Students to observe National Day of Silence all day Wednesday

The weeks leading up to the end of classes are ones of increasing celebration. Wednesday, a group of students is volunteering to be silent in an attempt to bring attention to individuals who cannot speak up for themselves.\nThe Bloomington and campus communities will observe the National Day of Silence Wednesday in order to raise awareness about gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, transsexual and other minority groups whose opinions and beliefs have been silenced in the past. Students will take a vow of silence for all or part of the day and distribute cards printed with explanations of their vow.\nSenior and NDOS committee member Ronnie Houchin said there will be other events leading up to this day.\n"We hope that these events will raise awareness for the situation many individuals have been in," he said. "We hope this will show students what it is like to be in the minority in the U.S."\nThe Unite Against Silence Forum will take place at 6 p.m. Monday in the Willkie Auditorium and will provide suggestions for overcoming the silence discrimination can create. Debra Davis, a transgender woman and the executive director of the Gender Education Center, will lecture at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center Grand Hall.\nAfter the vows of silence Wednesday, a silent march will take place starting at 4:15 p.m. at Showalter Fountain and will end at 5 p.m. at the Sample Gates. There, the Breaking the Silence Rally will allow students to speak up again. Following the rally will be a lecture at 8 p.m. at Alumni Hall given by Keith Boykin, an author and former aide to President Clinton.\nGLBT Director Doug Bauder said he hopes for a great amount of student participation. Recent events, such as the increasing debate over same-sex marriage and the University production of "The Laramie Project," have raised public consciousness of discrimination against GLBT individuals.\n"I hope ('The Laramie Project') has emphasized the fact that hatred is still out there and people are still silenced," Bauder said. "Hopefully, there will be no need for a Day of Silence in the future, but there are still people who feel they cannot speak up."\nFreshman and NDOS committee member Nick Clarkson said the National Day of Silence started with a focus on GLBT issues. At IU, the students on the planning committee decided to connect the day with other minorities who have been silenced and oppressed in history.\n"Acceptance definitely won't happen overnight," Clarkson said. "But events like the Day of Silence will start a dialogue between different groups over the next few years."\nCommittee members encourage students and others to participate in the Day of Silence.\n"Anybody who cares about justice should take a vow of silence for the whole day or even an hour," Bauder said.\nHouchin said the focus is not just on GLBT individuals, but on all those who have been silenced because if one person is silenced, everyone is affected. Houchin said this can be best summed up with the famous quote from Martin Luther King, Jr.: "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."\n-- Contact staff writer Jorie Slodki at jslodki@indiana.edu.