By Elizabeth Gerbush
Buffalo State is paying tribute to all of
the students, faculty and staff members it has lost in the
past year—and hopes that you join them for the celebration.
Four years ago, the Critical
Incident Support Team at the Buffalo
State Counseling Center—formed after 9/11 to assist
people on campus affected by traumatic events—devised
a way to honor the memories of members of the Buffalo State
community who died in the past year. The fourth annual Celebration
of Life Memorial Service will be held from 12:15 to 1:30
p.m. on April 7 in the Rockwell Quad, or in case of rain,
Rockwell
Hall.
The service will include:
• Readings of poems and benedictions honoring the
deceased by family, friends and students.
• Music courtesy of a bagpiper and the Buffalo State
Choir.
• A wreath placing ceremony.
“The Celebration of Life is the thread
that links our campus community and a balm to heal the loss
of our friends, colleagues and fellow students,” explained
Ron George,
a therapist with the Counseling Center and former chairman
of the event. “It acknowledges those that have died
as members of our college community and gives us closure
on their loss.”
Joan McCool, director of the Counseling Center
and chairwoman of this year’s service added, “It’s
just a time to get together and think about loved ones and
people we knew, people of our community, and honor them.
We miss them and we’ve noticed that they’re
gone.”
While the Newman
Center is heavily involved with the organization of
the service, McCool said that the service “tries to
represent all religions. If we can’t get representatives
from different religions [to attend], we try to do it in
our choice of prayer or poetry.”
McCool could not provide a number of deaths
the Buffalo State community typically sees in a given year,
but she did acknowledge that the school has lost “a
couple” of students in the past year.
“Of course, we don’t know about
everybody,” explained McCool. “So if anybody
knows of a student, staff or faculty member who has passed
away, please get me their name and we’ll try to contact
their family and invite them to the memorial service.”
If interested in participating in the service,
or if you know of a member of the Buffalo State community
who has passed away in the past year, please contact McCool
at 878-4436 or counselingcenter@buffalostate.edu.
Elizabeth Gerbush can be reached at gerbet47@buffalostate.edu
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