Black apparel, 10,000 names and a message to ÒNever Forget.Ó

The no longer University recognized Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity spent April 28 commemorating the Holocaust as they recognized Yom HaÕShoah also known as Holocaust Memorial day.

The actual date of Yom HaÕShoah is April 27, but junior and fraternity president Jonathan Polson said they chose to celebrate the following day to gain more of the student bodyÕs awareness.

ÒBecause it was on a Sunday we preferred to do it on a Monday when people could see,Ó Polson said.

ÒOur goal is to make sure people on campus know that itÕs Yom HaÕShoah and to never forget the Holocaust,Ó he said.

The group has participated in two national awareness movements ÒWe Walk to RememberÓ and ÒUnto Every Person There is a Name.Ó

ÒWe Walk to RememberÓ is an event that the national Alpha Epsilon Pi chapter has been involved in for the past five years, but this was the second year VermontÕs chapter has participated, Polson said.

In this event, members walk silently across campus dressed in only black wearing signs that read ÒNever ForgetÓ across their chests.

More than 180 Alpha Epsilon Pi chapters across the globe participate in ÒWe Walk to Remember,Ó Polson said.

ÒItÕs a very powerful event all over college campuses around the world,Ó he said.

For the second event, ÒUnto Every Person There is a Name,Ó brothers read the names of individuals who died in the Holocaust from the steps of Bailey-Howe Library.

This was the first year that the fraternity in Vermont had participated, Polson said.

ÒWe are reading them in 15 minutes intervals, some people are speaking longer and some shorter,Ó Polson said. ÒI read for 45 minutes.Ó

The group got through a list of more than 10,000 children that were killed as a result of the NaziÕs genocide in the 1930s.

ÒWe decided to go with children this year because we felt it was more powerful to see that these kids didnÕt even have a chance,Ó he said.

Being the ÒJewish Fraternity,Ó Polson said the members felt it was their responsibility to bring awareness to the historical event.

ÒWe feel it is necessary to help Jewish causes and to understand that the Holocaust did happen and it was a bad time in history and it should never happen again, to anyone,Ó Polson said.

ÒGenocide is not something that should be wished upon for anyone and is not something to joke about, ever,Ó he said.

The fraternity plans to continue participation in the events and hopes to collaborate with local Jewish Community centers in the future, Polson said.