The silence must end.

These are the words of Thursday night’s second annual Stop the Hate vigil. The vigil took place at 7 p.m. Thursday in the United Campus Ministries/Wesley Foundation. It was open to anyone interested in joining to live in peace and remembering victims of hate crimes.

In light of the Sept. 11 attacks, many vigil-goers want to find some peace within their own lives.

Senior history major C.J. Grimes participated in the vigil and believes Stop the Hate is worthwhile.

“I just want to make sure Americans have a forum to educate between anger and hate,” Grimes said. “For me personally, it was really important to come out here tonight and establish that we have a community at NIU that’s based on solidarity and love.”

Stop the Hate started after Matthew Shepard, a University of Wyoming student, was attacked on Oct. 7, 1998 by two men who told him they were gay. The Inner Faith Alliance and the Fellowship of National Reconciliation, two national peace organizations, planned the vigil, which is intended to be on the first Thursday in October every year.

The Rev. Rita Root, of United Campus Ministries in DeKalb, believes the vigil offers more than just peace.

“The vigil is about learning how to not respond to violence with hate,” Root said.

The vigil included speakers from numerous organizations. Bread and Roses, a local women’s church choir, sang songs of inspiration for those who have lost someone due to hate. Other speakers shared motivating thoughts to those who are looking for peace within their own lives.

Sara Souther, of Latter Day Saints, was one of the speakers at the vigil.

“I feel that by participating I am informing others,” Souther said. “We should strive to be more accepting of others’ differences.”

Souther is not the only one who feels that the vigil makes a difference.

Sally Conklin, of the department of counseling adult and health education, spoke from experience. She has worked with the project Safe Zone, an organization that helps make the campus safer for people of all sexual orientations.

“I worked with the project Safe Zone where Matthew Shepard was killed in Wyoming,” Conklin said. “One of the reasons I came to DeKalb was that the project Safe Zone was a lot like the project in Wyoming. I feel my part and involvement with Safe Zone is something I brought with me here.”

People at the vigil were asked to sign pledge cards in response to non-violence.

“We are not asking people to return the cards but rather take them home and post them in their dorm or office,” Root said. “We want people to know that hatred will not have a place here on this campus.”

Root thinks that vigils such as Stop the Hate help people realize that there is another response instead of violence.

“We don’t have to respond to violence,” Root said. “Hate crimes won’t stop until people of good faith say no.”

Also at the vigil, candles were lit to remember those who have died. The theme for the night included peace as well as the idea that one will not be silenced by hate.

Root believes that the biggest battle is not giving in to hate.

“We can say that no one has ever directed a hate crime against me, or we can listen to racist jokes, or we can listen to sexist jokes, and by our silence we are saying it is OK. The vigil is a way to be proactive and say ‘No, it’s not OK.'”