Flower petals will float atop the waters of Reflection Lake on the University of Southern Indiana campus Thursday, October 16. The flowers will be released to honor victims and survivors of domestic violence as part of the nationally recognized event, Flowers on the Lake. The USI community, as well as the general public are invited to participate.
This is the second year that the USI Sexual Assault and Gender Violence Prevention Group has organized and held the event on the USI campus. They received the help of Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminal Justice (SAC) Club, along with community collaborator Albion Fellows Bacon Center. Along with the SAC Club, student members of the Psychology Club and the Student Government Association will speak about the victims whose lives have been lost in Indiana due to intimate partner homicide. The event begins at 4:30 p.m. and groups will meet in front of the Liberal Arts Center to hear the speakers.
Using state statistics, a bell rings out for each person who has died in Indiana due to domestic violence. “It’s very powerful when you’re standing there and you keep hearing those bell messages and you know that each one of those represents a life that was lost this year in our area,†said Dr. Melinda Roberts, assistant professor of criminal justice and SAC Club advisor. Guests will be handed resource pamphlets shaped as cones holding flower petals. After a moment of silence, they will be led to Reflection Lake to scatter the petals across the water in memory of the victims and in honor of survivors.
In conjunction with the Flowers on the Lake event, there will be life-size silhouettes in various locations across campus representing real victims in Indiana. This project, entitled Silent Witness (also nationally recognized), involves research by SAC students to create badges that tell that individual’s story. Along with adult silhouettes there will be child-sized silhouettes representing youth who have been victimized.
“With the SAC Club community activities, students get to inspire hope in ending violence and they help victims and their families heal,†said Roberts.
The event is free of charge and open to the public. Participants should meet at 4:30 p.m. in front of the Liberal Arts Center. For more information contact Dr. Melinda Roberts at mrroberts1@usi.edu or 812-461-5475.
