Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science students are used to explaining their 'weird' course of study

Описание: A young woman in a hoodie is hunched over her laptop, brow furrowed. To her right, a fellow student flips through a binder, carefully marking out sections in yellow highlighter. Behind them, a skull grins beside an antique embalming kit in a glass cabinet. Welcome to the Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science. The college is the oldest private nonprofit mortuary science school in the country. Founded in 1882, the school, located next to St. Xavier High School on North Bend Road, offers two degrees, an Associate Degree of Applied Science and a Bachelor of Mortuary Science. Jack E. Lechner Jr., president and CEO, said the college is known as the "Harvard of mortuary schools." Students graduate with twice the amount of required clinical experience and earn specialized training and certifications as part of their curriculum. Those certifications include crematory operation, funeral celebrant and mass fatality response. The college also is known for its lab, which includes seven embalming stations. "Most schools are lucky to have one," said Lechner. While the college may be a prestigious institution, student Alexa Oehlers said reactions to her course of study are mixed. "Some people are really weirded out by it," she said. "I've literally had someone be repulsed by me. Some people are interested and want to know more. You just never know." Beth Williams, special assistant to Lechner, said no one falls into mortuary school by accident.