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Show AggieLife Friday, Oct. 30, 2009 Page 5 Utah State University • Logan, Utah • www.aggietownsquare.com USU Cadaver Lab, the dead teach the living By DeLayne Locke staff writer At the entrance of USU’s Cadaver Lab hangs a sign reading, “Mortui vivos docent,” which translated means, “The dead teach the living.” The Cadaver Lab has been on campus for 45 years. Professor Andy Anderson, who is the principle lecturer and premedical advisor at USU, has worked in the lab for 26 years. The lab, which houses seven cadavers used throughout the year, was designed to offer both medical and non-medical students an educational experience unattainable through any other program at USU. Anderson said the cadavers come from the University of Utah, having died in areas of Salt Lake Valley. This process is made possible through the Body Donor program administered by the University of Utah’s department of neurobiology. Prior to their deaths, the donors fill out the appropriate documents giving their permission to be donated to the program. The law in Utah maintains that an individual must be 18 or married to be able to be donated. After the donors die and are requested by a lab, they are picked up and embalmed. The embalming process required for the bodies is different from the process bodies intended for an immediate funeral go through. Bodies prepared for funerals are only meant to last three to four days, whereas donated bodies are meant to be preserved for a year. However, some bodies intended for donation cannot be accepted because of such things as recent major surgery, autopsy, ascites, traumatic accident, edema, obesity, jaundice or contagious disease. Anderson said at the end of one year the donated bodies are what the lab designates as “used up.” “We try to get the maximum educational information out of the cadavers,” he said. Chris Bowen, recent USU graduate and Cadaver Lab assistant, said his involvement with the lab pre-graduation helped him prepare for his future career. “I remember the very first time I walked into the Cadaver Lab with anticipation and smelled the formaldehyde and I was nervous, wondering if I could handle this and be able to do this,” Bowen said. “The first couple of weeks they start you off with the skeletons and you learn the bones and you’re not even exposed to the cadavers yet. You really understand the world that we live in.” Bowen said although working with cadavers is a science, he feels it is more of an art. In the lab each cadaver is used for what is called a “display,” or a different purpose. Some bodies for example, are used to display the muscles, the diges- CHRIS BOWEN, USU CADAVER LAB assistant, unzips a one of the seven cadavers the lab uses for educational purposes. Throughout the year, both USU students and high school students around the valley visit the lab. PETE P. SMITHSUTH photo tive tract, the circulatory system and the brain. When asked about some interesting things that have happened in the lab over the years, Anderson recalled this story: In past years, prior to their deaths, donors had written a letter to the people that would be working on them. One such letter was written by a man named Boyd. Before his death, Boyd wrote a letter, had it laminated and strapped to his leg. The message was found after the students opened his body bag. It was a nice letter, Anderson recalled. It stated his name and told the students that he was an aircraft engineer who helped design instruments for airplanes to be able to fly in the dark. Boyd also wrote that he hoped the students would enjoy dissecting him and, above all else, be of good cheer. In the lab it is requested that the students call the body they are working on by its first name. This adds a more personal level of respect and a better connection between the student and the cadaver as the teacher. “Knowing more about them is a positive thing,” Andy said. At each cadaver table there is a small whiteboard that states the deceased’s name, age and how he or she died. The lab maintains a high level of respect for the bodies. No one is allowed to make fun of the cadavers. The main purpose for this is the development of the professionalism the students will need in their medical careers when working with the living. After the lab has gained all it can from this unique learning opportunity, the cadavers are returned to the University of Utah where they are cremated. After cremation, the ashes are returned to the families. If the families decide not to take the ashes, they are put into a crypt grave that belongs to the University of Utah. This crypt grave is located just north of the Capitol building. It has a tombstone that reads, “In memory of those who have donated their bodies to advance medical education and science.” At the grave site there is a memorial service performed every Memorial Day. At this event, medical students and families can pay their respects. When Anderson was asked about whether the families were OK with this, he said, “The guiding thing is the wishes of the donor.” Hitting close to home, Anderson said he indeed had already filled out the paperwork to become a donor. The most common reason donors do this, Anderson said, is because they want college students or medical students to learn on dead people, so later on in their life and careers they do a better job on people that are still alive, which he agreed was a good ethical reason. Anderson said working in the lab is extremely rewarding. Thanks to the sacrifice of the people who donate their own bodies for this cause, future generations have the opportunity to learn from the past. – delayne.locke@aggiemail.usu.edu (Left) Tony Holden, Jason Olsen and Ray Olsen prepare their four-wheelers to go hunting in Lynn Valley. (Right) Cameron Beecher and Trevor Beecher pose with the deer after a successful opening weekend. photos courtesy of Tim Olsen Deer hunting, an experience to be cherished By TIM OLSEN sports editor Silently I sit on a sagebrush-covered hill in the predawn morning. I strain to see into the ravine in front of me but nothing stirs. It’s cold and my breath is easily visible. Ordinarily, Saturday mornings are for sleeping, but this is no ordinary Saturday. Today is the opening day of the deer hunt, and I am a deer hunter. In a highly religious area like Cache Valley, hunting is almost a religion of its own. Family and friends gather – often from across the country – once a year for an experience that is much more than just being able to carry a gun and shoot something. All hunters have that special spot they go. Sometimes it’s family-owned property or sometimes public land but, regardless of where it is, it is a cherished site. My family has had the same base of deer-hunting operations since well before I arrived to this earth. About an hour west of Snowville, located in the northwest corner of the state, is Lynn Valley. There sits a near century old homestead cabin built by my great grandparents. This small cabin, the piece of land it sits on and some of the surrounding area is where many great mid-Octobers are spent. Deer hunting is not just an event, it is an experience. While the experience does contain early mornings, lots of hiking and plenty of frustration, there’s also a lot more to the experience. Interaction off the mountain is just as important to the deer-hunting experience as tracking animals through the sage. Returning to camp for the night to sit around a campfire or stove, eat some great food, play cards and swap stories are just some of those events. Similar to hunting locations, activities vary from camp to camp. Flag football games, horseshoe tournaments and other contests fill the time in between hunting excursions. These activities, along with the hunting, serve as a chance to reconnect with friends and family in a way that I have yet to find in any other venue. The hunt itself is also an amazing experience. The entire process of waking up early, getting people in the right position and working the right draws and ravines is a constant chess match. However, it is oh so fun to see a plan come together. When I first started hunting, it seemed like everyone’s goal was to help me get my deer. All the planning was made to get me in position to get a shot and all the brushing was done in an effort to push deer my way. Now, 13 years into my hunting life, I get to help my nephews the same way my brothers helped me. The heart-pounding exhilaration that ran through my whole body made it hard to steady my rifle – I now see those emotions in their eyes. It’s situations like those that make deer hunting unique and special. This year there were four generations of my family present in camp. Whether no one gets a deer or everyone does, that time spent together is irreplaceable. There are few things in my life – ask my wife – that take precedence over a fall weekend watching football. But the week of the deer hunt, football and everything else takes a back seat to that once-a-year experience. This year’s hunt ended on a successful note as my brothers, my nephew, my friends and myself all took a deer off the mountain. It was a great week and we’re already looking forward to next October when we can gather again at the cabin. – T.Olsen@aggiemail.usu.edu |