In Philosopher Peg Brand’s lecture at Sacramento State, students and faculty learned a new outlook on death.

Brand is an artist and philosophy and women’s studies professor at Purdue University. She also discussed the ethics in the treatment of women and men in sports because she served as the executive director for the NCAA.

Her “Dying Gracefully” lecture discussed how to appreciate life and create an open dialogue about death with one another.

Brand lost her husband, Myles Brand, in 2009 from pancreatic cancer.

Brand said dying is gracefully exiting the world through therapeutic means with the arts, music and film. Artwork and music played a significant role in her husband’s quality of life.

“I have found myself without my work partner and life partner. When someone dies suddenly you don’t have the chance to heal and it can ruin the rest of your life,” she said.

Brand recommended having life projects instead of following societal roles. Brand said an example would be instead of women getting married and having children they should have careers with salaries.

Meisha Lee-Allmond, junior anthropology major, said she attended the lecture because she thought it would be interesting. Lee-Allmond said she is also considering a minor in philosophy and thought this lecture would give her more guidance into the field of ethics.

Brad Lencioni, junior philosophy major, said he attended the lecture for his virtue and ethics class to learn more about Aristotle, who he said is making a comeback in philosophy.

In Brand’s lecture, she told the story of her late husband and played songs from friend and musician John Mellencamp. Brand deconstructed stereotypes of women in televised sports using photographs and showed her artwork.

Junior philosophy major Clay Heyer, who is interested in sports, found the lecture informative about ethical issues in sports.

“I’ve never thought about the issues of women in sports. It brought a new light.I really like it,” Heyer said. “I’m definitely going to think more about how women are portrayed in sports. It’s going to change the way I look.”

Russell Disilvestro, assistant philosophy professor, said the talk itself was provocative and multi-dimensional.

“Because sports are so ubiquitous, it’s important to apply philosophy to sports and ethics,” Disilvestro said.

Kelly Catchot, junior business major, said she thought the songs Brand played by John Mellencamp were powerful and illustrated the idea behind gracefully dying.

“Although I’m not sick, we’re still all preparing to die &- so live each day to the fullest,” Catchot said.

Brand said she hoped that students and faculty walked away from the lecture with a sense of wanting to communicate with one another about their role in life.

David Long, retired philosophy professor, said he encountered near-death experiences three times. Long had pneumonia when he was 18 months old and his heart stopped, almost drowned at 10 years old, and in his later years, suffered from several heart attacks.

“Incredible things happen at birth and death,” Long said. “(Philosophers) are not living life, but (Brand) does. She brings such a wonderful message, one of the most refreshing philosophers I’ve seen.”

Mallory Fites can be reached at [email protected]