Sophomore Ashleigh Armstrong is the vice president of the Baker University Gay-Straight Alliance and has participated in the National Day of Silence on five occasions.
“I just feel like the work that our GSA is trying to do and what the Day of Silence stands for is really important,” Armstrong said. “I guess it’s the most important cause I think I can devote myself to.”
The National Day of Silence took place Friday, but GSA kicked off the event by showing the film “MILK” the night before.
The actual event was co-sponsored by Mungano, Alpha Chi Omega sorority and Zeta Chi fraternity.<br/>Zeta Chi President Drew Linenberger participated in the National Day of Silence and is happy his fraternity was asked to participate.Zeta Chi President Drew Linenberger participated in the National Day of Silence and is happy his fraternity was asked to participate.
Zeta Chi President Drew Linenberger participated in the National Day of Silence and is happy his fraternity was asked to participate.
“There is a stereotype that greek houses aren’t accepting,” he said. “A lot of (Zeta Chis) were silent even at the house,” Linenberger said.
More than 85 faculty, staff members and students bought National Day of Silence T-shirts and wore ribbons to support the efforts of GSA, Mungano, Alpha Chi Omega and Zeta Chi.
The day concluded with a "Breaking the Silence" party in Harter Union where the groups celebrated their efforts.<br/>GSA Faculty Adviser Wendi Born said the day was a success, and she was silent for most of it.GSA Faculty Adviser Wendi Born said the day was a success, and she was silent for most of it.
GSA Faculty Adviser Wendi Born said the day was a success, and she was silent for most of it.
Born spoke for a few minutes during one class, gave an exam and watched a video in two others. She kept silent by communicating what she was thinking on the board to her students.
“I thought about how it would be if you can’t even put up a picture of the person that means the most to you,” Born said. “I thought about how it would be to be afraid if your boss was going to find out that you were gay and not promote you or that you would be the target of hate and the victim of discrimination, things like that.”
This was the second National Day of Silence sponsored by GSA, and Born is hopeful the group will participate again next year.
“The idea is that we really want to break the silence,” Born said. “The silence is just to raise awareness that there are many people that can’t speak up for themselves.”
