HW 58 - Prom Interviews

Interview With Someone Who Recently Experienced Prom

What years did you go to prom?
- My school was very lenient on who was allowed to go to prom and who wasn’t so I was able to go to prom in my 2nd to 3rd year.

Did you ask out your partner or did she (or he) ask you?
- I asked her out in 11th and 12th grade but in sophomore year I went as a stag in a group of other stags.

How was the experience of being a stag different from going with a partner?
- It wasn’t that different actually… Except for the part where I felt a bit awkward in the beginning for not having a date but as the night went out and I got to dance with senior and junior girls that were a foot taller than me, I realized that talking with friends is better than dancing. In junior year I asked out a girl that I didn’t really like so I didn’t dance with her too much. I ended up spending the rest of the night with my friends talking like I did on the 10th grade. In the 12th grade however, I went with the girl that I was going out with for almost 3 months and I spent all of the night with her.

Which prom did you enjoy the most?
- I enjoyed the 2nd one the most. No offence to my ex-girlfriend but I think prom should be about having fun. I am not a dancer and she wanted to dance so I didn’t really have as much fun as I would have liked to.

Why did you like the second prom better than the first one, if you ended up doing the same thing?
- Because in my second prom I wasn’t the little kid without a date. In 11th grade, I was the kid who has a date but “he’d rather do his own thing and have fun with his real friends”.

Did you ever watch any movies about prom or read any articles about prom?
- I never read any articles on prom but I did watch a few movies but they weren’t for the intentions of learning about prom, they were just to watch and “enjoy”.

Were your experiences similar or different to the ones you saw in the movies?
- Both similar and different. Similar in a way that there was a lot of drama with who’s going with whom, not with me, but with some of my classmates. And different in a way that I didn’t do the whole fussing about asking someone out.

If you could change your prom experiences, how would you change it?
- I don’t think I would change any of my experiences because I experienced all sides of it. I want to keep it that way.

Thank you for the interview

Interview With Luis Torres (Someone Who Is Going To Prom This Academic Year)

How are your feelings about going to prom this year?
- I’m a little excited and also a little nervous about going to prom, which is weird because I am a very outgoing person in my school and feeling shy about a social event is weird for me.

Why do you think you’re nervous?
- I don’t know… Maybe it’s because there are a lot of expectations and “rules” that you have to follow in order to “have a good time”.

What do you mean when you say rules?
- I basically mean that people always look at guys to make sure they are treating their date properly and to make sure that they are dancing with them at all times, otherwise you will have to deal with the embarrassment of being called a lame date. Which I find ridiculous because the whole point of prom, to me at least, is to have a final fun night with all of the people you spent the past four years of your life with and you shouldn’t need to be restricted by any sort of rules.

What do you plan on doing at prom?
- Have fun with my friends of course.

Did you ask out a girl yet?
- I did but it’s more of a friend thing because that’s what we agreed on. So I will be spending most of the night with her and my other friends, and we’ll all basically have a good time.

Do you know of any girl that asked out a guy?
- I heard of one girl doing that but I don’t know if that was true or not.

Why do you think it is the guy’s duty to ask out the girl? Why not the other way around?
- I don’t know but I’m sure prom is something that dates back to medieval times. Not the exact version of today but the general idea, at least. Knights would ask out his lady to King’s Ball or something and the lady would make sure she looked pretty for the glorious night…

Are you going to your school’s after prom? If so, are your deeds in after prom going to be respectable?
- I am going to after prom but not with the rest of my grade. I’ll be going to a restaurant with around five of my closest friends. As for whether our actions will be respectable or not, I think they will be but you never know…

I hope your actions will be respectable, and I hope you have a good time at your senior prom. Thanks for the interview.

Luis Torres’ Grandmother’s Interview on Prom (Conducted by Luis but I gave him the questions)

Grandma Torres as she wanted to be called for this interview attended prom in 194 and 19. She attended both the Junior and Senior proms.

What do you remember about your high school proms?
- We danced in my school’s gym. There was a disk-jockey (D.J.) and we listened to old records. The girls all wore similar dresses and the guys all looked as if they bought their tuxedos from the same tailor. It wasn’t much different from how it was every day in school since I attended a private school where we had to wear uniforms.

What did you wear?
- My Junior Year, I wore a yellow dress. Senior Year, I had a blue one. Both were made by my mother. We also wore flats, no heels -- we called them 'ballerinas'. My date wore a white tuxedo suit jacket and black pants.

Did you have a Class Song or Theme? What did the decorations look like?
- We did have a Senior Class song but I can't remember what it was at the moment. The prom wasn't really decorated well - just crepe paper on basketball poles and loop-de-looped around the bleachers of the gym. There wasn't a particular theme but I guess it was what you kids would call the 50’s theme.

Who'd you go with?
- I went with your father’s (Luis’ father) biological father, both years. He is a bit older than me and he was in college and since he had already been to two of his proms during his time in high school, he was an expert on proms. He was also a great dancer. We danced till midnight which was when prom ended.

Did he ask you to go with him? Or did you ask him?
- He asked me. No girl asked the guy out. I don’t think girls do that now either, it’s very tacky.

Was there any kind of after-prom?
- No, prom ended at midnight like I said and all the boys drove or walked their girl home. We didn’t have any parties after prom like you kids have no, for us, prom WAS the party, what else would we do in an after prom?

Final question, did you have fun? And if you could change one aspect of your prom, what would it be?
- Of course I had fun! It was one of the best nights of my life! And I wouldn’t change anything. It was perfect.

After hearing and reading all the different perspectives of the interviewees, I began to think back to my initial thoughts post. How were my initial thoughts similar or different to that of my interviewees? The interviews with the two people who were closer to my age had similar things to say about prom than my friend’s grandmother. Some similarities between my thoughts and my friends’ thoughts are that all three of us feel as if prom is not really that big of a deal. It is hyped up by media and also past seniors who like to pretend that they had fun but the fact of the matter is, they just spent a night with their friends. Not like they haven’t done that in the four or more years they have spent with those people. Another similarity I noticed is that Luis (going to prom this semester) also does not like the rules that we have to follow in order to have fun with friends. Your classmates will make stigmatize you if you show up to prom without a date, or if you do not spend every minute with your date, or if you do not wear something fancy. Luis confessed that he will be trying his best to break these scripted rules so that he can have fun the way he wants to have fun.

One major difference between Josh, Luis, and me is that they both have wanted to go to prom ever since they heard about it. I on the other hand was not very keen on attending the whole shenanigans. Their main reason for wanting to attend is that they get to spend one last night with their friends. My counterargument to that is why not just get the people you actually like and host a party? Instead of getting a mix of people you cannot stand and some that you can bear. Luis’ grandmother’s interview was interesting because from what it sounded like, her experiences were not so different from Josh’s experiences and the experiences of people depicted in movies about prom. Which means that unlike many other traditions, prom is one of the things that has remained a similar tradition in multiple time periods.

HW 57- Initial Thoughts on Prom

                I’ve always had an advantage over other students when it comes to firsthand experience in the Normal is Weird course units. An advantage which always made me feel special but now, when our unit is about prom, I feel silly because the only experience I have with this topic is from watching television shows and movies. Many of my classmates have been around prom by having siblings who went to prom and some of them have already been to prom. Growing up in a religious family I have been taught that social events like prom, are always bad and that we should avoid them if we can. My parents have always been very strict about parties. They have the stereotypical idea of every party that a teenager attends in America is full of drugs and alcohol. They aren’t completely wrong… However, I am certain that they will let me go to prom next year because by that time, I will already have received my acceptance letter from NYU so my parents would want me to enjoy my last few days and nights as a high school student to reward me for being admitted to a prestigious college.

             
                I am looking forward to prom as much as I am looking forward to waking up tomorrow and typing up another homework assignment on the train like I’m doing right now. It’s not that I don’t know who I’ll be going with or that I am worried that I won’t have a date because I already asked the person I want to go with and she has said yes. I am not looking forward to prom because of all the hype that It is getting right now. Whenever I go near the seniors in the hallways, I constantly hear the same things; who is going to prom with whom, who is wearing what, and who is doing what after prom. One of the things that annoy me are obsessions like that. Pointless obsessions which will lead to nothing but a disappointment, and if you’re lucky, and prom is as wonderful as you think it will be, then I would still feel annoyed because that just means that people who constantly talk about prom have a need to constantly tell people what they are doing in order to feel special. But the sad thing is, everyone else will be doing the same thing so it you’re not that special after all.







Questions
- Go to prom? Or stay home with mom?
- Does going to prom make you special? 
- If not, why do people fuss so much about something that makes them even more generic?

HW 56 - Culminating Project Comments

For Abdul:

Abdul,
I thought that the fact that you interviewed your mother was a very courageous move on your part. I can understand how difficult and uncomfortable it must have been to sit there and talk about what she would like to be done with her body when she dies, since the death of a parent is an agonizing experience. I think it is interesting to compare and contrast two different thoughts on taking care of the dead from two different people who come from different educational backgrounds. I think your choice of donating your organs is a noble one and you should stick to that choice.
Good post.

Abdullah

For Amanda,

Dear Amanda,
Your post was very dynamic. Your decisions on how you want to be taken care of when you die reflect who you are as a person now; outgoing, food-loving, and most importantly, happy. I really hope that you get the sending off party that you described in your blog. And I also hope that it won't be family only. I would be really upset if I wasn't invited. :)
If you've ever been to Roosevelt Island, by the lighthouse, I think you'll find that scenery a much more soothing place for your party then your current plans. Go to Roosevelt Island one day and you'll be thanking me for suggesting that idea to you.
Another aspect of your future plans that I liked was that you really care about how comfortable your guests will be in your party. It seems like you will be extremely cross with your guests if they do not have a good time and mope about your poor health. I think that desire for making sure others have a good time is very selfless and really reflects a positive image on you as a person.
Again, I hope all your hopes and plans become a reality one day. Good post buddy.


Abdullah


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From AbdulM

For Abdullah,

Your blog seemed to be about, you wanting to really make a change for care of the dead thus, resulting in an activist project. Read Grave Matters inspired you with the ideas and information it presented however, you felt as though you could take the information and make it more accessible and easier to understand. I think you succeeded.

One aspect of your post that I particularly valued was that you decided to use the resources available to you ( Brooklyn College) to spread the word for your activist project. This is something I truly admire since it does take a lot of courage to go to a college and stand there in hand out fliers. This is truly an activist project, getting out there in the real world and making change.

Your project matters to me because in a way you did three activist projects. You interviewed a High School Student who lives on the other side of America and enlightened him on the death care industry. During this interview I'm sure you fixed many of his misconceptions. The second thing you did was find a Brooklyn College undergrad and interview. What a bold move, whether that person realize it or not you genuinely tried to help them with their life and make the death experience a bit easier for them. The third thing you did was you went out to Brooklyn College. Even though it wasn't necessarily out of your reach you still did it. How many people can actually say they did all of that just for a history project. Well done Abdullah I'm impressed.

From Amanda

Dear Abdullah, I liked the way you organized your flyer in terms of the black was what you presumed the viewer to know and the red was what they probably didn't know. you approached it from a non-threatening perspective, and were therefore were able to convey as much information as possible. and you have very high hopes for the futures of your flyers i'm sure a few were framed and placed over the fire place as well, i do know that they must have caught a lot of peoples attention you may have even changed a few career paths. good work with your flyers!

From Dev (Protoge)

I agree that your flyer was engaging. You were very concise, which was one of the reasons I believe was you did not find any of your flyers on your way home. I think that the point you are trying to make is that a topic as morbid as death can be engaging to people if presented in the proper way. The fact that you actually stopped to get a quick question or comment was good as well, it gave you a chance to explain yourself while getting some feed back.

From Mentor,

When we used to go to the Brooklyn College Gym together I never thought you will use this known campus for your research purpose. However, it is indeed excellent idea to collect info from primary source like diverse and knowledgeable sample group of Brooklyn College. It is also good achievement that you convinced college students to go through your flyers. Definitely the flyer was developed with good thoughts and setting of photos and texts were commendable. I realized you have given more emphasis to your 11 grader friend over the students of the college. This might be a bias decision which should be avoided in all circumstances. It is better to have diverse opinion about dead rather than focusing on one individual's thoughts and ideas.

We know after death it does not matter how our body will be treated but we will never think of disregard to our dead bodies. The religious and social rituals play significant roles on caring of dead bodies.

I think your have tried to gather more info on the caring of deaths and I hope you will also be able to respect the dead bodies.   

Extra Credit for COTD

#5 Watch 3 Episodes of Six Feet Under:


Episode 1: "Pilot." Six Feet Undeer. HBO: 03 006 2001. Television. 17 May 2011.
The pilot episode of Six Feet Under, takes the audience through a journey of what it might feel like to lose a loved one from the perspectives of people who are no stranger to death. Undertakers who deal with death on a daily basis are still saddened by losing someone close to them.

Nate and David are undertakers for their family funeral home and the pilot episode depicts the events after their father, Nathaniel, dies in a car accident. Nate and David's whole family see Nathaniel's specter (or spectre) which forces them to face life and death from a very personal perspective.

As undertakers, Nate and David are used to dealing with death and dealing with funerals. However, when their father's funeral was the one that they had to arrange, they were just as unprepared as any of their clients which proves the point that death is a grievous process which no one can be truly be prepared for.

Episode 2: "The Will." Six Feet Undeer. HBO: 10 006 2001. Television. 17 May 2011.
In episode 2 of Six Feet Under, the journey that started in the pilot is continued and we see the preeminent family go through more turmoil and grief as they deal with the after math of the death of the father. The family is struck with grief, but they are slowly realizing that death is something they are familiar with and so the family is progressively forgetting about their loss.

Nathaniel's will is read and all of his family members get a generous amount of money. Nate starts to help out
with the funeral business and learns a few new things.

In the second episode the writers chose to make the characters a lot more carefree than they were in the previous episode. This is primarily because they wanted to reinstate the fact that Fisher family is used to death so treat the death of their father and husband in the same fashion as any other death they have to deal with.

Episode 3: "The Foot." Six Feet Undeer. HBO: 17 006 2001. Television. 17 May 2011.
In the third episode of Six Feet Under, the responsibilities that need to be distributed after someone dies come into the focus of the family. The grieving period is extended when the family goes through all the responsibilities of their loved one.

The Fisher family debates on whether to sell their funeral business to a bigger company that threatens to bankrupt them. The Fisher family decided not to sell their business and upon hearing the family's decision, the competitor company tries to out sell them but their efforts are mysteriously thwarted.

Just like everything in the modern world, taking care of the dead is also a business, one that is just as competitive as any other. The writer's depiction of the care of the dead industry illustrates the fact that people have a tendency to turn everything into a race for who can make the higher profit.

       The first three episodes of Six Feet Under is an arrant depiction of what the normal funeral industry is and how it operates. After reading Grave Matters by Mark Harris and watching The Undertakers (full movie), I have come to the conclusion that a standard funeral firm's duties include: Dressing up in black suits and to offer solace to a family that is going through possibly the worst moment in their lives. Six Feet Under strengthened my belief in the fact that people take advantage of others when the later group is distressed. So these so called "experts" everyone runs to in their time of need, might not be looking out for what is best for you. Funeral directors and undertakers are supposed to be experts when it comes to taking care of the dead yet in each medium I listed above, they are doing the same thing anyone with common sense would do; console and help the person that just lost a loved one.

       In the second episode of Six Feet Under, a widow visits the Fisher's funeral home to arrange a funeral for her husband. Prior to learning the fact that the widow was broke, David offered her a $9,000 casket. When asked why the price tag was so steep, David replied with, "It's more than just a casket. It's a tribute." Using mollifying words such as "tribute" would make a client lenient towards whatever the undertakers suggest. I think Six Feet Under indicatively delineates how a funeral industry is run.

       Another example of a mollifying sentence is when the undertakers find out about the financial situation of the widow; "I think cremation is much more dignified." The undertakers' opinion switches to the next most profitable procedure that the widow can afford. Like I said before, people are more likely to do something if they emotionally weak at the time of making a decision and when a person (that is considered to be an expert by many) is whispering ideas in his or her ear about how they should take care of his or her loved one's remains.

Other Quotes from Episode 1-3:
"You can’t give a coffin back, by law you have to burn it."
"In the death care industry, it’s either consolidate or die."
"This is some fucked up way of making a living, man."
"It's like a mad scientist lab in here" (about embalming room)

MLA Citations:

HW 55 - Culminating Project - Care of the Dead

Flyer That I Distributed in Brooklyn College:

Interview with a Brooklyn College Undergrad

Me: What Is Embalming?

Student: The process of preserving a corpse for a funeral.

Me: Do you think there is an ulterior motif for families embalming their loved ones?

Student: Death frightens most people so an ulterior motif for embalming someone could be to make it look as if the person was just sleeping.

Me: Why do you think death frightens people?

Student: Same reason every think that is unknown frightens people. It is human nature to be afraid of things that you do not know everything about.

Me: Interesting… You say death is something unknown, but haven’t we been dealing with death since the beginning of time?

Student: Just because we know what it is, does not mean we understand it. We know death exists, we know that we are all going to one day be reduced to dust one day but we’re still afraid of it. I think another reason why we are so afraid of death is because it is inevitable. A person will be more afraid of something that he (or she) knows is coming than something that he (or she) is completely unprepared for.

Me: How would you like to be taken cared of when you die?

Student: I never really thought about it… I would probably want to be cremated since almost everyone in my family that died has been cremated. That is the only method of taking care of the dead that I am familiar with.

Me: What would you want to have done with your ashes?

Student: I would want my ashes to be in an urn in my family house as a sort of “Oh there’s him!” thing.

Me: That will probably be incredibly creepy if your descendents actually say that, but anyway, thank you for your time.

Interview with a High School student from California

Me: What Is Embalming?

Student: I am not sure but is it something to do with preserving a dead person’s body in optimum features? I know President Lincoln was embalmed when they moved his body from state to state.

Me: Yes it is to preserve a dead body. Why do you think people do this?

Student: Maybe so the body will look less scary when they have a funeral for the dead person.

Me: Do you think that is the only reason?

Student: That’s the only reason I can think of…

Me: Okay, could you give me some pros and cons of a standard funeral?

Student: I’ve only ever been to one funeral and I remember it to be very loud and noisy. I was confused as to how someone would mourn the dead person if there was so much discussion about other things going on. I guess that is one con; a lot of people are usually invited to a standard funeral so the mourning process is not as good as it would be if it was a quite family only funeral. One pro that I noticed in the funeral I was a part of was that everything was flowing very smoothly; it looked and felt like as if it was planned by professionals. I did not feel a slight inconvenience the entire time.

Me: How would you like to be done with your body when you die?

Student: I would want to be buried. I have read many books about zombies and played many video games so when I die, I would like to think that there is a possibility that I will be resurrected as a face eating nightmare.

Me: It is funny that you see death as sort of a joke, while others consider it to be very serious and even frightening. Why do you think that is?

Student: Death is something that everyone will go through. There is no point in being scared of it. If you’re scared of something that you cannot prevent, then you’re just wasting your breath. I think of death as a joke mostly because everyone else thinks of it as something very serious. People need lighten up about death because like I just said, there is no point in being scared.

Me: I’ll send you a PDF of a flyer that I hope you will read and find it informative. Thank you for your time.

For the culminating project for the COTD unit, I decided to do something that I had not done for any of the other units; I decided to do something as an activist. Since I read Grave Matters as my unit book, there were a lot of summaries of major methods of taking care of the dead available to me. I decided to make those summaries even shorter so it would fit into one sheet of paper as a flyer. I live right next to Brooklyn College so I decided to go down there and give out the flyers I made and ask some students about some questions about taking care of the dead. Many of the students’ responses were generic and bland so I did not include those in my blog post. I posted one student’s interview which I thought had many insightful responses. For the second interview, I decided to interview my friend who lives in California and attends the same grade as I do. In his interview, he shares his experiences in a funeral that he attended. He did not know too much about taking care of the dead, since it’s a tabooed topic in the United States, so I forwarded him the flyer I made and after he had read it, he said that he had learnt some things that he was previously unaware of. Mission Accomplished.

I tried to make the flyer as simple as possible because people do not usually like reading long flyers that have a copious amount of detail. Short and Sweet. I was very happy when I walked back to my house and I did not notice a single one of my flyers littering the floor by students who were bored. I did not check the garbage bins but I am sure that none of the students threw out their flyers. They probably all kept it and are going to put it up on their refrigerators and maybe even write a blog of their own about it.

HW 54 - Independent Research B

Religion has been the biggest part of my life so far. Every major decision I have had to take has been somewhat, even if it is very minute, it was still affected by my religious background. After reading some texts about how Islam views death, I was further educated about my roots. In Islam, or in Bangladesh rather, which is where I'm from, death is a very open topic. No one is afraid to talk about it. If anyone asks about it, he or she will get an answer. The answer might be a little cartoony, depending on who you ask but, they will get an answer that is somewhat realistic. Contrasting to what I've noticed the dominant social practice in America to be is that death is a topic that most people do not want to talk about it and they will always try to stay away from it. Whenever I imagine what a parent or guardian must feel like when their child asks where his or her grandparent went, I always get a picture of a hooker in a church in my head. (Is that a creative metaphor Andy?) Very uncomfortable. To examine why people from an Islamic background might not consider death to be a scary topic could be because of the Eutopia that is promised by God (Allah) in the Holy Qur'an. A chance for a better life after the current one is a blissful idea that can, and does, make one less scared of death.

Apart from reading Islamic articles online, to further my independent research, I decided to interview an Imam of my local mosque in Brooklyn. Imam Rezaul Quader was very enthusiastic about answering the questions which were graciously provided by Bianca Chiu. An Imam is a person who leads the prayers in all waqts (times) of the day in a mosque. An Imam is also the representative of the Muslim community of his region ( The Imam as a representative is a stronger custom in the Middle East, Europe, and Asia). Other duties of an Imam include, "to teach the laymen their duties to Allah and to his fellow human beings. He has to stand up for the truth and go against the falsehood. He has to enjoin others to do good and prohibit them from doing bad " (Quader). The Imam is a lot like a teacher whose job is to guide the people who have gone astray back to the righteous path and to keep faithful Muslims on the righteous path. "For a person to become an Imam he has to certain amount of Islamic knowledge. According to the saying of Islamic scholars an Imam should be the one who has most knowledge regarding every field of Islam, specially Salah (Prayer), thereafter a person who knows how to recite the Qur’an beautifully, then a person who makes more practice on the ways of Mohammad, then a person who is the oldest of them" (Quader). An Imam is selected by the community to represent them as the most religiously learned man.

I was instantly interested when I read the Imam's response to Bianca's "What is the Day of Judgment? What criteria does a person have to fit in order to gain Paradise and a good eternal fate?" question. His answer was very interesting and I learnt about things that I did not know about before. I would like to quote his entire answer, but I will leave the reader to go to the actual interview below and read the full answer. However, one of the most interesting lines was: "According to Qur’an the first Day of Judgment will be 50000 years" (Quader). After the last human has died, the Days of Judgement will commence. Mankind will be judged for his (or her) deeds on Earth and since time is relative, 50000 years does not seem long. One of the most important criterion for a person to be granted passage into heaven is: "A person must have belief in Allah and his Messenger Mohammed as well as all other messengers" (Quader). Faith is the key to the gates of Paradise.

The thought of life after death is very scary to me. Even though I have followed all the 5 pillars of Islam, 1) Perform Hajj, 2) Pray 5 time a day, 3) Fast in the month of Ramadan, 4) Pay alms to the needy, and 5) Have faith in Allah and his messengers, I have not followed them unquestioningly. I have missed many prayers when I was distracted by other things and my faith has not always been unwavering. I am certainly scared of punishments of Hell which as the Qur'an describes to be: “There will be burning wind and boiling water and in a shade of black smoke neither cool nor graceful. Verily those who have rejected the signs of Allah, soon they will be put into Hell, every time one layer of skin is burnt it will be replaced by another layer of skin so that they can continue to taste the punishment of Hell. Each time the flame goes down will increase in its intensity. They will enter into the blazing fire, they will be given boiling water from the boiling springs of Hell to drink, and there will be no other food for them besides the thorny trees of Hell which will neither satiate their hunger nor give them any satisfaction" (Verse from the Holy Qur'an). I do not think there is one person in the world who does not find that terrifying.

My mom has always been fairly religious in her life. She studied Arabic and Islamic studies, in Syria and now she translates verses from the Qur'an (which is in Arabic) for a small group of people on the weekends. I consider her learned about Islam so I sent her the same questions I sent to the Imam. Her responses were quite similar but there were also some additional information she added. "The Paradise is forever~ it is the good eternal fate. This world is a testing place. We will be judged according to our deeds of this world. In Islamic culture in this world we have to prove that we are eligible for Paradise. The best eternal life will be given to only that person who deserves it. The peace and tranquility of that place will be never ending.In comparing this world with the Hereafter, the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said: 'The value of this world compared to that of the Hereafter is like what your finger brings from the sea when you put it in and then take it out.' The meaning is that, the value of this world compared to that of the Hereafter is like a few drops of water compared to the sea" (Nahar). The minuteness of this world and this life is unimaginable. We can only wonder and crave for the vastness of the world that we have to enter after this one. Our lives on this world are judged by our actions and the life after this will be either our reward or our punishment.

In conclusion, in Islam, one will be rewarded if he or she has earned it. One will be punished if he or she has deserved it. Allah is just and merciful; He will forgive the sins of Muslims who had faith in His existence and His power. It all comes down to faith. Faith is like holding sand in your fist; if you are a little bit careless, you will lose it. Another thing we must control to earn the reward of Paradise is our desires. Prophet Mohammed's (PBUH) friend and companion, Ali said: "Ali said put one foot on your desire then the other foot will be in Paradise."

I'm very grateful to Bianca Chiu for coming up with the interview questions.

Imam Rezaul Quader's Interview

(1) Are there any beliefs in Islamic religion that violate natural law? If so, what are they? And do you think practices around these violations are done because human beings are aware of both their existence and fate of death?
Allah has created the nature and it is in the control of Allah. So therefore there is no such beliefs in Islamic religion which violate the natural law.

(2) What are the duties of an Imam? How do you become an Imam? (What social action must be taken?)

The duties of an Imam are many, I will just mention few. First of all he has to lead the prayer in the Masjid. He has to teach the laymen their duties to Allah and to his fellow human beings. He has to stand up for the truth and go against the falsehood. He has to enjoin others to do good and prohibit them from doing bad and so on.
For a person to become an Imam he has to certain amount of Islamic knowledge. According to the saying of Islamic scholars an Imam should be the one who has most knowledge regarding every field of Islam, specially Salah, thereafter a person who knows how to recite the Qur’an beautifully, then a person who makes more practice on the ways of Mohammad, then a person who is the oldest of them and so on.
As for social action he may look out to carry out any needs of any Muslim such as food, clothes or money. If he himself cannot do it then he may encourage other on doing it. Also it is his duty to inform the Muslim as to which food is Halal and which is Haraam so they can avoid eating it. Therefore he may investigate the food store, specially nowadays the Restaurant where in Haraam food is sold without having any knowledge of Halal and Haraam.

(3) What is the Day of Judgment? What criteria does a person have to fit in order to gain Paradise and a good eternal fate?

After a person dies he goes into the grave and he remains there for certain amount of time. After the whole world will be destroyed by the will of Allah, Allah will command the angel Israfil to blow the trumpet for the second time. Due to this everything will come back to life and will be brought in front of Allah for Judgment. According to Qur’an the first Day of Judgment will be 50000 years. On that day the sun will be brought 1 mile from us, due to which everyone will be sweating and they will be drowning in their own perspiration in accordance with the sins which they have committed in this life. Everyone’s tongue will be sealed; it will not be able to speak. Everyone’s body part such as ears, hands, eyes and feet will be giving witness against them saying that O Allah he is committed this sin and he has committed that sin and so on. Even the earth will be giving witness against us. Decision will be made as to who will be entered to Hell and who will be entered into Paradise.
A person must have belief in Allah and his Messenger Mohammed as well as all other messengers. Beside this he must do good actions and he must stay away from disobedience of Allah. Our success of this life and the life hereafter lies in following the orders of Allah and doing every action in the way shown by our beloved messenger Mohammed [Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him].

(4) What is good eternal fate in Islamic culture?

It will mean that a person is able to save himself from the eternal fire of Hell and gain entrance into the eternal Paradise. Allah Ta’ala says in the Qur’an that on the Day of Judgment when a person will be given his book of deeds on his right hand he will be going around and announce and will say come, take a look at my book, I have attained success, I knew that one day I will have to give my account to Allah. He will be told to enter into Paradise and enjoy the blessings of paradise such as eating and drinking and so on.
As for that person who will be given his book of deeds on his left hand he will be embarrassed and he will be at sorrow but sorrow will be of no avail, it will not help him anyway. He will cry out blood. He will say if only I didn’t know of my accounts, if only I have died and wasn’t given life again, my strength, my kingdom is gone, my wealth has been of no avail to me. He will be dragged to Hell with yoke around his neck.

(5) In Islamic culture (belief, philosophy, and principles) is there continuity of the existence of the soul or a transformed physical existence after death?

The soul does not die when the body dies, and it does not perish, but it remains after its creation either in bliss or punishment.
For more information regarding the Soul you can read the book: Ar-RUH [The Soul’s journey after death] by Al-Imam Shamsuddin Abi Abdullah Ibn Al Qayyim Al Jauziah.

(6) Is Paradise and Hell ever described in the Qur’an? If so, please describe them.

The mentioning of Paradise and Hell is described in various places in the Qur’an. I will just mention it briefly. As for Paradise, Allah Ta’ala says: “Those who are blessed with nearness (to Allah) in gardens of bliss. They will be sitting on thrones woven with gold reclining on them facing each other. They will be served in rounds by Immortal boys with bowls and jugs and a goblet of pure wine. Which will neither cause them to suffer headache, nor will they be intoxicated. They will be given fruits of their choice and the meat of birds that they desire. And for them there will be women having lovely big eyes all neat and clean like a hidden pearl as a reward for what they used to do (from good) in their worldly life. They will hear neither absurd talk nor any talk which leads to sin but there will be word of salam (peace) as greetings. They will be amidst lote-trees with no thorns and the trees of talh, (banana or fragrant tree) having layers one upon the other, and a shade spread all over, and water poured forth and a lot fruits, neither interrupted (in any season) nor prohibited and mattresses of high quality.
For more description of Paradise I advise you should read Qur’an and look into the Hadith of Mohammed (Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him).
As for Hell, Allah Ta’ala says, “There will be burning wind and boiling water and in a shade of black smoke neither cool nor graceful. Verily those who have rejected the signs of Allah, soon they will be put into Hell, every time one layer of skin is burnt it will be replaced by another layer of skin so that they can continue to taste the punishment of Hell. Each time the flame goes down will increase in its intensity. They will enter into the blazing fire, they will be given boiling water from the boiling springs of Hell to drink, and there will be no other food for them besides the thorny trees of Hell which will neither satiate their hunger nor give them any satisfaction.
For more description of Hell I exhort you should read Qur’an and look into the Hadith of Mohammed (Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him).

(7) Can Allah rescue people from Hell if he chooses?

Yes Allah Ta’ala can rescue people from Hell if he chooses. Allah created everything, Allah controls all affairs. Whatever Allah wants he can do without being questioned by anyone. Only that will happen which he wants it to happen, in the time he wants it to happen, in the manner he wants it to happen. Nothing will happen before Allah wants it to happen, nothing will happen after Allah wants it to happen. Nothing Allah will happen more than that which Allah wants it to happen, nothing will happen less than that which Allah wants. And that which Allah doesn’t want will never take place.
However a disbeliever, one who doesn’t believe in the oneness of Allah and the Prophet-hood of Mohammed [peace and Blessings be upon him] will be in fire of Hell forever. As for Muslim who has lived a sinful life, they will be punished for the sins which they have committed. After the due punishment is given it to them they will be taken out of Fire of Hell due to the blessing of their belief in Allah.

(8a) If one’s eternal fate is determined by the balance of good and bad deeds, who decided what is good and what is bad?
Undoubtedly eternal fate is decided by Allah Ta’ala. Allah in his eternal knowledge as to who will go in Paradise and who will be going to Hell. However our duty is to follow the guidance of truth, we are bound to do good because we ourselves don’t know what is decided for us. With the hope and expectation from the mercy of Allah we put our trust on merciful Allah that he will enter us into Paradise.
Yes Allah has decided who will do good and who will do bad. But at the same time we have been given some free reign, i.e. we can also choose to do good or bad with the will of Allah. This field of fate is such a critical basis which can’t be grasped by our puny intellect.

(8b) In Islamic culture, what courses of action must be taken in order to reach Paradise?

First and foremost we have to believe in the oneness of Allah, there is no one else to be worshipped except Allah, there is not partner with him, he has no son, no daughter, no wife, no lineage and Allah is free from all deficiencies. Also a person has to believe in the Prophet-hood of Mohammad, i.e. He is the last messenger of Allah and his slave.
After having faith and conviction on Allah and his messenger Mohammed, there are other things which a person must belief in order for him to reach Paradise, such as belief in the angels, belief in the life after death, belief in the four holy revealed books, belief in all the messengers, belief in fate that whether it to be good or bad has been decided by Allah.
Also after this a person has to do good actions such as pray five time daily obligatory prayer, give zakat to the poor, perform Hajj if he has the means, i.e. health and wealth, has to fast in the month of Ramadan. A person has to stay away from the disobedience of Allah such as committing adultery, lying, deceiving,
drinking liquor and wine, avoid listening to music and so on.

(9) Is any kind of after-life desirable because after all, it is still life?

Yes the after-life is desirable for the righteous soul even though it might be still a life because when the righteous soul leaves the body, an angel comes to it and gives glad tidings to it by saying (What the Holy Qur’an mentioned): “(To the righteous soul will be said:) “O (you) soul, in (complete) rest and satisfaction! Come back you to your Lord, well pleased (yourself), and well pleasing unto him! Enter you, then among my Devotees! Yea (surely) enter you My Heaven! And this also will be said to the soul in the Hereafter and on the Day of Resurrection, and this is the glad tidings which Allah Almighty says regarding them: “In the case of those who say, “Our Lord is Allah”, and further stand straight and steadfast, the angels descend on them (from time to time): “Fear you not!” (They suggest), “Nor grieve! But receive the Glad Tidings of the Garden (of Bliss), which you were promised! And the descent of the angels will be at the death, in the grave and on the Day of Resurrection.

(10) Do people seek you for advice on how to reach Paradise/Heaven? If so, what do you tell them?

Yes people do seek my advice on how to reach Paradise. My exhortation to them is that you bring the fear of Allah in your life and avoid sins and disobedience of Allah. Control you desire, give preference to the desire of Allah over your own desire. Mohammed has said the intelligent person is the one who controls his desire and does good deeds for the life after death and the foolish person is the one who follows his desire and at the same time he puts false hopes on Allah. Ali said put one foot on your desire then the other foot will be in Paradise.

Nazmun Nahar's (Mom) Interview

2. What are the duties of an Imam? How do you become an Imam? (What social action must be taken?)
Imam is a religious leader of Muslims. The duties of an Imam are 1. to guide Muslims towards Islam 2. lead them to pray five times a day. 3. solve their social problems and family crisis to some extent, 4. take care of the mosque with full responsibility.
The fundamental duty of an Imam is to lead the prayer in a manner that the people praying behind him would establish their prayer properly and completely. It is not required from him to be able to solve people’s social problems.But there is no doubt that it is better for the Imam to be aware of all the Islamic Jurisprudence, aware of the real social problems of people, and be able to solve those problems. Since, people generally refer to the Imam about religious or social matters that they encounter, if the Imam cannot respond to any of the above,then this would have a negative effect on the questioners.
An Imam must go through all the formal education and the required religious training to be an Imam.

3. What is the Day of Judgement? What criteria does a person have to fit in order to gain Paradise and a good eternal fate?

According to the Quran the last day is the day of judgement. On thas day our master Allah will gather every single person of the world from all ages and time in a place to judge them according to their deeds.
A person must have full faith in Allah and has to follow his orders to every step of life. Some of the MUST do's are a) praying 5 times a day b) fasting in the month of "Fasting", c) perform pilgrimage if he has the ability, d) has to pay charity to the poor (2.5%) of his yearly income,e) must behave properly to parents and all other people,f) must be kind to all, g)must not hamper the peace of others, h) must eat from the chosen food given by Allah i) must not lie and so many other good deeds we already know. Besides these a person must be thankful to Allah in order to earn his Paradise.the Qur'an speaks more of the coming Qiyamah - also known as the Resurrection, the Day of Judgment, Day of Gathering, and the Great Announcement - than of any other topic.
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), among other things, came to warn us of a time when truth would be known, when the thoughts and intentions of the heart would be revealed. He earnestly proclaimed as inevitable a day when accounts would be settled and when scales would be balanced.

4. What is good eternal fate in Islamic culture?

The Paradise is forever~ it is the good eternal fate. This world is a testing place. We will be judged according to our deeds of this world. In Islamic culture in this world we have to prove that we are eligible for Paradise. The best eternal life will be given to only that person who deserves it. The peace and tranquility of that place will be never ending.In comparing this world with the Hereafter, the Prophet Muhammad (pbh) said: "The value of this world compared to that of the Hereafter is like what your finger brings from the sea when you put it in and then take it out." The meaning is that, the value of this world compared to that of the Hereafter is like a few drops of water compared to the sea.

5. In Islamic culture, is there continuity of the existence of the soul or a transformed physical existence after death?

The existence of soul is eternal. This particular physical existence will be demolished after death.However,The life in the Hereafter is a very real life. It is not only spiritual, but physical as well. We will live there with our souls and bodies. Allah knows the best.

6. Is Paradise and Hell ever described in the Qur'an? If so, please describe them.
Paradise and Hell are described so many times in the Quran.

Paradise is the place of eternal beauty.The paradise is a garden with beautiful flowers and nice spring, tasty sweet fruits with beautiful servants. There are seven types of heaven.The weather will be moderate always, not excessive hot or cold. The best one is named "Jannat-al- Ferdous". The word heaven does not occur in the Qur'an. There is no heaven in the sense that we know heaven from the Bible. Instead Islam acknowledges a word that means paradise – janne. Janne is really no more than a garden. The hope laid up for Muslims when they have been good is a garden. This garden is described in the smallest detail. The word janne appears relatively often, about 140 times, which is much more often than the word heaven occurs in the Bible.
Hell is a place of fire with thorny cactus type of food. There are six types of hell. The worst one is named " Jahannam-e- Habiah".
In the Qur'an, the situation in Sura 14:15-17 is before the judgment seat of God and the following scene is described: "But they sought victory and decision (there and then), and frustration was the lot of every powerful obstinate transgressor. In front of such a one is Hell [Arabic: Jahannam], and he is given, for drink, boiling foul water. In gulps will he sip it, but never will he be near swallowing it down his throat: death will come to him from every quarter, yet will he not die: and in front of him will be a chastisement unrelenting." This is a short description of what the Qur'an says violent people can expect when they go to hell.
These places are described as symbols in the Quran. The holy book appeared to an ignorant group of people who lived in the desert. So, to them paradise is a place which is a dream to desert people. The desert people hate the hot weather and fire, they hate to eat cactus like thorny food, so for them hell is described in a manner which would make them understand that this is not a desirable place to go, a place of entire punishment.

7. Can Allah rescue people from Hell if he chooses?

Yes, of course Allah can do everything. However He will not rescue anyone, if the person does not deserve that. We have to repent to Allah and ask Him for His forgiveness, so He may help us. "There is no god but God, and Muhammad is the Prophet of God" - and believing in the accountability of all humans before God are the cement which holds Islam together.Allah promised the Paradise for the believers, after a certain amount of punishment Allah will rescue them to the the Paradise. Allah knows the best.

8. If one's eternal fate is determined by the balance of good and bad deeds, who decides what is good and what is bad?

In Islamic culture, what courses of action must be taken in order to reach Paradise?
The good and bad deeds are clearly described in the Quran. the holy Quran is a complete guidance for people~ male and female. It has a clear description of our food, clothing, relationship, business, distribution of property, socio economic laws, rules and also Allah gives us the ability to think which one is acceptable and which one is unacceptable. ignorance is not an excuse: we must know clearly about our duties and have to work accordingly. It is difficult for us to determine what is good and what is bad. We need to follow the Quran and our Prophet Muhammed's (pbh) guidance (the sunnah) in order to reach Paradise.
Paradise seems to fit the description of a courtroom; it has everything that is needed for a trial. The decisive point is that the most important part, namely God, is missing from this paradise. In summary, the teaching of Islam and the Qur'an about heaven and hell is materialistic and sensory. For some Muslims, especially for theologians who lived hundreds of years later, this was understandably a great problem. Many tried to allegorize these descriptions – saying that they were not meant literally – that they were meant to be descriptions of things that cannot be described – something that will happen to us that we can only explain figuratively. But we must conclude, when we read the Qur'an, that the descriptions are very materialistic and sensual. The greatest thing it has to offer is the fulfillment of lust. Every lust imaginable will be satisfied in paradise and - just the opposite - will be a torment in hell. It is interesting that one of the most common words in the Qur'an is tormenting or torment. Along with trial, it is among the 20 most common words in the Qur'an. Every committed Muslim constantly has the picture of torment and trial before his eyes. Paradise is only to be had for an effort.

9. Is any kind of after-life desirable because after all, it is still life?

After life is a different concept of the life. It is not like a life on earth. That life is described as a life like this just as a symbol to let people understand the nature of it. A group of ignorant people of the dark age would understand only the language of reward and punishment.After life will be a life on a different stream line~ it is always desirable.

10. Do people seek you for advice on how to reach Paradise/Heaven? If so, what do you tell them?

People always ask for advice to get into Heaven. Basically this is the main question of the commons. I always tell them as much Allah told in his book~ the holy Quran.May Muslims hear about and be open to the true Heaven and the true God that loves them and desires to spend eternity with them. May these things become clear to many of them so they will not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

HW 53 - Independent Research A

Article on Resomation
Cremation rates have been in increasing in the United States because of its economic appeal. However, cremations release many harmful gasses and leave a really big carbon footprint. Since crematoriums are used on a daily basis in every state across the country, the carbon footprint gets more and more daunting as cremation rates go up. Enter resomation,”an alternative to cremation for the eco-conscious cadaver.” Resomation is very similar to cremation and the only difference is that resomation liquefies the body instead of burning it. Resomation uses one sixth of the energy cremations use and have a much smaller carbon footprint.


Article on Hindus in Queens
As more and more immigrants from India flock to New York City, there is an alarming increase of precious possessions being dropped into the Jamaica Bay as sacred offerings to the Hindu Gods. Despite efforts from the Park Rangers to prohibit such practices in the name of “the environment”, new immigrants who are unaware of the rules and/or others who refuse to change their practice, there are still many who drop things in the river as an offering to their Gods. Cremains are of the things being dropped and it is especially difficult for park rangers to prohibit that practice since it is one of the most sacred rituals in Hinduism. Scattering of the ashes in a river is essential to move on to the next life in the Hindu culture and if the park rangers try and stop them, the first amendment will most likely be brought up.


Article on Recycling Cremation Exhausts
The thought of the heat generated from the ashes of your loved one being used to power up a stranger’s house or a stranger’s computer is considered immoral by many. But what if the heat that was recycled from the crematorium was used for heating up the chapel where you will have the wake or post-funeral gathering? What if the last action of your loved one was to keep you and your family warm? That argument makes the recycling cremation exhausts sound not just like a great idea, but also a noble idea.


All of the articles I looked at are from an environmentalist’s point of view. The first article argues that Resomation should replace cremation in the future since it is a lot greener. The second article looks at environmental risks that might be resulted from dropping cremains and other sacred objects in rivers that are populated with a diverse marine life. The third article argues whether exhaust from crematoriums should be recycled and used as an alternative source of energy. Cremations were not that popular when it first came out, mostly because of the Catholic Church condemning it as a crime against nature, but it soon gained popularity and it is now the number one form of taking care of the dead in many developed countries. I believe Resomation will also gain that kind of support and popularity, probably faster than cremation since nowadays, people are very keen on doing anything green. I support all of the authors of these articles. I think we must do anything and everything we can to make sure we do not pollute this planet and if we do not check ourselves now, it will be too late.

Dr. John Troyer's Interview

1. What defines a natural burial?
A Natural Burial generally means nothing is done to the body (embalming for example) and the corpse is placed in a simple casket or burial shroud and then buried in a shallower-than-normal grave. The natural burial cemeteries often look like forests or woodlands. Generally speaking, a large or even medium sized grave marker is not used.
2. Is natural burial the same as a green burial?
Not all the time. The natural burial usually means in the ground. A green burial can involve all kinds of technology: cremation, alkaline hydrolysis, promession, etc. Sometimes green burials don't even look that 'natural' even if they're more eco-friendly.
3. When people are introduced to this idea of natural/green burial what are there reactions?
A lot of the reaction has to do with personal choice. Some people prefer the more natural setting. Others prefer a green technology that seems entirely unnatural. It really depends on how comfortable a person is with debates about nature vs. technology. Cost can also be a factor. People who don't like some of the green technologies tend to have fewer complaints if the total price is less expensive.
4. Being green has become more popular lately, does a green burial really help the environment in any way are do you think it has become so popular simply because it is called a "green Burial" and people want to seem more environmentally friendly?
Green burials do both. The entire concept and the practice are most certainly fashionable. The power of fashionability should never be underestimated. On the other hand, I do think that greener type burials and greener type handling of the dead body is better for the environment. So, on the whole, it's a combination of the two.
5. Can cremation be greener?
It can be. I think that the key with cremation is making sure that you've got the correct equipment installed. Good filtration and heat recycling equipment will only make cremation a greener process.

6. Why is it do you think that we tend to have things in place that seem to put more pressure on people when they are in a stressful situation? (ex: burial arrangements when going through this process of grievance) That's a good question. Some of the stress and pressure you're describing comes from people not planning ahead for when someone dies. Indeed, individuals are not really encourage to think about these kinds of decisions until they suddenly have and then the situation is really stressful.
7. Which countries are the most environmentally friendly and does that correlate at all with the number of natural/green burials done in that country?
The countries with the best practices, I think, are the Western European countries such as Denmark, Sweden, Norway etc. Those countries have been looking at these issues since the 1990s and really doing a lot with new kinds of technology. I don't know if there's a direct correlations with natural/green burials as much as it's evidence of a different way of thinking. The heat capture technologies haven't run into problems in Western Europe (or not too many) and it's largely because the general population supports the idea. The United Kingdom is on its way but it will take time.

The main difference between a Green burial and a natural burial is that a natural burial is basically digging up a grave and placing a body in it and then covering up the grave. Green burials have a greater influence from technology. I liked his response to why people are forced to make stressful decisions of taking care of the dead when they are still grieving the loss of their loved one. He said, they brought that on themselves. Everyone will die eventually, you should decide what must be done with your body early on in life so you don't have to, or your family members won't have to, make rash decisions. Like in almost every public service facility, Europe is serving its people more efficiently than America. Many European countries have had filtrated crematoriums since the 90s so they have been helping the planet a lot more than America is helping the planet. In conclusion, green methods of taking care of the dead are already here. They just need to become more popular among the common people and we'll be one step closer to delay global warming.

HW 52 - Third Third of the COTD Book

Précis:

As we move to a greener way of taking care of the dead, we come upon the plain box practice. It all started with a family man’s desire to be buried in a handcrafted pine box which lead to pine boxes and other coffins made of inexpensive materials a legitimate business and a burial practice. If a person still wants to be buried in a cemetery with family members or for other reasons, one may be required by the cemetery rules to have the plain coffin placed in a vault. However, if one chooses to bury their loved one in a more accessible area such as on a private lot or their backyard, they have a lot more freedom and independence to bury them however they want, even without a coffin. Then there are cemeteries that are only for green burials. They do not require any sort of coffin, vault, or even a procession. Burying loved ones in a natural cemetery is the most absolute and natural way of taking care of the dead.

Quotes:

- “He’d been moved, too, by the Jewish funeral rite he read about, in which the dead are buried in a plain, pine box, no matter what their station in life. Both traditions made so much sense that he told Evelyn [his wife] he wanted a similar send-off when his own time came.” (126, Harris)

- “In this setting, the plain, wood coffin struck a simple, yet elegant note that in both form and function served to remind those here of the most basic fact of all: that we live and, no matter what our station in life, we die… we all will return to dust.” (139, Harris)

- “It doesn’t take me two minutes to walk down from the house to the little private cemetery where Sharyn is buried. I know her body is inert matter; it’s not her. But her memory is there, my memory for her is there, and that is the last place we saw each other. For me, it’s a comfort to have her close by.” (143, Smith via Harris)

- “Clearly, green burial is an idea whose time has come.” (186, Harris)

- “Like all movements, natural burial will experience its own growing pains. But as the greening deathscape in this country suggests, grow it will nonetheless- to the benefit of the planet, the memory of our deceased, and the families who lay them to rest.” (188, Harris)

Analysis:

As is in every ending of a unit in the NiW course, I imagine the revelation that what is normal is in fact very weird with Cat Steven’s “Trouble” playing in the background. The common people of the United States always go for the practice that has become the norm which is when dissected, a far worse alternative than we can imagine. The whole fancy hearse with limousines and buried in a weather proof coffin and placed in an indestructible vault may sound appealing but when the common person reads a book like Grave Matters, his or her eyes are opened and they realize the absurdity of it all. McDonald’s lighter fluid shenanigans, the industrialized nightmarish atrocities of the hospitals in the United States, and the over expensive and environmentally harmful funeral rituals that Americans practice really makes me question all the other things that I take for norm. As revealed in Tina Cassidy’s Birth and Mark Harris’ Grave Matters, there is no need for making things over complicated. Women are perfectly capable of giving birth to healthy babies at home or a birthing center; no need for medical interventions. People are perfectly happy with burying their loved ones in a plain pine box in their backyards or in a natural cemetery; no need for unnecessary coffins, vaults, embalming, hearses, and all the other nonsense that Americans take for norm.

I loved how the Mark Harris took the readers through a sequential journey that highlighted all the main aspects of taking care of the dead and his industrial to natural practices for taking care of the dead was simply commendable. I would recommend this book to almost everyone because when it comes down to it, everyone will eventually die and I believe it is very important to make an informative decision on what should be done with you remains while you’re living.

HW 51 - Second Third of COTD Book

Précis:

            Chapter four of Grave Matters is about a method of taking care of the dead that has been practiced since as long as man has been sailing in the oceans of this world. Burial at sea is scattering the cremated remains of a person or dropping the corpse of a person in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, and the Gulf of Mexico. There are certain restrictions put in place by EPA, Environmental Protection Agency, which prohibit the scattering of ashes closer than three miles of a shoreline. If someone wants to consign the entire body, the body must be taken three miles out and drop the body over an area where the water is shallower than six hundred feet. The total cost of burial at sea is from $100 to $2000, depending on how big of a boat you want and how many people will accompany the dead body to its final resting place. Chapter five of Grave Matters discusses the practice of using Memorial Reefs. This is another form of burial at sea but it is not as popular among the general public as is using a biodegradable casket or a biodegradable urn. Cremated remains are placed in memorial reef balls and sunk into the ocean near an artificial reef. The memorial reefs can potentially create a habitat for the marine life around the artificial reef. There are certain spots for memorial reefs to be deployed, and those are: coastlines of Florida, Texas, North Carolina, Virginia, and Sarasota. The prices for memorial reef balls range from $2500 to $6500 which depends on the size of the reef ball. In chapter six of Grave Matters, the scene is shifted from sea to land. In a Home Funeral, the body is brought to the home of the deceased either most of the time from the hospital and sometimes even from the spot that someone died on. The body is then washed or clothed by the family members and a funeral is held for family and friends to gather and see the body off to either a crematorium or a cemetery. Family members can also used chemicals that retard decomposition to make the environment of the dead body as hospitable as possible.

Quotes:

-          “High seas burial was most often conducted in times of war; it was given to unknown numbers of U.S. troops as recently as World War II.” (Harris, 75)

-          “You’ll need to prepare the body in a way that ‘ensures that the remains sink to the sea bottom rabidly and permanently.’” (Harris, 83)

-          “With daily changes of dry ice, a body can be laid out for days” (Harris, 111)

-          “Crossing and Final Passages offer workshops around the country on home death care ($150 for Crossing’s, $350 for Final Passages’.” (Harris, 119)

Analysis:

            The whole idea of memorial reefs is simply hysterical. After having read almost half of the memorial reefs chapter, I decided that I could not continue reading without knowing what a memorial reef actually looked life. I Google’d it and realized it was the same thing Dr. Troyer was talking about in his lecture. I also found the fact that you can assign GPS coordinates to one of the memorial reefs so you can go back and visit it and pay respect to the person’s remains that is contained inside of it. Burial at sea should be something like, removing oneself from the chaotic and industrialized world and finally rest in peace under the calm water where not a lot of men have ventured. In all of the stories Harris talks about in the Burial at Sea and Memorial Reefs chapters, the family members of the deceased are always upset that they would not be able to visit the one that they lost because he would be so far away and one would need to go through a lot of hassle in renting a boat and what not, which made visiting the deceased an every-other-month-or-longer deal and even possibly an annual thing. I found it sad that some families changed their minds after they realized that they wouldn’t be able to visit the deceased quite as often, since burial at sea seems like the perfect way to go, to me at least. Much better than burials in a cemetery or even cremation because both of those are industrial process, and as we have learnt so far in this unit: Industrial = Bad. 

Future Death: The Dead Human Body as Biomass (Extra Credit)

Reposted To Make Sure That You, Andy, Check It            


            Dr. John Troyer was at the Brooklyn observatory located in Nevins St. on April 19^th, 2011. He gave a lecture on Death as a Biomass to an astonishingly small crowd. Dr. Troyer looked like one of those people who could get the attention of the audience he addressing without even asking for the attention. This was probably because of his tough guy/chill dude attire. He is built like a street fighter but wore a well ironed coat with polished dress shoes, and to top it off, he wore a pair of wise-owl glasses. He works for an organization called CDAS illusion where he basically works with dead bodies and also the dying. The crematorium he works in, Haycombe, is located in the South West of England, in a city called Bath but he was born in the United States as he humorously pointed out with the absence of a British accent. 

            One of the first slides that he presented in the lecture was of the URL: http://deathreferencedesk.org/. Which is a website that was created by librarians and its readers are able to find any and all information about death and the aftermath. A fascinating website in my opinion, on a side not for Andy, if you are still pursuing the idea for a “everything about birth” website, we should use Dr. Troyer’s site as a model. The site basically contains what he talked about in the lecture but in greater detail plus a lot more, although visiting the site is hardly a better alternative than listing to the lecture, on the site you cannot listen to his colorful commentary. As he went on with the lecture, his slides became progressively more statistically evidence heavy. That was a good idea because in the beginning, I was a bit skeptical about his claims. 

            His main argument was whether we should start using cremation emissions as a power source. He argued for but I am very doubtful whether that will ever happen because of the simple moral implications. Who would want their loved one’s remains powering up a stranger’s computer? Not many people. So that argument was soon dropped but replaced with a similar one. An Alkaline Hydrolysis machine. Its function is remarkable simple and similar to that of cremation but it is more than 200% cleaner. An Alkaline Hydrolysis machine heats up and pressurizes the body with the help of water and alkali which then speeds up decomposition. The commercial version of Alkaline Hydrolysis is a bio-cremation process known as Resomation .This automated process is dignified, takes only 2-3 hours and the ash is returned to relatives/loved ones in an urn as  in traditional cremation. The main advantages of Resomation over cremation are the excellent eco-credentials, both in terms of energy saving and carbon footprint reduction. As soon as he made the “it’s greener” argument, I knew he had convinced almost everyone if not everyone in the audience that Resomation would be the future of taking care of the dead.