Students and university administrators plan to give empowerment speeches at tonight’s vigil, which will be the first time some of them have spoken all day, Wildenstein said.

Talking today about the event with projo.com, Wildenstein said it was the first time he had broken his own silence all day. He had expected about 100 students to keep the silence, but he said he has given out 600 silence pledge cards. Students then show those cards to teachers or anyone else who tries to talk to them today.

Wildenstein said the cards read: “Please understand my reason for not speaking today. I support lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender rights. People who are silent today believe that laws and attitudes should be inclusive of people of all sexual orientations and gender identities. 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?”

The school’s CommUNITY Alliance is organizing the day’s event.