MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — To celebrate the International Day of Nonviolence, the Middle Tennessee State University Police Department, Campus Nonviolence Committee and Student Affairs recently collaborated to reaffirm the True Blue Pledge of “committing to reason and not violence.”

Held in Walnut Grove, the annual event featured grilled food, free T-shirts, an opportunity for attendees to take photos with a life-size cut out of late international peace advocate Mahatma Gandhi as well as sign the committee’s banner.

“This was a well-attended event sponsored by the MTSU Campus Nonviolence Committee, of which I am a member,” said university Police Chief Edwin “Ed” Kaup, who took a break from his law enforcement duties to work the grill. “We do an annual event on the International Day of Nonviolence, Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday.” 

Over 350 students, faculty and staff attended the Oct. 2 event to sign the committee’s banner that reaffirms the True Blue Pledge, which expresses the university’s values, and enjoy free food grilled by MTSU Police.

“It is an important event used to show our community that we take our True Blue Pledge seriously and commit to handling our problems and conflicts through nonviolent means,” Kaup continued.

Student Government Association President Michai Mosby said he “was honored to be involved in the planning and support of this event.

“The turnout exceeded expectations, showing that so many in our community are committed to standing against violence and embracing peace. This type of engagement is exactly what strengthens the bond within our campus community” Mosby said.

“The Grove nonviolence event was a powerful and much-needed initiative that brought our campus together around the common goal of promoting peace and understanding,” Mosby added. “As SGA President, I believe that events like these are vital to fostering a sense of unity among students, faculty and staff. It’s important for us to engage in conversations about nonviolence and actively work toward creating a safer and more inclusive community at MTSU.”

MTSU Police Maj. Jason Morton, who joined Kaup and other police officers grilling food for attendees to enjoy in the Grove, said the event allowed patrol officers and supervisors to interact with student, faculty and staff event attendees on a more personal level.

“This event, while sponsored by the Campus Nonviolence Committee, allowed our officers to positively engage with community members and allow the community to meet the people behind the badge,” Morton said.

“Events like this are important to remind everyone that we are all part of the MTSU community and are bound together by the MTSU community values … the commitment to nonviolence is one of those values.”

Danny Kelley, assistant vice president of Student Affairs, oversees the Campus Nonviolence Committee, allowing him to organize and execute this event.

“In approaching the Grove, campus community members were greeted with approximately 30 yard signs that included inspirational messages about peace and nonviolence,” Kelley said. 

“I think this event is important as it not only highlights our True Blue Pledge, but specifically the part of the pledge that reads ‘I am committed to reason not violence.’ It is important to note that the True Blue Pledge was drafted by members of the Campus Nonviolence Committee.”

The pledge was crafted more than a decade ago following the tragic death of women’s basketball player Tina Stewart, who was killed by her roommate, also a student, during an argument at their off-campus apartment.

Kelley noted Gandhi’s impact and importance by commemorating him and his passing by saying, “Gandhi was known for his philosophy of nonviolence and was assassinated on his way to a prayer meeting.”

For more information on the Campus Nonviolence Committee, click here. To read the True Blue Pledge that the committee wrote, click here.

— Maddy Williams (Maddy.Williams@mtsu.edu)