Nightlights Pillow

Designed by students Leeroy Mabvuta ’23 and Dixie Webber ’25, this pillow celebrates Berea’s Fifth Great Commitment by acknowledging the validity and beauty of differing perspectives. Leeroy describes the process and pillow this way:

“The concept of this pillow came from a marriage of two perspectives of what people might see at night. My perspective was based on an aerial view of a lit city, and Dixie was fascinated by the stars above. Together the aerial image of a lit city made by humans and the naturally occurring skyline of stars coalesced. This merger can speak to the human hunger to imitate nature, which is seen in a plethora of visual media like a dance. The city’s image slowly looks like a cluster of stars with specks of color. Additionally, this merger speaks to the diversity of opinions in the world and how social context could help us break down social barriers. While our perspectives were different, we still described similar images. This glass-half-empty/glass-half-full paradox shows the importance of understanding the circumstances that have brought about radically different perspectives. By understanding these circumstances, we can choose how and if we want to break a social barrier between us and the ‘other.’”