Memorial ready to set sail

Posted by admin on Apr 14, 2006 in News | 0 comments

A unique memorial was finished last Saturday as a tribute to student Hunter Simpson, who passed away this December. Douglas’ Four Lower, Simpson’s former dorm, erected a boat made completely out of bottle caps to honor their dorm-mate.
Simpson had been collecting bottle caps all fall semester in hopes of creating something out of them. When Simpson’s mother suggested to Mark Leavitt, Resident Assistant of Four Lower, that the dorm create something in his memory, they decided that the bottle caps would be perfect.

“It was a project we could finish for him,” Leavitt explained.

In order to create the boat, which reflects Simpson’s love of sailing, Four Lower set out to gather more bottle caps to supplement his collection. With the help of various dorms on campus, notably Five Lower and Fraser 2G and 3H, they collected enough bottle caps to complete the project.

“We even went through trash cans to look for caps sometimes,” said Leavitt. “It was a humbling experience.”

The boat itself is laden with symbols celebrating Simpson’s life. A bowl of soup is depicted on the sail, complete with a spoon and crackers, representing Simpson’s choice to only eat soup in the cafeteria in order to give his extra food card money to charity. The sail, which powers the boat, features a cross to represent Christ as the basis for Simpson’s life. On the mast is an “H” for Hunter, directing the boat where to go.

The main caps used in the boat’s construction are Minute Maid lids, which have taken on a special meaning for the dorm.
“Because there are so many of them, they represent God, as the main part of Hunter’s life,” explained Leavitt. “We wanted to center this on who Hunter was, and how he was rooted in God.”

The memorial is to be displayed on campus, with a plaque explaining its significance. It will serve as a reminder to many of Simpson’s selfless love and inspiring life.