Multicultural
Center helps students send messages in
form of a flag
By
Miguel Angel Rodriguez
Online Forty-Niner
Contributing Writer
Since
Veterans Day, Nov. 11, the Multicultural
Center has been sponsoring another Peace
Project where students can write a message
of peace and support on colorful cutout
hands, which will become part of a large
display dedicated to U.S. soldiers in
conflicts abroad.
The
display will be comprised of 300 red,
white and blue hand shaped cutouts, which
will each contain a personal written message.
Each hand will be used in turn to form
a large American flag, which will either
be placed on the blank wall outside the
Center or on a wall halfway up the stairs
adjacent to the Center.
The
event will last as long as there are hands
to pass out. It is possible that a small
event will be planned to celebrate the
culmination of the Peace Project.
The
main goal of this display is to inspire
contemplation and dialogue about the war
with a pro-peace standpoint among the
student body. The Peace Project is the
brainchild of Cynthia Schultheis, the
assistant director of the center.
Schultheis
set up a similar project inside the stairwell
immediately adjacent to the Center. The
former Peace Project is a tree composed
of colorful handprints. The handprints,
which serve as the tree's leaves, contain
messages written in several languages.
The success of the former Peace Project
is a major inspiration for the current
one.
"I
had a pretty good turnout," said
Schultheis. "The tree is a good example,
to show you in many languages too, and
students came in after I ran out of hands."
About her expectations on this occasion's
turnout she said, "The response was
good, I think the response this time will
be good too."
As
an organizer of this event, Schultheis
was afforded a good view of what the prevailing
sentiment seems to be around campus. She
noted that the last time around, many
students were against the war.
"Well
I do know that there's a lot of students
that will [participate] because they're
for peace and not war, I know that much,
a lot of students got very active politically
on this campus," she said. Conflict
has affected her life intimately as her
son is a member of our armed forces.
Participation
in this event is seen as highly transcendental
by Schultheis, "Students [will] have
some sort of feeling of a legacy when
they leave their name some where, it makes
you feel good when you leave something
behind."
When
interviewed about their feelings on the
Peace Project most students were highly
supportive of it. Dang Chea, a 25-year-old
Dance major stated, "Conflict is
a terrible thing, and it's one that hits
close to home for me. It has affected
my homeland of Cambodia terribly. I want
the soldiers to know that they can count
on my support, but I hope they come home
soon."
Diana
Herrera a 22-year-old Business Administration
major expressed similar sentiments. "I
think [the Peace Project] is a good idea
considering all the negative effects of
the war, I think that's the least we can
do here," she said.
Very
few students expressed a different opinion.
"I kind of think what they are doing
is OK," said Robert Duban, a 33-year-old
Film Studies major. "But I really
think we should be behind President Bush
and our soldiers 100 percent and not just
50 percent."
To
participate in this edition of the Peace
Project visit the Multicultural Center.
They will be happy to provide a hand for
a message of peace.
It is hoped that there will be as large
a turn out this time as there was last
time. Everyone is encouraged to participate.
The
Multicultural Center is located to the
left of the Psychology building and is
open for normal business hours with a
lunch break at noon.
