Penn State students will try to raise awareness about oppression on campus by participating in the PSU Day of Silence.

About 200 students have pledged to remain silent today for eight hours, starting at 10 a.m.

The day will conclude with a Speak-Out celebration at 6 p.m. in the Pollock Commons Rec Room. Student poet Raina Leon will be the first to break the silence. Then the microphone will be opened up to others who want to share their experiences or opinions.

"People can share how they felt [being silenced] during the day," Morgan Masterman, co-director for the Speak-Out, said.

This year, Penn State has opened the project up to also include all kinds of oppression, such as that based on race, religion or sex, said Kelly Ross, spokeswoman for the event.

"The goal is for people to be more aware of situations where their peers may be silenced, so people take a stand against oppression on campus," Ross said.

For more information about Penn State's Day of Silence, go to www.geocities.com/psudayofsilence.