Today was the most amazing day ever. It was the day of silence and it was absolutely amazing.

I couldn't speak between 7:30 and 2:45 so I had a notebook with me to record not only my conversations, but my thoughts during the day (and, incidentally, the thoughts of others as my notebook kinda became the conversation notebook during lunch, lol). I'm saving this stuff for posterity. So here's a transcription of my notebook, with only slight edits for clarification (most of the 'conversations' are one sided, so I use pronouns that don't make sense without explanation).

April 16, 2003 - Day of Silence
Please understand my reasons for not speaking today. I am participating in the Day of Silence, a national youth movement protesting the silence faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and their allies. My deliberate silence echoes that silence, which is caused by harassment, prejudice and discrimination. I believe that ending the silence is the first step toward fighting these injustices. Think about the voices you are not hearing today.
What are you doing to end the silence? --From the cover of my DoS notebook

Shortly after 7:30

After April referred to Perry as 'Jesus' And he can't do anything about it!

The bell rings Art. Yea.

What to do with all the cards we have? Paste 'em everywhere!

Narrative 1 In the hall before school this morning, Herr said "Gutenmorgen, Angela. Hey, it's not 7:30 yet!" :-)

Art, 2nd Hour. Conversation with April.

Is it Seminar A or B today?

No Forner again today. I think she died. . . hopefully? Yet there's a forensics mtg...WTF?! Needless to say, I'm not going.

Some mention about 'required seminar enhancement' 'Required' Seminar enhancement?

Mrs. Propst talking about seeing Alix Olson on Monday. Why wasn't I there? I had stupid dutch dance!

I hate my figure drawing. I don't know what the heck I'm going to do with this...I hate it. Maybe I'll just scribble and make it a study of slowly going insane. Like me today!

I wonder how the others are doing.

How's the senior will going? Slowly...It's hard to remember everything!

I need to figure out what to give Britt....

How are we ordering lunch? That's why I brought mine. Hand the lady a note? With a card?

April's freaking out because she can't get Propst's attention What do you need?

April had already answered that Missed that part. Can't 'talk' and 'listen' at the same time!

Where are you going for seminar? Frau Kay. I'll go too. Get away from Forner if she's here.

Seminar, 4th Hour

Explaining to the student teacher why I want to go to a teacher who doesn't appear on my class schedule German students sometimes have class with Frau DeRidder instead of Milobinski.

Hank threatens to poke me, and then contemplates kidnapping Jake! I poke back. If he disappears, I'll hunt you down!

When do I stop talking? 2:30 (I originally anticipated having to stop for rehearsal)

Hank asks about contacting a lawyer to get equal rights for the GSA Dana's going to. Explaining now to someone else We're going to contact a lawyer who will talk to Nicolette.

Shannon mentions she has an article from 'Seventeen' about the law that says GSAs have the same rights as other clubs, and offers to bring it in. Please do!

So...is anyone planning a protest? Not at the moment. Though if people outside the GSA board start it...nothing we can do.

Talking to the student teacher again Milobinski isn't available today. If you're sure you can't send me to DeRidder, could you try Propst?

Now I'm in Frau's, talking to April Hank is having fun harassing DoS people. He's plotting to kidnap Jake.

April says he can't have her Hammie! Tell that to Hank! He's probably in Propst...run down and 'tell' him off!

Shannon says she has a 17 article that says GSAs must have the same rts as other clubs. She's gonna bring it in.

Narrative 2 Lots of positive reactions in seminar. Back in Forner's room, most people around me had heard of it so we 'talked' and they explained me to other students. In Frau's I showed my card to 3 people (so far) and everyone has responded positively. They think it's cool. Everyone's immediate reaction has been that they would never be able to do this...but it's actually not as hard as I thought it would be. The hardest part is conversations take so long, and you can only write.

Narrative 3 Propst offered up her room 8th Hour if people need a place to hang out.

...I forget the exact context of this one...referring to the notebooks, I think And people assume we have laryngitis! (The student teacher thought I had laryngitis when I approached her desk with my notebook)

Humanities, 6th Hour

To Angel about the forensics meeting I'm not going at all. I consider myself off the team. I quit. Forner's a bitch. Says I have no leadership skills or desire to win.

This was fun. In Humanities we had to do some group work. Well, there were 8 silent people in the class, so there weren't enough speaking people for silent people to join their groups. So John, Laura, Michelle and I formed a silent group to start writing about how we would react if, essentailly, we were Hamlet at various parts of the story. However, our notes for this part were insane. There's no logic. So just insert one page, front and back, of insanity here

Anthony came by and pulled me out of class later to talk forensics. He'd heard I was quitting, but wanted to know if I could run that meeting after school today since he was going home sick. Well, I don't know what's up with the meeting.

He's gonna go talk to Jenny Well, I see her at lunch. Could she find you 8th Hour?

Since none of us know what we'd talk about, shouldn't we just consider the meeting off?

The insanity known as lunch....

Jake unconsciously says "Yes?" to a girl who's hanging over his shoulder expectantly. Being Jake, he freaked out. Jake: Forgive me? Of course.

Humanities was cool. 8 people were silent.

Some people are talking about the horrible things that are being said about us. I've only heard good stuff.

Jenny comes by the lunch table. Did Anthony talk 2U?

Jenny: Yes. This has been the worst day ever! My prom date made a derrogatory comment in response to reading. He's my friend, and I'm furious. Tom Golladay prayed for me when he read. I broke down!
I wish I knew what to do!
Jenny: I'm still really glad I'm doing it.
I'm glad too. (Lots of hugging was going on during this, as Jenny was crying on and off. I really need to see her tomorrow morning)

Jenny: Going to forensics? (I shake my head)
Anthony knows what the mtg was about, but it's everything we already know. It's probably cancelled since he went home early.

Dana: I want us to get our pic taken all together in a few minutes.
But we don't have everyone. What about the debriefing?
Dana: Then to. I thought it would make an awesome pic if we all get together and held hands in a circle a BIG Silent circle

Dana: We are going to hold hands in a circle around our lunch table all of us facing outwards so everyone can see the front of our shirts (someone asks "when?") right now if we can get every one

Jake: Food?
Dana: Some of us can start and the others can join when they are done eating.

Someone: What are we doing?
Dana: Being visible

Mr. Cornell comes by and talks to me. Did you see our circle? (Mr. C says no) People who aren't even participating stood with us! (That would be Ben Klooster and Timmy Ly)

This part I don't know who was talking or what it was about: See it's not so bad
NOT AT ALL
I wasn't against it in the first place

Walking with Nicole as we leave lunch. Nicole: I was walking in the hall and made eye contact w/ Josh Rinkema It was the greatest feeling!

8 ppl silent in Humanities. 2 not GSA members!

Library, 8th block Mrs. McCleod asks if I'll be talking at rehearsal I stop @ 2:30

Mrs. Dobrez has me doing the "Languages' page for the HS Library of Links page All of these pages are actually in French. I can figure out 3, the rest...I'm lost!

Mrs. Dobrez shows me a poetry book, not knowing if I still need stuff for the season I'm actually quitting the team 'cause the coach is evil. She doens't think I have leadership skills. At some point during this she said 'slow going isn't it and I hiss 'Yes..." and proceed to have a Jake-style freak out! I was going so well, too!
I missed 1 mtg for play rehearsal and I get a lecture in front of half the team about my bad leadership and how I've never wanted to win. Mrs. Dobrez wants to know if that's worth quitting She did this to a few other people as well. It's not fun anymore.

After School, preparing to break the silence

Jake: We are singing Amazing Grace to break

And finally, a random quote from the debriefing meeting, thanks to Jake:Everyone get some confetti. I'll get the duck.

And that concluded my day of silence. Like I said, an absolutely amazing day.

Leaving tomorrow for Aunt Laura's wedding, so this is the last entry for awhile. Stupid traveling....

--Angela

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