College is the time in a young person’s life to establish new friendships and forge connections that will last a lifetime. But what happens when the life of one of those connections is cut short?
The University of Akron honors the lives of those who have passed each year on Remembrance Day. This year, the event will be held on Wednesday, April 24, at 6 p.m. and will also include the dedication of a Remembrance Garden — a space where the campus community can go to mourn and celebrate those lives.
Remembrance Day activities will begin in the Jean Hower Taber Student Union Ballroom with a ceremony led by Interim President Dr. John Green and Undergraduate Student Government (USG) President Taylor Bennington. A memorial walk will follow, leading from the Student Union to the new Remembrance Garden — a marked triangular location located between Olin Hall, Bierce Library and the College of Arts and Sciences Building. The Remembrance Garden will include a large stone with a plaque that is marked, in memory of all those “Forever a Zip.” Carnations will be given to attendees to ceremonially lay on the stone.
The Remembrance Garden is currently a greenspace with trees, but USG officials plan to develop ways to continue to establish the space as a sought-after spot for reflection and remembrance.
Celebrating lives
“Remembrance Day was formally established in 2016 as a way to honor members of the UA family who have died,” said Brittany Ferguson-Mike, assistant director of campus programs. “It is a very important day for many of us who want to remember and celebrate the lives of those who may have impacted us in ways big and small.”
One very important part of Remembrance Day activities is a service project named for students Zak Husein and Duncan Unternaher, two UA students who died within a year of each other and who left a lasting impression on many. While the Husein-Unternaher service activity varies from year to year, this year’s event will take place on Friday, April 26, from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Akron Canton Regional Food Bank. More than 100 people are expected to participate.
“We sometimes underestimate the power of death, especially on a campus,” said Dr. Doug Hausknecht, associate professor emeritus of marketing and international business. “I was personally affected by the passing of one of my very first UA students in 1987, Michael Albaugh, who died in an off-campus house fire. I experienced a similar feeling of loss when Duncan Unternaher, a student and friend late in my UA career, also died suddenly. Remembrance Day allows everyone at the University to honor the memory of all who have passed. We thank our friends for their lasting impact on our lives and on the UA campus.”
For more information, visit Remembrance Day online.
Media contact: Cristine Boyd, 330-972-6476 or cboyd @uakron.edu.
This portion of the UA campus map pinpoints the location of the Remembrance Garden.