Lie Down to Stand Up to Genocide

A dozen or more students laid out in front of Haddonfield Memorial High School Thursday morning stopped some of their classmates in their tracks.

“I’m a little shocked right now,” said Alex Marshall, a senior as she gazed at some of her friends laying on the ground. “I didn’t expect this. It kind of makes me wish I wasn’t graduating in a couple of weeks. I wish I had gotten involved with this earlier.”

 Marshall’s epiphany was welcome news for the students who participated in a “Die-In For Darfur” demonstration around 7:30 a.m. before classes started.  The event was organized by Students Taking Action Now for Darfur, known nationally by the acronym STAND.

“If they see students laying on the ground we hope it will help them stand up to do something,” said Asher Weinstein, who along with his twin sister Lara Weinstein, helped organize the event.

The goal was to raise awareness about genocide in the Darfur region of southern Sudan in Africa. Asher said it was Africa week at the high school and STAND wanted to bring attention to the civil war that has raged for nearly a decade in Sudan.

The students were also selling T-shirts with a discount if classmates or teachers filled out a three-sentence postcard to New Jersey congressmen Rep. Rob Andrews, or senators Robert Mendez and Frank Lautenberg to urge immediate action to address atrocities in Darfur. The T-shirts were $15 but only $10 if a postcard is filled out.

“Wake up to genocide…families torn apart,” Lara chanted repeatedly as others laid silent, eyes closed in black T-shirts, some holding black signs that resembled tombstones.

“Wow, this is a pretty bold statement,” said Whit Oswald, a junior at the high school. “I didn’t know what was going on. I’m surprised. I didn’t know these facts. I’m going to take notice now.”