GCSU prepares for Clothesline Project
Hanging from the trees are memories that would have rather been lost. A laundry line of healing thoughts are strung across Front Campus to help heal those that suffer from abuse. Every year, The Clothesline Project helps students heal from abusive situations.
The T-shirts that will hang from the trees of Front Campus from Oct. 26-30 tell stories of violence, emotional abuse and unfair discrimination among other hardships college students face. The colors of the T-shirts stand for different types of abuse creating a sort of patchwork that helps stitch people back together.
Jennifer Graham helped found the project in 2000, and has since been certified as a Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Advocate for Counseling. Her own experience with sexual assault pushed her to speak out against abuse and help others do the same.
“The project provides survivors of abuse with an outlet,” Graham said. “People can share their experience, and give themselves a chance to release the shame they have from that event.”
The passion to help those in need drove Graham to create the Women’s Resource Center on GCSU’s campus, which would become the first women’s center in Milledgeville.
“There wasn’t a safe place for women on campus,” Graham said. “Now we have a voice and a support system.”
What started out with 40 T-shirts, turned into 461 T-shirts serving as a testament to abusive situations. The project is a nationwide effort to raise awareness about abusive situations. Students have reached out to the community and are discussing healthy relationships with Early College students.
“The point is to prevent the continuation of abuse and emphasize the importance of healthy relationships.” Graham said. “You’d be shocked what some of these kids have seen.”
Students involved in The Clothesline Project vary from women to men of all ages. The shirts provide a type of support system for those who wish to be involved.
“It’s empowering,” senior Melissa Couch said. “The shirts are symbolic. They provide a positive outlet for repressed emotions. Looking at the shirts, you know you’re not alone, you know you can talk to someone.”
Students are advised to seek professional help if needed, but the shirts help open the lines of communication. Abuse is a difficult situation to talk about; it takes courage to fight away the demons.
“Recently, I’ve dealt with sexual assault. It’s my first year making a shirt, and it takes a lot of courage. I’ve had to deal with memories and flashbacks that I’d rather forget,” said Tiffany Payton, an intern at the Women’s Resource Center. “It was a process to even get to the idea of making a shirt but the fact that what happened to me can have a positive effect on someone else has really helped.”
Additional shirts are being made next week on Front Campus. There will also be shirts and paints for people who wish to make a shirt. The Clothesline Project gives students a chance to move on from their bad experience and simply hang it up to dry.
“Healing is a process,” said Melissa Couch. “It’s your story, tell someone.”
Posted by Colonnade Archives
on Oct 23 2009. Filed under Features.
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