WINNEMUCCA - Junior Eman Eizenga brought a Day of Silence, a nationwide event, to Lowry High School on Friday to bring awareness to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) bullying.
Eizenga said that 30 or 40 other students participated in the event with him by remaining silent throughout the day.
"The Day of Silence is to both bring attention to LGBT bullying by echoing the silence that victims experience when they can't speak out against their bullies," he said, "and also to honor those who have lost their lives both to brutal, more extreme bullying or suicide."
Eizenga first became aware of the program his freshman year at Lowry. An online friend from Michigan mentioned that he was helping organize a Day of Silence at his own high school, and Eizenga decided to do some more research.
Once he learned more about it and found out it was a nationwide event, he though he'd give it a shot. His freshman year, however, the event didn't quite gain the traction he was hoping for.
"I was very poorly organized," he said. "I told about 20 people the day before and then just sort of did it."
This year, however, Eizenga began the planning process sooner and arranged to meet with Principal Debbie Watts, who he said was "pleasantly supportive."
Eizenga said that Watts made an announcement at the school Friday morning explaining the Day of Silence and allowed Eizenga to place posters up throughout school hallways.
He also made a Facebook event for the group and met with other groups and/or people who might be interested in the cause.
Even though Eizenga encountered snide remarks from some students on Friday, he said that for every person who made a negative comment, there were two others who stood up for the cause even if it wasn't by remaining silent.
He said those people respected what he and other classmates were doing and even helped by speaking on their behalf.
Eizenga said it was important for him to bring awareness to this cause because "a lot of people don't understand the effect their words and actions can have on LGBT students."
"(This day) is very important because it sparks a lot of conversation and thought," he said. "People need to change and think if we are going to address this issue. It's silly to bully someone for something they can't control."
The effects of the day are two-fold, according to Eizenga. Those who remain silent are given a chance to reflect on how hard it is for victims of LGBT bullying to remain silent and how, often, that silence is forced upon them. On the other hand, those who do not remain silent are able to observe those who are and potentially be impacted by their silence.
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