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On April 14, some Vanderbilt students showed support for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) rights by taking a vow of silence as part of the National Day of Silence. Participants did not speak from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. and broke their silence at a speak-out on Rand Terrace that evening.

To explain the reason for their silence, the participants issued cards that read: "Please understand my reason for not speaking today. I support lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights. People who are silent today believe that laws and attitudes should be inclusive of people of all sexual orientations. The Day of Silence is to draw attention to those who have been silenced by hatred, oppression and prejudice. Think about the voices you are not hearing. What can you do to end the silence?"

Many participating students explained their silence to professors and friends the day before and wore T-shirts that day to show their affiliation. Many supporters also wore the T-shirts for solidarity.

At Vanderbilt, NDOS has gained support every year since it began. At the speak-out, students shared stories of professors who requested buttons and T-shirts, or of being asked on a date when they handed someone their card. NDOS was a week-long event, with students on the Wall during the week, an allies meeting Thursday night and a weekend concert on Library Lawn.

According to the NDOS Web site, its purpose is to use literal silence to protest the silence imposed on GLBT people and their allies every day. This silencing comes in many forms, ranging from wide-sweeping discriminatory legislation to more mundane homophobic comments and jokes made on a daily basis.

According to the National Day of Silence Web site, "The Day of Silence institutes a visible silence, a silence during which participants protest anti-GLBT discrimination and abuse. Such an effort also allows us to reflect upon how powerful silencing can be, to focus on how we can make out own voices stronger and being to stop silencing ourselves."

The National School Climate Survey, sponsored by the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), found that four out of five GLBT students are verbally, sexually or physically harassed at school.

Thirty percent of those surveyed also said they had missed at least one day of school out of fear for their safety.

The Day of Silence first started at the University of Virginia in 1996 and has since spread to more than 1,900 middle schools, high schools and colleges. It is currently the largest student-led project for GLBT rights in the country.

It has also garnered support from such figures as former California governor Gray Davis, who in 2002 officially declared April 10 the National Day of Silence, and Representative Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.), who was the first to introduce a resolution in Congress to recognize the Day of Silence on a national level.

This resolution had the support of 29 co-signers.

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