Actions spoke louder than words on Thursday as hundreds of Ball State University students signed the "Stop Hate" banner sponsored by the Center for Peace and Conflict Studies and more than 70 other campus organizations.
Event coordinator Elizabeth Earl said the expected turnout was less than what they had planned for but that did not lessen the message of the banner.
"We had about 500 students sign the banner, but the turnout was much better in the afternoon because of classes getting out and students being outside," she said. "The drum circle helped, but more music might have drawn more traffic."
Organizations such as the Social Justice League and Nuru as well as students in the peace studies minor were handing out flyers about the Art 4 Peace auction and asking people who passed by to sign the banner.
According to Gunnar Ingolfsson, a graduate student and member of the Social Justice League, the league was available as support to the center and available to talk about social justice issues of events coming up.
"As long as I've been here it's pretty much been a steady stream [of people]. "I think it's a great and relatively easy way to get the word out and just kind of educate people as far as things that are happening," said Jordan Amor a junior and member of Nuru, an organization on campus dedicated to providing clean water and humanitarian aid in poverty stricken areas.
Mary Kite's psychology 424 class, Psychology of Diversity, was at the banner discussing one of its assignments dealing with diversity and tolerance.
"This event shows how much people care about stopping hate and violence," senior LaTessa Black said.
Black said she was disappointed when she read an article that showed nearly 20 percent of minorities have a hard time finding places to live because of prejudice.
"It's amazing that no matter how far we've come in tolerance and civil rights, hatred still exists," she said.
Kite said her class was very receptive of the banner, which sparked discussion between the classmates. She also said her second class was amazed at how many people had signed it.
"It's good for them to know that there is something they can do to fight violence," she said.
Professor of music George Wolfe and his drum circle played at the banner for 45 minutes to promote and encourage harmony among students.
"We are using musical improvisation that will ultimately lead to harmony on campus," he said. "Hopefully our music will help encourage students to march in harmony with one another."
Wolfe's daughter Esther, who is an intern at the Center for Conflict and Peace Studies, was among the members of the drum circle and said the circle was like a community.
"Our circle reflects a community and how it deals with conflict to reach harmony among the members," she said.
Earl said the low turnout did not disparage the center from doing a similar event in the future.
"We definitely need to do something like this next year, maybe not the banner again but with more promoting we could get a bigger crowd," she said.
Ambria Martin contributed to this story.
Read More
Three Air Jam teams take home the win
October 12, 2012Nineteen teams shimmied, shook and flipped for a sold out John R. Emens Auditorium on Thursday night during the 25th annual Air Jam.
Bill Clinton Speaks at North Central High School
October 12, 2012Former President's Speech Could Have Effect on State Senate Race
