Haven opened its space to honor Sexual Assault Awareness Month on Wednesday, April 9, with a mosaic-making activity to highlight the healing journeys of those impacted by sexual assault. The two-part program, which included the breaking of the ceramics and creating the mosaic, acted as a way to recognize the diverse ways in which the healing process evolves over time.
“One’s journey should not be predicted based on how another has gotten through. With that understanding we are offering to bring an outlet in which individuals can be reflective and expressive,” Charm Little-Ray, director of Haven, said following the event.
The project consisted of the “breaking” and “making” stages. During the breaking stage, which involved an earlier event, survivors of sexual assault were prompted to write or answer a prompt on a ceramic object and then break the piece into many smaller fragments. These individuals and the rest of Colgate University’s student body were invited to return on April 9 and compose a mosaic using these pieces with the personal writing inscribed on them.
“The second part, ‘making,’ highlights the notion that what was broken can be mended. This will offer a creative outlet for participants to find beauty through the pieces and build strength as they work towards the finished product. Participants may choose to participate in either or both components of the programming, depending on their personal needs,” Little-Ray explained.
Upon entering the mosaic event, participants were greeted with a board of six pieces that individuals worked on in small sections. Using grout and liquid cement, the students attached pieces of the broken ceramics to the boards, even working with color schemes and fun patterns as they went. When put together, the six-piece board would spell out “Haven is Always Here,” a powerful message for all survivors and students during Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
Wednesday’s event was run by senior Anna Mednick, an ambassador and outreach chair for Haven.
“I’m really excited to be hosting an event like this, and that we can bring together the community and reflect on the experiences of others and especially the experiences of survivors before us,” Mednick said. “This little collection of many years worth of survivors’ stories can come together and make something beautiful out of something that was previously broken.”
Open activities like this are impactful to the Colgate community, as they bring together individuals who are able to artistically work together towards a common goal. Senior Emilia Bennett, who participated in the program, echoed this idea.
“I feel like it’s been a really stressful part of the semester, and this is a nice way to decompress with some creative activities and also further the goals of Haven during Sexual Assault Awareness Month. So it’s always nice to be able to do something and feel productive, but still have it be fun too,” Bennett said.
The event lasted a little over an hour and resulted in a beautiful mosaic with the writing of past survivors displayed on each of the ceramic pieces used to make the piece.
“The plates hold information about people’s stories of survivorship,” Mednick said. “Letting go of their emotions and feelings and writing their feelings down and then breaking them is kind of a cathartic experience. Then coming together as a community to build back some of these emotions and create a piece with them for years to come.”
While the artwork is finished, the stories and words of these survivors live on through the empowering message written across the piece.
“It’s hopefully going to be displayed in Haven, maybe against one of our window frames […]. [Haven has] just been collecting art over the years, you know, so we’re gonna keep filling up the space with as much positivity and as possible for the community,” Mednick said.
Haven seeks to make its space on campus welcoming, which is one function of displaying past artistic projects resulting from Haven activities and workshops. There is a sense of comfort when stepping through the doors of Haven, not only due to the kind and welcoming staff but also because of the safe and colorful atmosphere that the team has committed to creating since Haven’s beginning in 2016.
“I think every survivor is different, but personally, I’ve found that art and writing your emotions down helps over time,” Mednick said. “It’s the things that have impacted you now that are the building blocks of a new life and a new perspective. I think art is a really amazing way to express emotions.”
Haven is located on the base floor of Curtis Hall and will be hosting activities and celebrating Sexual Assault Awareness Month for the remainder of April.
