Disturbing! What Kids Saw On Their Field Trip...

[LillFilly]

To the city morgue...

http://www.aolnews.com/nation/articl...c3_lnk1|174878

It was kept without his family's knowledge, and his girlfriend was on the trip!

[TelephoneAngel]

I cannot think of any reason why a field trip to a morgue would ever be a good idea.Children at that age are likely to have had pets or grandparents die and would find it traumatic without seeing their friends exposed brain.

[Caveat Emptor]

We went to the County ME when I was 16 and in a church youth group. We saw a disembodied brain in a jar of formaldehyde, but that didn't affect anybody (being teens - and not knowing who's brain it was - we started saying "Brain! Braaaiiinnnn!!!! like zombies). What affected my friends the most was seeing the name of someone they knew that recently died written in the registry log.

[draggar]

I cannot think of any reason why a field trip to a morgue would ever be a good idea.Children at that age are likely to have had pets or grandparents die and would find it traumatic without seeing their friends exposed brain.

I don't agree. It was a high school forensics-science field trip. These children were studying this. If they were in a medical class, would it be OK for them to take a field trip to an observation room to watch an operation?

At that age some are also starting to get into "explorer" programs with law enforcement, fire fighters, medical responders, and even starting with ROTC.

My question is - why app the press now? The accident happened in January 2005. The field trip was 2 months later (according to the news articles linked in the AOL article). They got the green light for the case in March, 2009. So why all the press now, over a year and a half later?

I guess it's in court now and people are wanting to sway the public opinion?

I think the case maker will be is if he volunteered to donate his body (or parts of it) to science.

[TelephoneAngel]

I don't agree. It was a high school forensics-science field trip. These children were studying this. If they were in a medical class, would it be OK for them to take a field trip to an observation room to watch an operation?

.

Well............ok then.

Back in my day we studied Latin and Botany.I had no idea children nowadays study forensics and medicals. I am so far behind the times.

[fma_fanatic]

I remember going to the morgue when I was a junior in high school with the Physiology class where I was a TA (for elective credit). While I didn't have a problem with it, there were a lot of girls and at least two boys who became ill at the sight of dead bodies.

The grossest thing I saw was a dissected lower body of a woman..ugh..

[BookstoreEscapee]

I don't necessarily think it's an inappropriate field trip, depending on the kids. Older high school kids can certainly be mature enough (they and their parents should obviously be made aware of what to expect and decide if they can deal with it).

In general, I'd say it's probably not a great idea for the morgue to use names on any specimens that are out where visitors might see them. Use numbers, maybe initials, and keep the names in a book or computer file somewhere only the people who need to know will see them.

[Fufu487]

agreed, bookstore. It was there for a legitimate purpose, but names should be hidden for reasons like this.

[flybye023]

When I was in high school we went on a field trip to a funeral home. Nobody thought anything of it.

[Antisocial_Worker]

Well............ok then.

Back in my day we studied Latin and Botany.I had no idea children nowadays study forensics and medicals. I am so far behind the times.

Forensics classes are all the rage these days. Most of the high schools in my area offer them and a local university has started up its own body farm.

[BookstoreEscapee]

Forensics classes are all the rage these days. Most of the high schools in my area offer them and a local university has started up its own body farm.

Did you ever read the book Stiff by Mary Roach? Very interesting...

[LillFilly]

Oh, I agree there's nothing wrong with the field trip, especially with it applying to their studies. My problem is the use of the full name where it could be viewed by non-employees, and the fact that they kept the organ without informing the family.

[tropicsgoddess]

Oh, I agree there's nothing wrong with the field trip, especially with it applying to their studies. My problem is the use of the full name where it could be viewed by non-employees, and the fact that they kept the organ without informing the family.

I agree with the name being in full view and the organ being kept without the family being informed. I would've freaked out if that was me seeing that of somebody I knew. As for the morgue field trip thing, I think it can serve as an educational purpose for science (human anatomy/physiology or forensics) and the like depending on the kids.

[Lace Neil Singer]

Sounds like a fun trip. I doubt I'd be affected; I have books on forensics and pathology that have dead body photos and I've found some online that are pretty gruesome, for example, the Black Dahlia. (Note: I said GRUESOME. Do NOT google this particular case's photos unless you are like me and totally NON squeamish. I warned you!)

Having said that, seeing the brain of a friend in a jar might give me a bit of a turn, purely for emotional reasons.

[mattm04]

I don't agree. It was a high school forensics-science field trip.

Agreed. I was in the forensic class in HS. BTW, Best class ever! We went on two field trips. One was to a insurance companies forensic lab where they test and investigate incidents there where they may have to pay out cash that are either suspicious or where a product defect could have caused it. The walls were had pictures all over them of burnt buildings and machines and other general destruction.

They discussed a case where involving a women who burnt her house down for the insurance money and they discussed how she did it. They found holes in walls to let the fire spread, and all the irreplaceable valuables were removed and stashed in the garage conceitedly the farthest place from where she started the fire and no holes in the fire rated wall between the house and garage. They also discussed a defect in heavy construction equipment such as backhoes, dozers, etc where they didn't secure the wires for the batteries and the movement caused them to short near the hydraulic oil pump/tank causing fires.

We also got to investigate a mock arson of a old trailer set up by the local FD, PD, State Marshall and ATF. If you or someone you know had expreinced a fire or bad incident i can see how it could bring back memories, but it's the nature of the beast.