Students turn dark issue of violence into vibrant display

Concordia University’s central quad became a spectrum of color. Lines of shirts floated along the breeze. Students walked by the vibrant garments and immediately stopped in their tracks. They paused to read the messages that were drawn across the shirts.

Community Service Programs’ 14th annual Clothesline Project set up its tent at the Irvine university on Monday. Each year, they visit and provide hundreds of T-shirts to colleges in Orange County. The project allows those on campus to tell a story or express their emotions concerning victims of violence.

The T-shirt colors represented different cases. These included crimes such as domestic violence, homicide, human trafficking, abuse, assault and sexual harassment.

Program members also brought markers and puffy paint to the Concordia campus. Students used these to draw or write their message on the T-shirts. After they decorated their apparel, they hung their work along the clothesline when they were ready to share it.

“We want to encourage people to find healing in coming forward while remaining anonymous,” Community Service Programs’ supervisor Dawn Foor said.

The program sets up these projects on numerous college campuses during the month of April. It is Sexual Assault Awareness Month in the United States.

The project created its first clothesline display in 2001 with eight shirts from its clients. The following year, the clothesline had its first campus exhibition at Cal State Fullerton. Students at the school asked program members if there were shirts they could decorate.

After years of college visits, the program has collected more than 800 shirts.

Almost 600 T-shirts were displayed at Concordia. Students hung up some shirts while the program also brought in others from previous campus visits or clients.

A white shirt hangs above the grass on the school’s quad. It reads, “Stop the Silence.” Along the pathway to the tennis courts, a yellow shirt shines in the sun. Across the fabric it says, “I have courage and faith.”

Some of Concordia’s students developed a new perspective after viewing the project.

“Seeing these shirts has given me a stronger awareness,” student Jonathan Salazar said. “If there are people who don’t know how to express themselves, they have a voice through this.”

This month, the program will continue to travel and set up this project with neighboring colleges. Their goal is to not only give victims an outlet but to share this knowledge of violence with others.

“Some may think that these thing don’t happen but our hope is that seeing these shirts will cause them to pay attention to their personal safety,” Foor said.

In addition to providing the T-shirts, program members also offer information during campus visits on their organization’s victim services.