate well to Stambersky’s new position at the Pentagon.

“It’s a pretty good place to end on a high note,” he said. “Even though (UCLA) could be considered a high note, she decided to end it on an even higher note.”

Sgt. 1st Class August Maggio said that one of his favorite experiences with Stambersky was guest lecturing with her for a class titled “Sociology of Violence.”

“Talking to a class of college students is not something that we get to do often, and … a lot of students have preconceived notions of the military and violence, so that was really meaningful that we got to share our perspective,” Maggio said.

Stambersky said that the reason she stayed in the Army for so long after completing her own ROTC obligation was because of the experiences she enjoyed as a soldier.

“You get to meet so many different types of people and just to see how people interact and witness the human experience. I definitely enjoyed it,” she said. “The best part of being a soldier is hanging out with other soldiers.”

Vargas said that what he admired most about Stambersky after working with her in the last year was how she embodied the values she teaches her cadets.

“She always gets feedback from the students to try and become better,” he said. “And she was part of the crew on the 405 when that guy got trapped. That goes to show you, she’s not only a professor, she’s not only a leader – she’s a hero.”

With one event left in the NCAA Outdoor Championships, Florida’s women’s track and field team was four points away from its first podium finish since 2014.

USC jumper Lyndsey Lopes clears the bar during the high jump final. The NCAA Track & Field National Championships are held at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. on Saturday, June 9, 2018. (Adam/Emerald)

Oregon distance runner Samantha Nadel races in the 5000m final. The NCAA Track & Field National Championships are held at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. on Saturday, June 9, 2018. (Adam/Emerald)

USC runner Anylerne Annelus reacts after clinching the victory in the 200m. The NCAA Track & Field National Championships are held at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. on Friday, June 8, 2018. (Ben Green/Emerald)

Oregon middle distance runner Sabrina Southerland races in the 800m final. The NCAA Track & Field National Championships are held at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. on Saturday, June 9, 2018. (Adam/Emerald)

Ducks runner Sabrina Southerland takes off during the 800m. The NCAA Track & Field National Championships are held at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. on Friday, June 8, 2018. (Ben Green/Emerald)

Oregon sprinter Ariana Washington leans forward to finish during the 100m final. The NCAA Track & Field National Championships are held at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. on Saturday, June 9, 2018. (Adam/Emerald)

Ariana Washington of the University of Oregon celebrates after finishing the 4×100 relay. The NCAA Track & Field National Championships are held at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. on Friday, June 8, 2018. (Ben Green/Emerald)

Oregon sprinter Lauren Rain Williams hands the baton off to teammate Jasmin Reed during the 4x100m final. The NCAA Track & Field National Championships are held at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. on Saturday, June 9, 2018. (Adam/Emerald)

Ducks runner Hannah Walier takes the batton during the 4×400. The NCAA Track & Field National Championships are held at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. on Friday, June 8, 2018. (Ben Green/Emerald)

USC runner Kyla Constantine (left) comforts and congratulates teammate Kendall Ellis after her their victory over Georgia. The NCAA Track & Field National Championships are held at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. on Friday, June 8, 2018. (Ben Green/Emerald)

Lilli Burdon of the University of Oregon smiles after sliding into 3rd place during the 5,000m. The NCAA Track & Field National Championships are held at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. on Friday, June 8, 2018. (Ben Green/Emerald)

Oregon hurdler Alaysha Johnson clears a hurdle during the 110m final. The NCAA Track & Field National Championships are held at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. on Saturday, June 9, 2018. (Adam/Emerald)

Ducks hurdler Alaysha Johnson competes in the 100m hurdles. The NCAA Track & Field National Championships are held at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. on Friday, June 8, 2018. (Ben Green/Emerald)

Oregon middle distance runner Jessica Hull races in the 1500m final. The NCAA Track & Field National Championships are held at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. on Saturday, June 9, 2018. (Adam/Emerald)

Oregon Ducks runner Jessica Hull reacts after winning the 1500m. The NCAA Track & Field National Championships are held at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. on Friday, June 8, 2018. (Ben Green/Emerald)

Oregon middle distance runner Jessica Hull celebrates with her teammates during her victory lap. The NCAA Track & Field National Championships are held at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. on Saturday, June 9, 2018. (Adam/Emerald)

University of Kentucky runner Sydney McLaughlin crosses the finish line far ahead of the competition during the 400m hurdles. The NCAA Track & Field National Championships are held at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. on Friday, June 8, 2018. (Ben Green/Emerald)

The post Photos: NCAA Championships Day 4 appeared first on Emerald Media.

In the final day of the 2018 NCAA Track and Field Outdoor Championships, Oregon’s women’s team, with nine athletes and two relay teams, scored 39 points for a seventh-place finish, unable to defend last year’s title that capped off the Triple Crown.

The Ducks started the day off hot with a second-place finish in the 4×100-meter relay and a first-place finish by sophomore Jessica Hull in the 1,500 meters, taking Oregon from unranked with no points to a second-place ranking with 18.

Following the 4×100, freshmen Jasmin Reed and Lauren Rain Williams cheered for Hull in the 1,500 before stepping into the media tent.

“We kinda just had to stay calm and use [the high emotion] as a positive aspect, instead of letting the moment become too big and making sure we use the energy to get the baton around the track,” Reed said.

She joked that she wasn’t sure how the team was doing during her leg, the third.

“I didn’t really see anything, honestly, because I have a lot of trouble with the tape aspect of the relay, so I was kinda just really focused in on being patient and watching my tape and making sure I took off at the right time.”

But, things quickly turned sour for the Ducks in the 100-meter hurdles and 100-meter dash for 4×100 relay runners, juniors Alaysha Johnson and Ariana Washington.

As rain began to dump onto Hayward Field, Johnson took the line for the hurdles. Two false starts and an adjustment to her starting blocks later, Johnson crossed the line in 13.22 seconds with a seventh-place finish.

In the 100, Johnson finished last with a time of 11.50.

“I don’t think I’ve seen rain like this in a really long time out here,” Johnson said. “Right before the race started, it started to pour and I was just like, ‘Crap!’ I just tried tried to keep my head straight and my mind clear, and things just didn’t work out for me.”

In the 400 meters, junior Briyahna DesRosiers and sophomore Makenzie Dunmore represented Oregon. Hopes of team title contention riding on DesRosiers and Dunmore were dashed as the two brought in a collective four points for the Ducks.

DesRosiers finished sixth with a time of 52.10 seconds, while Dunmore went down in the final stretch about 50 meters from the finish. She stayed down for about a minute before crossing the finish with an official time of 1:49.13, almost a whole minute behind seventh-place finisher Rachel Misher of LSU.

Dunmore ran the anchor leg in the semifinal of the 4×400 on Thursday, but did not appear in Saturday’s final. DesRosiers, Shae Anderson, Venessa D’Arpino and Hannah Waller represented Oregon, with D’Arpino replacing Dunmore.

The Oregon relay team finished third after an exciting comeback by USC in the final 100 meters to win the title. The Trojans finished first, just 0.05 seconds before second-place finisher Purdue.

In the 800 meters, senior Sabrina Southerland, who was the first-place finisher in her heat of Thursday’s preliminary race and fourth overall, took seventh place with a time of  2:06.99; and in the 5,000 meters, junior Lilli Burdon took third with a time of 15:43.22. Senior Samantha Nadel finished 17th in 16:01.14.

On the field, Chaquinn Cook took 10th in the triple jump with a jump of 43 feet, 4¼ inches.

Hull’s first-place 1,500-meter finish, the only first-place finish for Oregon, was a personal best of 4:08.75 and a bright spot in a mostly rainy and generally disappointing day for Oregon.

“It was kinda nice to feel like I was doing it right,” Hull said. “I think that 10 meters to go I was like ‘I’m gonna take this,’ and I was shocked and so excited and then I crossed the line. To have it actually come true, I was blown away — very special moment.”

Follow Sierra Webster on Twitter @WebsterSierraE

The post Oregon women’s track and field places seventh at NCAA championships, Jessica Hull wins 1,500 appeared first on Emerald Media.

We look forward to the future and often wish we could travel in time to experience it. Now visitors of the ACME Lab at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts can.

Epicenter’s “Our Futures” installation allows visitors to travel into the future and experience Green River in the year 2039 through an interactive exhibit. Visitors follow two of 961 Green River citizens, Mia and Cera, through four possible and different futuristic outcomes. Visitors are encouraged to walk through the room to experience increased tourism, disincorporation, Mars colonization testing industry recruitment and recycling industry recruitment. Guests are then encouraged to vote for a single future. Not only do visitors have a chance to walk around the future, but they can read all material in English and Spanish.

The best part of Epicenter’s “Our Futures” exhibit is the promotion of exploration and forward thinking. Visitors can see what the future holds for Mia and Cera while the two are encouraged to adjust their lives for their desired future. An exhibit which motivates visitors to make a positive change for the future is an exhibit I can stand by.

All features of the installation educate visitors with hands-on participation. It does a great job of promoting exploration by stimulating the senses. Each of the four outcomes has a listening display where visitors can hear various sounds. Through the headphones, guests hear voices and machinery, but with so many sounds you are bound to hear something new each time. Not only can you hear each future outcome, but you can smell a part of each one. I can’t say all the smells were pleasant, but the ability to use sound and scent immerses you in the exhibit and supports active visitor participation. An exhibit which discourages any visitor involvement can be boring, especially for young children. You don’t have to worry about that with “Our Futures” where each visitor is invited to participate.

Not only does the installation encourage participation, but it encourages visualizing the future. The artists did a great job of inviting each individual to take a closer look at notes, costumes and equipment which contribute to each future outcome. The “For Sale” and “No Trespassing” signs seem like they are taken right out of the future and placed in the exhibit, which contributed to the futuristic feel of the area.

Visitors get to explore, experience and participate in Epicenter’s “Our Futures” exhibit, which is truly worth the visit. While the exhibit may be most exciting for younger individuals, it proves to be interesting for all ages. The exploration will be well worth the trip for everyone. Before you leave, make sure you place a marble in which of the four outcomes you prefer and take one of the three pins available to show you voted for the future.

UMFA is located in the Marcia and John Price Museum Building on the University of Utah campus in Salt Lake City, Utah. Epicenter’s “Our Futures” exhibit is open until July 1.

a.whitten@ustudentmedia.com

@adelinaydg

The post Time Travel with Epicenter’s “Our Futures” appeared first on Daily Utah Chronicle.