The Memorial on the Quad

It's twenty-eight degrees Fahrenheit (below two degrees Celsius) and the icy wind is tearing through clothing as though you wore none. This is one cold day at Brooklyn College on December 4th, 2007, yet, the fires of activism are merely beginning to heat things up. Because on this day, the Brooklyn College Anti-War coalition (B.C.A.W.) was having a memorial in which strong politically conscious students, faculty, and their allies decided to honor those who have been killed in the wars in Iraq & Afghanistan.

As I arrive, I see students and faculty handing out fliers in front of several truly amazing banners. Brought by The American Friends Service Committee (A.F.S.C.) and set up by B.C.A.W. members, the banners give us a true presence on campus. Iris Bieri (from A.F.S.C.) assists us in handing out material and ensuring that the banners return home safely. Meanwhile, on the quad itself, there are white T-shirts decorated with red paint. A picture of Jonah (on the left) shows the lengths he had to go to in order to stay warm and get the job done. Did I mention how cold it was?

Still, we carry on. At approximately 2'o'clock, we don our white T-shirts splattered with red paint and we are no longer activists. We are a living symbol of the lengths to which greed and power will go. We march to the front of Whitehead Hall where we begin a procession to the Quad. As we walk, we chant in unison and our chants rise above the howling winds that swirl all around us. At 2:05p.m., fourteen of us lay down and subject ourselves to the next ten minutes of silence in the frigid weather. I'm thinking now about life, the clouds, the trees, and what's going on right now. Here we are, honoring those that have fallen, yet still able to enjoy the frosty air, the blue sky, and all the things around us. How many could no longer feel all of this were it not for the selfish decisions of a few?

By clicking here, you can download a zip file filled to the brim with all of the images from that day.