Kimball Union Community Takes Part in National Day of Silence Project
On April 17, 2008 KUA’s campus will be a bit quieter as some students and faculty elect to participate in the Day of Silence, a nationwide project promoted by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN).
Participating students and faculty will spend the class day in silence, wearing ribbons and making available written explanations of their motive. The statements read, “Please understand my reason for not speaking today. I am participating in the Day of Silence, a national youth movement protesting the silence faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people and their allies in schools. My deliberate silence echoes the silence which is caused by harassment, prejudice, and discrimination.”
A National School Climate Survey sponsored by GLSEN in 2005 shed light on the difficult reality of school life for many lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) students. The study found that four out of five LGBT students reported verbal, sexual or physical harassment at school. More than 30% stated that they’d missed school in the past month out of fear for their personal safety.
The Day of Silence is an effort to help acknowledge and align with the struggle of LGBT students and their allies. As GLSEN writes, “It helps bring us closer to making anti-LGBT bullying, harassment and name-calling unacceptable in America’s schools.”
KUA’s observance of this day is sponsored by RELAY, Kimball Union’s diversity club. According to RELAY president, Latisha Goullaud, “We want to be in the forefront of the effort to end the name-calling and bullying that LGBT students face in schools across the nation.”
The Day of Silence will be the culminating event of a week of education and awareness on campus. On April 15th, members of a Gay Straight Alliance from Dartmouth College will lead a panel discussion at All School Meeting. RELAY will work to get educational information to students and teachers leading up to the Day of Silence. As in the past, KUA faculty will be looking for creative ways to incorporate silence into their classes on the 17th. At the end of the day, RELAY will hold a “Breaking the Silence” ceremony on the quad for all those who have participated in the day’s event.
On April 17, 2008 KUA’s campus will be a bit quieter as some students and faculty elect to participate in the Day of Silence, a nationwide project promoted by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN).
Participating students and faculty will spend the class day in silence, wearing ribbons and making available written explanations of their motive. The statements read, “Please understand my reason for not speaking today. I am participating in the Day of Silence, a national youth movement protesting the silence faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people and their allies in schools. My deliberate silence echoes the silence which is caused by harassment, prejudice, and discrimination.”
“This is one of many examples of how our students and faculty help our community think about important issues that young people confront every day in their lives. Frankly, if we don't provide the venue for students to live in a safe community and take courageous steps now, these problems are perpetuated. This is why we encourage our students, and in particular those students who to take a stand for themselves and others,” said Head of School Mike Schafer.
The National Day of Silence falls on April 25 this year. According to GLSEN, “In past years, more than 500,000 students at nearly 4,000 K-12 schools, colleges, and universities organized Day of Silence events, [making it] one of the largest student-led actions in the United States.”
For more information visit www.dayofsilence.org or contact KUA’s Diversity Coordinator, Sandy Ouellette at souellette@kua.org.
