Campus to honor life of Laurice Shern ’14

Hindel also remembered that when Laurice returned to campus in the fall of 2010, the two of them took an English course together. “It was good to have a way to see her pretty consistently,” Hindel said.“When [Laurice] came back from receiving treatment, she wore wigs while her hair grew out,” Studenmund said. She remembers Laurice mentioning that everyone kept commenting on her cute new haircut. “Laurice didn’t focus her conversations with friends on her illness,” Studenmund said.“She was a strong and confident person who was incredibly honest about her flaws but was comfortable being herself,” Wosen said. “[Laurice] had a great sense of humor, and she always smiled when she saw you. I love Reese’s peanut butter cups, and she knew it, so whenever she had one, she’d basically dangle it in front of me before sharing it.”

Gary Smith, Laurice’s uncle and a Williamstown resident, recalled the mysterious cow hooves and purple tail strategically placed in President Falk’s lawn last Halloween, giving the impression that a purple cow was buried upside-down in the snow. “That was Laurice,” said Smith.

In terms of her studies at the College, Laurice was interested in pursuing a major in political science and art history, two subjects that she loved.

“I asked her if having cancer changed her attitude about studying in any way, and she said that it made her want to work harder and make sure to achieve something she could be proud of,” Smith said. “I thought that was amazing, because a lot of people would just say, ‘Well, I have cancer, so from now, on I am just going to stop working so hard and just have some fun, because I deserve it.’ Not Laurice. She did make sure to have fun, but she always worked hard, as if she would live forever. And a lot of her work was for other people, like working for Relay for Life.”

Smith mentioned that Laurice planned to study abroad in Europe next year, perhaps in Switzerland.

“At one time, she told me she was thinking of being a diplomat,” he said. “She might have been a good one, because she was very poised and confident around various kinds of people, and while she was graceful and soft, she was fearless in entering a debate or a discussion. She always impressed people with how intelligent and thoughtful her ideas were, plus she did not allow herself to be pushed around.

“If she had become an art historian, she would have been an insightful one, and her art history professors agree. My wife and I are both art historians. I have spent many pleasant hours with Laurice in museums, and it was fun to see her enthusiasm,” Smith continued.

Outside of academics, Laurice enjoyed horseback riding, playing the viola and dancing. She was also a member of Dance Dhamaka and served as business manager for the Record. Laurice loved fashion, dining out, shopping, reading, spending time with friends and family, cooking and baking, according to Smith. “She sometimes thought of opening a bakery shop here in Williamstown, like a coffee shop but with great pastries and cakes,” he said.

Laurice previously wrote an op-ed published in the Record about coping with cancer (“Choosing to Fight,” March 10, 2011) and also kept a blog, The 9 Month Challenge, during her journey through treatment.

“She was always so courageous,” said Laurice’s mother, Florence Shern. “Even when she was struggling with her cancer treatment, she never complained. She was always very optimistic.”

Hindel remembers reading Laurice’s blog posts as a way of keeping in touch while she was away from Williamstown.

“The entry made her a thousand paper cranes, a concept that Mai Okimoto [’13], our entrymate from Japan, told us would grant the receiver one wish. I think Laurice’s wish was to return to Williams and enjoy her life, and she did just that. She joined Dance Dhamaka, baked as much as she could, took Chinese classes and spent time with her friends,” Hindel said. “I miss Laurice, but I know that she took advantage of every moment she had. Every so often, I’ll go back and read her blog, and it inspires me to not take anything for granted. I know that Laurice would not have tolerated any of that.”

Studenmund and Wosen both spoke to Laurice’s strong, mature perspective amidst the uncertainty of her illness. “Some of her other friends and I were always focused on all the small details of what was going on in our lives – this week’s assignments, next summer’s internship – but Laurice didn’t really get fazed by those sort of things,” Wosen said.

“What I remember most is that Laurice was so grateful to be alive always, but especially when I knew her my sophomore year, when she’d returned from a year of cancer treatment,” Shirley Li ’13 said. “She was grateful when some of our entry joined her to walk and sing silly songs at Relay for Life, grateful when we threw water balloons at her and ate cake on Paresky lawn for her birthday, grateful to be at Williams as a normal, everyday student with stress and schoolwork,  friends and busy days. I am grateful to have known her, and want to strive to be more gracious, as she was so much to us.”

“The difficulty Laurice faced is not a story of overcoming pain, but rather of finding purpose, happiness and fulfillment in the face of the hardest of struggles,” Craig said. “In death, her goodness lives on in her family, her friends and all those who were warmed by her light.”

A memorial service for Laurice will be held on Sunday at 7:30 p.m. in Griffin 3, and will be focused around an open mic session and remembering Laurice as a vibrant young woman who loved music, loved baking and touched so many within this community during her time here.