In honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, the Center for Women Students, along with the Office of Residence Life, will take a step to "Break the Silence."

As part of the Penn State Clothesline Project, T-shirts with designs that recognize violence against women are on display in dorms.

The project commemorates those who have died violently, such as being attacked because of sexual orientation, or were victims of battery, rape, sexual assault or incest.

The Center for Women Students launched the project in 1996. Similar programs take place nationwide.

Susan DelPonte, assistant program director, said the project has collected nearly 300 shirts from Penn State students and community members. This year's display is on a smaller scale than last year's, with fewer shirts shown.

"I would like the Clothesline Project to accomplish the feat of having no more T-shirts, of having no more violence against women," DelPonte said.

There is a color code posted at each display explaining for whom the shirts were made. Each shirt portrays the story of a different victim or survivor.

The project has a mission to bear witness and bring awareness to violence against women, as well as to give those who have been directly affected by violence a way to heal, according to the Center for Women Students' Web site (www.sa.psu.edu/cws).

Marce Pancio, assistant director of residence life, organized the small displays in Johnston, Warnock and Pollock Commons, which are located in East, North and Pollock Halls, respectively.

The Clothesline Project provides guidelines for making shirts that include protecting the anonymity of survivors, should they wish to remain anonymous, and, because of legalities, using initials or first names when referring to perpetrators. If the shirt memorializes a woman killed, those making it are asked to include the name, hometown and the victim's dates of birth and death, if possible.

The rest of the shirt is left to the survivor, relative or friend making it. One shirt in East Halls tells the story of a 22-year-old beaten to death, while another describes a lifetime of sexual abuse, ending with the message that "you have won because you have survived."

"The shirts are pretty disturbing, but they definitely get the message across," said Anthony Frederick (freshman-political science).

DelPonte said the shirts are there to tell the stories of victims and survivors.

"I think the violence certainly comes through," she said.

Those wishing to donate shirts to the Clothesline Project may do so at the office of the Center for Women Studies, 102 Boucke Building.