Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/189657
FEATURE Their teachers warned them to expect this type of reaction, which is centuries old. During an embalming class, student Alisha Gratz points out that those who dissected bodies for mummification had stones thrown at them in ancient Egypt. "The embalmers became a symbol for the survivors' grief," she tells classmates, who nod with understanding that not much has changed. STUDENTS' SUPPORT SYSTEM IS EACH OTHER "I was scared to death my first day of embalming, but the teachers mentally prepared us to see a dead body. They helped us feel con- fident," says Rosales. "It's a great program. Where else could you get a full-blown career in three semesters?" The mortuary school looks and feels like the real thing. The reception area is modeled after a funeral home. Students and teachers dress the part, speaking in hushed, reassuring tones. The school even has a store stocked with coffins, grave markers and urns. In labs, students practice embalming and restorative arts on unclaimed bodies of indigents provided by the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office, which occasionally receive a real funeral service from students. "We take care of their remains and show them respect, providing them with a dignity they may not have had when they were We take care of their remains and show them respect, providing them with a dignity they may not have had when they were alive. —Dave McCament Students learn thanatology (grief), anatomy, pathology and microbiology, and embalming. Here student Anthony Kim gives a presentation on his latest project. 30 Educator 10 Oct 2013 v2.1 int.indd 30 O C T O B E R 2013 10/7/13 9:38 PM