By Ronica Shannon
Register News Writer
RICHMOND — A powerful message will be strung across Eastern Kentucky University’s campus next week, and students are working hard to put a personal touch on the efforts. Stephanie Fox, a senior business major from Versailles, decorated her T-shirt Thursday for The Clothesline Project, which is a part of EKU’s 5th annual Take Back the Night event scheduled for 6 p.m. Wednesday, March 24 in the campus ravine. The Clothesline Project is a program that highlights the issue of violence. Women and men affected by childhood abuse, domestic violence, sexual assault and other forms of abuse are being encouraged to express their emotions by decorating a T-shirt expressing their experience of violence and/or healing. Take Back the Night is a publicly funded charity founded in 2001 to help end all forms of violence and abuse and offer support to survivors. Fox’s shirt will have the message: “I trusted in you, but you’ve hurt me.” Fox is participating in The Clothesline Project as a part of her Women and Gender Studies class at EKU. “I thought it would be neat to decorate the shirt and show how you’ve gotten through violence in your life,” she said. “I hope it can help other people if they’re struggling with violence in their life. I think it will make a difference when the shirts are hung on campus. They can see that other people go through it also.” Violence on college campuses is something that happens more than most realize, Fox said. “It’s a very big problem, mostly in relationships,” she said. “A lot of women don’t even realize that violence is going on, such as verbal and emotional abuse. I hope this project makes people more aware that there might be a problem.” Marta Miranda, associate professor and director of EKU’s Women’s Studies Program, gave some statistics Thursday that helped make the Take Back the Night/Clothesline Project even more relevant. “A woman gets beaten every 15 seconds in this country,” she said. “It’s an epidemic. One in 33 boys will be sexually abused. We are very committed to the anti-violence movement.” The Clothesline Project is one of the most effective efforts of that commitment, Miranda said. “(The Clothesline Project) is a prevention and educational effort,” she said. “It’s very powerful to walk through and see what these people have actually painted. It’s a very powerful testimony.” The shirts decorated by EKU students, faculty and staff, will be displayed March 24 from 6 to 9 p.m. All EKU students are invited to make T-shirts for The Clothesline Project, and all T-shirts and decorating supplies are being provided by the Women and Gender Studies Program, EKU SAFE and Feminists for Change. Shirts are being decorated today, Monday and Tuesday in room 110 of the Powell Building. Call 622-2913 for more information about the events. Ronica Shannon can be reached at rshannon@richmondregister.com or 624-6608.
