More than 200 Penn State students are taking an eight-hour vow of silence today to protest discrimination and oppression toward minority groups.

Their goal is to raise awareness about the way certain people are silenced every day based on their sexual orientation, skin color, religion, gender, socioeconomic class and other differences, said Amy Denholtz, a member of the event's "planning family."

Penn State's second annual Day
of Silence lasts from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., culminating in a celebration called "Breaking the Silence" in Pollock Rec Room.

The two-hour "speak-out" will feature dance performances by student groups and an open-mic session, said Marissa Rodriguez, another planning family member.

During the day, students who have taken the "pledge" will refrain from any kind of verbal communication during the designated eight hours, Rodriguez (sophomore-psychology) said.

"It's a powerful day for [the participants], especially for those who are normally outgoing and boisterous," she said. "Being silent is such a little act, but people will notice."

Denholtz (junior-public relations and women's studies) said she felt empowered as both an organizer and a participant in last year's Day of Silence.

Second-time participant Breonna Krafft (junior-English), who is a resident assistant in East Halls and a member of Allies, said she is normally a "vocal" person and she hopes others will notice her silence.

"I don't think people realize how many people are silenced as minorities," she said.

Many of the participants, as well as event supporters, will wear Day of Silence T-shirts and lime-green armbands to call attention to their cause, Rodriguez said.

The planning family has registered Penn State's Day of Silence with the National Day of Silence, which will take place April 21, Denholtz said.

The National Day of Silence, which began in 1996 at the University of Virginia, is a student protest targeting oppression based on sexual orientation,

gender identity and gender expression, according to its Web site, http://www.dayofsilence.org.

Many universities and other educational institutions in the United States hold their own days of silence on different dates, Denholtz said.

Penn State's Day of Silence could not take place on April 21 because that is the date of Take Back the Night, an international rally and march protesting sexual assault, she said.

She added that the planning family chose April 7 because they wanted the day to coincide with Pride Week, which took place last week. They also decided to expand Penn State's Day of Silence to target all kinds of oppression.

"It goes beyond sexual orientation to include as many people as possible," she said. "It makes the experience more personal to people."

Second-time participant Rena Polonsky (senior-Jewish studies) said last year's experience was "really interesting."

"Making people aware of my silence is important, so they will realize what is lacking from their community," she said. "Hopefully then they will think, 'How much could our community be enriched if other people weren't silenced?' "

Paul Scanlon (junior-horticulture), another second-time participant, said it is important for college students to be active in the community and speak out against social injustice, even if it is by not speaking.

"With the Day of Silence, you express yourself through a way that most people would consider non-expression," he said.

Scanlon, a member of the Political Science Association, said he is happy that the Day of Silence exists at Penn State.

"It's a great thing; there is a message that needs to get out," he said.