Imagine walking into high school each morning fearing for your safety, fearing for your physical security, fearing that today is the day you will die.

Outside this very high school, things seemed picture perfect — with a winning football team, a talented swing band and nationally-prized teachers. But inside these walls, a boy lived in fear for two excruciatingly long years. During this time he was brutally beaten by three classmates. He suffered broken ribs, kidney punches, suppressed breathing and blood in his urine.

This boy is Michael Cicirelli and he was mistreated his sophomore and junior year of high school solely because he is homosexual.

Cicirelli is currently a senior at Fairfield. On Oct. 27 he held the third annual presentation of Project Halo at the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts. “I think this is a very important program to have at Fairfield. We have such a homogeneous population,” said sophomore, Erika Gjesteby.

Project Halo is an abuse prevention program that Cicirelli developed in his freshman year to spread awareness about prejudice and violence, not only against the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) community, but against all victims of cruelty.

“I am here to support Mike because he is really great to the LGBTQAA community and this is a really great thing he’s doing,” said Daniella Mania, fellow senior and fellow Residential Assistant.

Cicirelli hopes to be a voice for all persecuted people. “Project Halo looks at common stereotypes in the community and dispels those,” said Cicirelli. Unbeknownst to many, stereotypes can have very serious ramifications — those of which almost got him killed.

Cicirelli had to put on a brave face throughout the troubling times. His family was prominent in the community, he did not want to put them in harm’s way, and he did not know any other homosexuals to turn to. “I wasn’t allowed to cry. I wasn’t allowed to be angry. I had to get up and survive,” he said.

The Project Halo founder grew up in a conservative, suburban Ohio town. “If you were gay, you were a menace … it was a scandal and everyone would talk about it,” said Cicirelli. His attackers hated him because he was different; and their hatred stemmed from their ignorance. Cicirelli’s program seeks to put an end to that ignorance.

Cicirelli has travelled to many places in the nation, spreading awareness and telling his story. He has always been proud to call Fairfield his college.

“Fairfield offers me the best chance to waltz,” he said.

Cicirelli said he has made wonderful friends here at Fairfield, friends whom he has called upon when he was broken. These are the individuals who got rid of his sadness; these are the individuals who he does it for.

“I am here to support Mike,” Gil Keenan, a junior nursing major, said simply.

Despite all he has gone through and the side effects he still has to deal with — such as getting nervous around large groups of men, hating being surprised from behind, and a loss of feelings in his extremities — Cicirelli is willing to bare his soul because he knows these violent acts are preventable. Hatred is a choice. People must think about what they project.

“Michael is such a brave person, to get up there in front of a crowd of strangers and talk about this dark time in his life. I am sure he has given this entire crowd courage it didn’t have before,” said Samara Yohai ‘11.

Cicirelli says that hatred is merely a waste of energy. Project Halo has helped him realize this. Before, he looked at humanity for its weakness. Now, he looks at it for its love. “I don’t have time to hate them [his attackers],” he said.