To discuss Societal Topic, highland students host Death Café

Students in the sociology class Death and Dying are hosting a Death Café to talk and discuss societal topic. The hosting will be at  1 p.m. Dec. 4, in Building M, room 217 at Highland Community College, 2998 W. Pearl City Rd., Freeport, Ill.

The aim of hosting such an event will be to help people make the most of their lives by discussing death. This is not a singular event as it is part of an international movement involving 56 countries and 6,000 events.

People can discuss everyday topics as they enjoy their coffee, tea, and eating cake. Julie Hartman-Link, Sociology instructor said, “When people hear I teach a course on death and dying they assume it’s a really depressing course, and some of the topics we cover are certainly very sad, but talking about death is actually a really great way to better understand and appreciate life.”

Hartman added of what the people can expect from this event, “As far as what people can expect at the event, we have had some wonderful and insightful conversations about our society’s relationship to death all semester in our class, and this Café is an opportunity for others in our community to engage in that conversation with us.”

Jon Underwood and Sue Barsky Reid developed the Death Café model based on the ideas of Swiss sociologist Bernard Crettaz. Crettaz had organized “café mortals” Inspired by Bernard’s work. Understood quickly adopted the model and created his own project and in this way, Death Café came into being.