Earlier this week, we lost a wonderful member and extraordinary person. Berea College sophomore and Madison County KFTC member Zachary Sieben passed away Tuesday. Zack was a dedicated, hard-working member and will be greatly missed. Below is a piece written by Beth Bissmeyer, Madison County Chapter Co-Chair, who went to school with Zack.

We weren’t very close, but I counted Zack among my friends at Berea. Most of our time together came from sharing an interest in mining and environmental issues. I first met Zack last spring when we both went on a trip to Kayford, West Virginia, for a Mountaintop Removal witness tour. On that trip, Larry Gibson told us to talk to people about MTR, to do something, and Zack did just that.

Since last spring, Zack has been active with KFTC and the Madison County chapter, along with several justice-focused student organizations. Zack was an officer for Bereans For Appalachia (BFA), the club I’m most active with at Berea, and he was dedicated, helping plan different events and organizing tabling efforts. We organized together, and he was great at it. So many people express an interest in an issue, sign a petition, and then walk away, but Zack dove in and was passionate about making change. He was stoked about going to Powershift and I Love Mountains Day, helping organize people on campus to go to both events.

Zack managed to actively participate in BFA, Oxfam, Students for a Free Tibet, among other clubs, while studying Nursing and Sustainability, working and living at the Sustainability and Environmental Studies House, playing music, running, hiking, doing all this with a big smile. He really put most of us to shame.

We just hung out a couple weeks ago during the big ice storm that hit Berea and knocked power out for days. He was part of a small group that I pow-wowed with at the Appalachian Center, playing Apples to Apples for hours until the daylight was nearly gone. I wish I had more memories with Zack, but the times we did share were great ones: jumping into the lake after the end of the KFTC Annual Meeting, hiking the Pinnacle at night to put images of MTR on the trails, playing Frisbee, working on BFA, taking Intro to Sustainability, going to the Wilson Creek LUMP hearing, learning together, laughing together.

I Love Mountains Day is next week. Zack was pumped about going to Frankfort; it was going to be his first trip there (he's from California). He had just attended a lobbying training a few weeks ago so he could learn more about how to talk to legislators about the bills KFTC is supporting. Next Tuesday, I plan on standing tall in the march to the Capitol and chanting and yelling and singing twice as loud for the voice that should've been heard there, his.

We encourage people to use the comments section below to share their remembrances of Zack and to celebrate his life.

There are a few events today and tomorrow in Berea celebrating Zack's life.

REMEMBRANCE AND CELEBRATION OF
THE LIFE OF ZACK SIEBEN
Phelps Stokes Chapel, Berea College Campus
13 February 2009
Friday, 3:00 p.m.
In this ceremony, members of our community will share space, time, and spiritual expression in commemoration of and celebration for Zack's presence in our lives.  
 Please feel free to dress casually.

SHARING STORIES, SHARING MEMORIES
Eco-Village Commons House
13 February 2009
Friday, 4:00 p.m.
Zack’s Family welcomes you to join them for a simple meal and to share
memories, stories, and pictures.
If you cannot attend this gathering, the family asks
that you forward pictures or stories
to either of the following email addresses:
vernahaas@aol.com
siebenhaas@sbcglobal.net

WONDER, LOVE, AND COMMUNITY:
HIKING BRUSHY FORK
Meet at Alumni Fields
14 February 2009
Saturday, 1:00 p.m.
To commemorate Zack’s love for and wonder at the natural world,
friends will gather at the Alumni Fields
for a hike in the woods
of Brushy Fork.
For more information, contact Ruhiyyih Young:
youngr@berea.edu