With their hands in their pockets and completely silent, students wearing hoodies marched on campus in remembrance of Trayvon Martin, a Florida teen who was killed in February.
The shooter, George Zimmerman, was the Neighborhood Watch captain and said he shot Martin in an act of self-defense. Martin was unarmed and was returning home after buying candy at a convenience store.
The case has drawn media attention from all over the country because of claims that Martin was killed because of racial stereotyping. Police said Zimmerman is white but his family said he is Hispanic.
Senior telecommunications major Joseph Clemons, along with his friends, came up with the idea and sent word out to their friends. Telecommunications majors junior Terrell Alexander and sophomore Brandon Pope were also involved in the original plans.
"There are people that represent various organizations, multicultural organizations like Black Student Association, Black Media Association, all kinds of associations," Clemons said. "But this really isn't about anybody's particular association; it's just about Trayvon Martin and the shooting that happened."
Students were split up into three groups - one from the L.A. Pittenger Student Center, one from Woodworth Complex and on from LaFollette Complex - and then walked to Shafer Tower. Once there, they split up and walked on both sides of the sidewalk back to the Student Center.
Participants were instructed not to talk or giggle during the march, and there were not to be any signs. They were told that if someone said something offensive to them, they were not to respond.
They were also asked to wear hoodies, if they had them, with the hood up and to have their hands in their pockets.
Martin was wearing a hoodie the day he was shot. Several churches as well as Rep. Bobby Rush, D-Ill., have worn them as a statement against Martin's death.
"It's a silent march, so it's more of a symbolic statement that if a group of people walking around in hoodies look suspicious to you, especially most of those people being black, that's a problem in itself," Clemons said. "Because you're already condemning them before they've even done anything. They're already guilty."
Jennifer Jones-Hall, assistant vice president of Student Affairs and director of Student Life, was present to make sure the students followed the correct procedures.
She said any time students want to organize a walk, they have to fill out paperwork, and they have to obey certain rules, such as staying on the sidewalk.
Around 40 people participated in the walk. Clemons said they did not try to advertise it because they just wanted to make a statement, they did not want to do anything large.
"A lot of times when people do marches, they can become oversaturated with too many people, too many egos," Clemons said. "The whole purpose of the march will get lost."
Both senior nursing major Kourtney Sterling and sophomore architecture major Kyle Edwards said they heard about the event through Twitter.
Sterling said she wanted to participate in the walk because Martin's case is such a controversial topic.
"Overall, my heart just hurts for the family," she said. "And it is a tragic situation for all parties."
Edwards said he thinks it is important to show that as a black male, he should not be stereotyped.
"I wanted to be a part of something, and I feel the Trayvon Martin case is unfair," he said. "Stereotypes have been an issue for a long time, and I'm glad that there's finally something going on to possibly change that."
Senior respiratory therapy major Dynasty Reeves said she wanted to participate in the march because she disagrees with what is happening with the case.
"I'm so disappointed in the fact that a man that killed someone is still walking free," she said. "I don't know if it's because of his family and their status in the government or whatnot, but it just upsets me that someone admitted to it and they're still walking free. They're not even being held in custody whatsoever."
Read More
The eyes and ears of the David Owsley Museum of Art
By Madelyn Bracken / 2 days agoThe David Owsley Museum of Art (DOMA) doesn’t only house art. For many Ball State University students, it houses opportunity. Graduate and social media assistant, and former DOMA intern and guard, Taylor Hamblin spent the past two years working at the museum surrounded with possibilities to further her career while at Ball State.
Center for Peace offers academic opportunities
By Meghan Braddy and Grayson Joslin / 3 days agoOver the years, the center has offered a peace studies minor, conflict resolution training and grant funding.
AP: New York appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 conviction
By Staff Reports / 3 days agoNew York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with “egregious” improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case, according to the Associated Press (AP).
