By piecing shards of mirrored glass together, visualization seniors Kelsey Shinaut, Hillary Brindlle and Sarah Eckels send the message that every person has worth.
As part of a class project, students were asked to create an interactive installation using typography. Shinaut, Brindlle and Eckels chose to dispel what they felt was a myth — mirrors and appearance determine a person’s worth.
Shinaut said they wanted to impart how important it was for a person to be reminded that “you are more” — a phrase spelled out in the typography.
“We really think that college can be a time in our lives where we get stressed out and begin to think we aren’t enough,” Shinaut said. “We just want to give a shout out to all those students that may be feeling down and remind them how much they have to offer.”
Shinaut said the theme was inspired by a Bible study she attended.
“I had just recently gone to a Bible study that talked about how we are more than what society tells us we are defined by, and so that stemmed into inspiration for our project,” Shinaut.
Brindlle said character is more important than appearance.
“You are more than the flaw you find in yourself,” Brindlle said. “It’s to help people see that when they look in the mirror they are more than what they see. You are more than your GPA, you are more than a pretty face, you are more than somebody’s sister — to realize how much each individual is worth.”
Eckels said society places strong expectations on people to be a certain way.
“If we’re not that then we feel like they’re defining us as something that’s not wanted,” Eckels said.
The project will be displayed at Evans Library and will allow students to think about what they are “more than” by physically writing and acknowledging what they struggle with from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday.
“We hope this art piece will reach the students who pass it and as they walk past it,” Shinaut said.
Students can use #youaremore in Tweets and Instagram posts to spread their reactions and contributions.
Correction: Due to weather conditions, the event has been changed from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday in the 12th Man Hall at the MSC.