If you walked through the Letterman Building on Monday, you likely noticed the silence that filled the usually bustling lobby.
Students still filed through the building on their way to classes, but instead of pausing to chat with friends, they paused to stare at dozens of pairs of shoes.
Almost 150 pairs of boots covered the carpet, representing the number of U.S. soldiers from Indiana who have died in the Iraq War.
The boots stood in neat lines, just as a unit of soldiers would stand at attention.
Each pair of boots was tagged with the name, age and hometown of a fallen soldier. Almost none of the Indiana soldiers lived past the age of 30.
Some of the boots held flowers left by loved ones.
Others were decorated with small American flags, photographs and notes.
One pair stood on the floor with a baseball cap and an action figure.
Nearby, a cluster of street shoes surrounded poster-sized photographs of Iraqi civilians who have died.
There were sneakers and high heels.
There were flip-flops and moccasins.
There were the small, blue sandals of a child.
Standing beside the shoes and walking among them, it's difficult not to picture the people who once filled them.
The exhibit, called Eyes Wide Open, serves both as a memorial to those soldiers and civilians who have died and as a tangible reminder of the costs of war.
It was created by the American Friends Service Committee, a Quaker organization that peacefully opposes all war.
Whether you support or oppose the Iraq war, though, the effectiveness and quiet power of this exhibit is difficult to deny.
The necessity of war will always be a contentious issue, but even the most divided groups can come together to honor lost lives through exhibits like this one.
Eyes Wide Open will be on display until 6 p.m. in the Letterman Building lobby. If you haven't seen it yet, you should.
Stand in front of the lines of boots and picture the soldiers who would have worn them.
Walk among the parents of those fallen soldiers, there to visit the memorials to their sons and daughters.
No matter your political convictions, don't miss this chance to honor the fallen.
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