Columbine. Virginia Tech. Sandy Hook. Stoneman Douglas. The prevalence of high school and university shootings has only increased in recent years, with already 17 school shootings — in which someone was hurt or killed — occurring in the first three months of 2018. While helping to put things in perspective, these staggering statistics often leave out the personal stories and humanity of gun violence victims at large.
NC State’s Center for Student Leadership, Ethics and Public Service (CSLEPS) is working to change that by putting on “Know Their Names. Learn Their Stories.,” an exhibit honoring victims of gun violence that will run through Friday in the lobby of Talley Student Union.
Jena Phillips, a second-year studying political science, acts as the primary facilitator of the project. Phillips – on her own – has also organized a student walkout for greater gun reform, in honor of the anniversary of the Columbine High School shooting, on Friday. Phillips talked on why she found it important to bring the exhibit into action.
“I’m human, and I feel for every person who’s ever been affected by gun violence,” Phillips said. “When I turn on the news or when I get an alert that there’s been something else, it really hits me. And I’m absolutely terrified that it could happen at NC State, and I know that if we keep going the way we’re going it’s not a matter of if, but when. And that terrifies me. So I think the only way that we can combat this is if we bring awareness to it and educate our students about it … so that is what’s driving me to put on this exhibit.”
The artful exhibit features cutouts of victims from some of the deadliest mass shootings in recent U.S. history. Each cutout is marked with a single rose, the victim’s full name and personal details like goals, aspirations and personality traits.
Acting as the last major CSLEPS project of the academic year, “Know Their Names. Learn Their Stories.” works to keep the spirit of gun violence victims alive, both preserving and honoring their memory in the process. Phillips, who is currently a Leader for Change intern with CSLEPS, noted why it is important for students to continue thinking about victims of past school shootings.
“Columbine did happen a while ago, and Sandy Hook did happen a while ago, but just because we may not consciously be thinking about it all the time, these families still think about it every day — about their kid that was shot in the library of their high school,” Phillips said.
In order to gather information needed for the project, Phillips and others involved with the exhibit researched some of the most prominent school shootings that have occurred across the nation. Most of this research involved reading up on school shootings and learning more about the victims’ personal backgrounds, life and career goals and more defining traits.
Part of what sparked this research was Phillips’ personal tie to the recent shooting in Parkland, Florida.
“It’s been a long time coming with this type of research, but I think what really sparked it was Stoneman Douglas back in February,” Phillips said. “I’m originally from North Carolina, but I do have some ties to that high school through sports I was involved in in high school, so it really hit home when it happened there for me. And so that is what sparked the research.”
Elizabeth Williams, a second-year studying electrical and computer engineering, helped bring Phillips’ passion for gun reform to life by driving the artistic and visual aspects of the project. For Williams, the exhibit offered her a way to fuel her passion for gun reform and justice for lives lost to gun violence into informative visual forms.
“I definitely am a strong supporter of gun reform, and I think this is a very big, hot topic and I think that if we can get discussion started on campus it’s a great way to get people involved,” Williams said. “I do love any way I can help, and while I’m not as outgoing as Jena is, being able to support her visually through the artistic ideas is wonderful.”
Part of the exhibit’s overarching goal is to shed light on the fact that school shootings should be looked at in more personal terms. As, with the sheer amount of school shootings that have occurred over recent years, it is critical to remain empathetic for and informed of the individual people who have been affected by gun violence.
Williams discussed what she hopes the project, as a whole, will achieve.
“I know that over the years gun violence has become more and more prevalent, and with the recent shooting I think that people need to be aware on how this affects them and how it affects the people they live with,” Williams said. “Through telling these stories [I hope] people will realize it’s more than just numbers.”
Phillips also noted the exhibit’s goal of sharing stories and providing a platform for those who no longer have one, and encouraged students to come out in support and respect of all who have been affected by gun violence.
“These are real people that have real dreams and aspirations, and just taking time to step back and reflect on that has been personally rewarding,” Phillips said. “But I think I’m looking forward to the reactions of other students, and how this affects our campus.”
A rose and the words "N.C. State: Am I Next?" on a cardboard cutout highlight the fact that gun violence can happen anywhere, displayed in the "Know Their Names. Learn Their Stories." exhibit in Talley Student Union on Monday. Other cutouts featured the names of victims and the locations where they were killed, along with the stories of people who lost their lives to gun violence. This event was hosted by the Center for Student Leadership, Ethics & Public Service.
