More than 30 volunteers gathered Sunday night to help the Middle Eastern Student Association spread the word about the cost of war with chalk drawings around campus Monday.
Walking from Pray-Harrold to Halle library and from Halle library to the Student Center, 1,600 body outlines and initials were drawn on the sidewalk. Each chalk outline represented a civilian life lost in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. This display was called #CostOfWar.
MESA is an on-campus humanitarian group currently run by president Jenna Hamed, a senior and an apparel and textile merchandise major. Rebecca Thomas, a senior political science major also helped plan the event with Hamed.
The inspiration for the chalk event came from a form of protest called a “Die-in,” where people in a flash mob pretend to die to represent the lives lost in a war or act of violence.
“We wanted to twist that and hoped it would be just as effective,” Thomas said.
The Palestinian-Israeli conflict has been going on for 60 years. When Israeli was established as a state in 1948, the conflict started over who the land rightfully belonged to. MESA wanted to bring more attention to the conflict because it is still ongoing.
“I think the organization did a really good job getting the message out there to keep people informed,” Zeinab Alsheemary, a junior at EMU said.
Both Hamed and Thomas think that the only way for things to change is by making people aware of what is going on.
“I want the campus to understand that there may be two sides but we can find a common ground,” Thomas said. “MESA is said to be ‘Pro Human.’ The chalk outlines did not represent one side of the conflict but all civilian lives lost. Innocent people shouldn’t have to die.”
As students walked by the chalk display, their reactions seemed to be in support of what MESA was trying to do.
“I think this is a good way to raise awareness, showing the deaths on both sides,” Jodi Wilson, a freshman social work major said.
Some students were struck by the size of the issue.
“I think it is really hard hitting, these aren’t just numbers but people,” junior Sarah Wagner said.
This was the first in several events that will be happening on campus throughout the year.
MESA meets every Thursday in the Student Center, room 344 at 4 p.m. They welcome new members all of the time. According to Hamed, Mesa strives to leave differences at the door, to focus on a universal humanitarian goal.
“We want to represent those that don’t have a voice,” Hamed said. “I am touched that people are reacting to this display.”
You can find MESA on Facebook, Twitter and the EMU website, also by searching #CostOfWar.
