A wall representing hatred, oppression and discrimination will be erected and then torn down as students at UTM participate in the unique “Writing on the Wall” project.

The project is a dramatic shared community experience of taking personal action to confront human rights atrocities and acts of oppression in society. Through the act of constructing a cinder-block wall representing the barriers which prevent people as individuals, races, genders and cultures from connecting in a shared humanity and then tearing down this structure, participants are reminded of the need to act personally to create positive change for the future.

The wall will be constructed Nov. 6 and student groups will have the opportunity to paint wall epitaphs of hatred, excluding profanity, Nov. 7. It will remain standing between Boling University Center and Paul Meek Library until Nov. 11 when Chancellor Nick Dunagan will speak, and the wall will be torn down symbolizing the breaking down of hate. The event is sponsored by the Office of Multicultural Affairs, Sigma Phi Epsilon and the Student Government Association. It is free and open to the public.

“The importance of the project is to challenge the university to break down the barriers of ignorance, inhumanity, oppression and misunderstanding that are still inflicted, not only in the broader society, but in a microcosm – within the university,” said Luther Mercer II, director of the UTM Office of Multicultural Affairs.

The wall will be 10 feet tall and more than 35 feet wide. Once it is built, the campus will come together to pull it down, symbolically removing the barriers that separate people. This collective act sends the message that people must work together to remove barriers through awareness, collaboration and action, and bring about lasting change in human relations.

“When I first learned about the “Writing on the Wall” project, I wanted my fraternity to bring it to UTM,” said Kevin Teets, Sigma Phi Epsilon vice president. “By working with SGA and multicultural affairs, we have been able to achieve this. I think this project is a great opportunity to bring the campus and community together to promote diversity and understanding by breaking down the barriers that keep us from coming together as individuals.

“The Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity is very proud to be a sponsor of the ‘Writing on the Wall’ project. There are many things to be learned within the walls of academia at this university, but there is much more to be learned through our relationships and interactions with the many people we encounter who represent all walks of life,” Teets added. “It is important for us to appreciate people for who they are, and to always challenge ourselves to break down the barriers that prevent us from understanding one another.”

“To grow as a student body, community and society we must acknowledge then demolish the barriers that prevent us from growing as individuals,” said Dusty Dean, SGA president. “This project allows our students to create then destroy the very words that hold us back. We are taking one giant step towards a campus of multicultural understanding.”

The Writing on the Wall Project began in 2001 at the University of Utah with the Human Issues Education Committee (HIEC), which consists of students and staff from residence halls. The purpose of HIEC is to develop educational programs and events on human issues for campuses and communities to raise awareness. HIEC was approached with the wall project by author LaDon Roeder.