Candlelight vigil calls for end to bullying

At a vigil at the UCF Reflection Pond last night, students and audience members lit candles, listened to personal stories and called for an end to bullying.

According to Adam Conrad, treasurer of Equal, over 200 people attended the vigil. Conrad attended the event on behalf of Equal. SGA President Michael Kilbride, President Hitt and Dr. Maribeth Ehasz, vice president of Student Development and Enrollment Services, also attended the vigil. Kilbride offered his support for the LBGTQ community and for an end to bullying.

"As a member of this community, the community of the University of Central Florida, and as a student, I want to affirm that we value and respect everyone who's a member of our family," Kilbride said.

Kilbride went on to describe UCF as more than just an educational institution.  He described it as a family of individuals that are here to support one another.

Students took to the microphone to share personal stories about bullying and how they feel people can put an end to it.

Amy Osiason, a freshman computer science major, shared her personal story regarding the formation of a gay-straight alliance in her school.

"Has anyone ever heard the phrase ‘one person can make a difference?'" Osiason asked the audience. "Has anyone ever been a little skeptical about it, maybe?"

Osiason said that she was skeptical about this idea until she went about trying to form a gay-straight alliance in her school. According to Osiason, her school was the only one in her county that did not have such a club, and she decided to form one. She found an advisor, wrote a club proposal and brought it to an administrator. One week passed without hearing from the administrator.  

After finally tracking down her administrator, her club proposal was denied on the grounds that the school already had a unity club. She then cited the Federal Equal Access Act to the administrator, saying that she had a legal right to establish her club under this law. The administrator held her ground and continued to deny the request. 

As she continued to press for her proposal, Osiason said that the administrator responded by asking why they didn't join the unity club. Osiason was hurt by her response.

"I started crying and left her office and drove home," Osiason said.

Osiason contacted the American Civil Liberties Union and received a call from an attorney within three weeks. After consulting with her attorney, they both decided to send a letter to the superintendent of her county. 

"About a week later, I was called to the principal's office," Osiason said.  "He had the letter on his desk, he looked a little afraid."

Her principal told her he had reconsidered, and Osiason was allowed to form the gay-straight alliance. Since then, Osiason said she continues to believe that one person can make a difference.

Brandan Gary, a UCF alumnus that graduated with a degree in psychology, also shared his personal story. Gary remembers one of his experiences in dealing with bullying.

"The most memorable experience that I have with being bullied was the day that I was called a faggot for the first time," Gary said.

Gary said this comment was subtle and casual the first time, but that one comment became two, and he would eventually find himself in a confrontation.  This confrontation then led to verbal abuse. He went to teachers and administrators for help, but all he got were excuses and judgements.

"‘Well, are you gay?' they would ask me?" Gary said.  "‘Brush it off your shoulders, don't be a sissy.'"

Gary said the bullying continued, which led him to become disconnected from the world.

"I couldn't scream, I couldn't cry, I couldn't talk," Gary said. "There was no one there to listen."

Gary continued to be bullied throughout his junior year of high school, and he saw other gay people endure similar hardships. Things changed for him one day when he was talking to his mother and the subject of bullying came up.  He didn't tell his mother the nature of the bullying that he was experiencing. 

Gary's mother told him she might not agree with everything that he does, but that she will always love him because he is not a mistake. This support from his mother allowed him to proclaim his homosexuality without remorse or fear. 

Gary said that just having an understanding individual to listen can save lives and help people to cope with bullying.

Ella Romano, a junior health science major, attended the vigil to support the cause of putting an end to bullying. Romano said she is concerned about the effect of bullying in the GLBTQ community, and she enjoyed hearing the stories from the speakers.

"They had really powerful speeches, and I feel like it's something that would actually help open the minds of a lot of people," Romano said.

Rick Moreno, a junior psychology major, came to the vigil to accompany a friend and to be an advocate against bullying.

"I could relate to it because I was bullied as well, in high school and in middle school, for my sexuality," Moreno said. 

The event was hosted by Equal at UCF, Delta Lambda Phi and Night Allies. Equal is a registered student organization that works to provide a safe environment for students. Knight Allies is an organization for students to help "advocate for the elimination of homophobia and for the inclusion of GLBTQ students on campus," according to the UCF Counseling Center website. Delta Lambda Phi is a UCF fraternity. 

UCF offers facilities to assist people who are dealing with bullying or need counseling. The UCF Counseling Center is open on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in campus building number 27, which is located next to the Health Services Building. It is open on Tuesdays from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Crisis counseling is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week by calling (407) 823-2811.