On April 17th, hundreds of students at Wayland High School will refuse to speak, and their silence will be heard loud and strong. They will be participating in the annual national Day of Silence.

The Day of Silence is a project from The GLSEN, Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, and it was started to raise awareness of the bullying, name-calling, and harassment experienced by LGBT, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals.

Last year, approximately 8,000 colleges, universities, high schools, and middle schools participated. Several hundred students at the high school joined in the cause and took a vow of silence that day. Junior Sam Lentz says he expects an even better turn out for this year.

Lentz, along with senior Laura Dulude and other members of The Alliance (formerly the Gay-Straight Alliance), have organized the event by sparking interest among the student body and gathering names of students who will participate. They have also made rainbow colored pins for the participating faculty and students.

In 2007, a survey was conducted by GLSEN that found 9 out of 10 LGBT students “reported verbal, sexual or physical harassment at school.” Sam Lentz participates in the Day of Silence to show support for the GLSEN: “I do it so that I can show support for those people who cannot come out of the closet because of many reasons, such as fear of being kicked out of their homes, losing friends, jobs, etc.”

The Alliance is in the process of gathering names of students who will participate on the 17th. If you would like to read more about the Day of Silence, log onto the website at: http://www.dayofsilence.org.