A Memorial and Lack of Conversation
There is a memorial in ODY to honor the 11 Jewish people killed in the Tree of Life synagogue shootings that took place Oct. 27. The memorial consists of 11
pairs of shoes to represent the empty spaces left behind by those who were killed. Accompanying them is a simple note that lists the names of those lost, the date of the shooting and simply “We Feel Their Absence.” Students from the class torture, truth and memory were behind the organization of the memorial. Before its placement, the student’s discussion how this tragic event effected people on campus.
There did not seem to be as much of a reaction to this tragedy among the students on campus as there was elsewhere in the world. Amara Mitchell, a sophomore in torture, truth and memory, took place in the discussion before the placement of the memorial. “I think we have so many tragedies now with shootings in America that we have become numb to them in a way,” said Mitchell. Despite being numb to these types of tragedies, they still happen and effect people throughout the world and within our community.
Mishell Manrique, a senior here at SLU, spoke of the lack of reaction on campus before helping place the memorial. Because of our location, we might not have as much of a discussion as what would be taking place if we were closer to the city, said Manrique. There is not a very visible Jewish community on campus or in Canton in general. Despite that, there should still be conversations because anti-Semitism is an issue that is present on our campus.
Manrique was one of the driving forces behind this project to honor those lost in an extreme act of anti-Semitism and to start a conversation. “We were just hoping that even if it was a small memorial, it can make like a ripple effect on campus,” said Manrique. “There are no conversations. People, I think, will have a small mini exchange but there is no real, open conversation.”
Maria Denisse is an international student at SLU from Nicaragua that also contributed her opinion and ideas about mass shootings in America to the discussion. “When I think about the shooting it is very difficult for me to understand because it is not something that happens where I am from,” said Denisse. “I just wonder what happens here, in this country, that someone feels entitled to go to either a church or a synagogue or a school, even, and just shoot other people and to think that that is correct.” The people who participated in the discussion all seemed to circle back to the idea that mass shootings have been normalized in America.
Despite the normalization, people are still being effected by these acts of violence. There are people actively trying to memorialize the lives of people that have been lost. Prof. Shelley McConnell, the professor that teaches torture, truth and memory, helped by supporting her students when they voiced interest in creating a memorial for the people killed in the Tree of Life synagogue shootings. “I helped to coordinate the location with library personnel, but it was the students who chose the library as the best place for the memorial,” said McConnell. “That seems right to me too, as it is a place of quiet dignity.”
The memorial will remain in ODY from Sunday, Nov. 11 to Friday, Nov. 16.