By Eliza Crockett Migdal

Editor's note:  Eliza Crockett Midgal is a daughter of Victoria Thorp, who graduated from Bronxville High School, and a granddaughter of Bronxville residents Schatze and Peter Thorp.

Sep. 23, 2015:  Fourteen years ago on September 11, planes flew into the twin towers in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington, with plans to also fly into the White House. Four years ago on September 11, I performed "The Star-Spangled Banner" at a Stanford soccer game. I remember the moment of silence before I sang and how I was struck by both the sadness of the memory and the power that silence had to help people reflect on what happened on September 11, 2001. 

Silent protests are a common and effective method of peaceful demonstration. The most successful silent protester was Gandhi, who avoided speaking in many of his most famous marches, like the Salt March. Although Gandhi chose silence, he still played a crucial role in ending British rule in India. As American author Henry Wheeler Shaw once said, "Silence is one of the hardest arguments to refute." 

Of course, after that moment of silence at Stanford, I used my voice to sing the national anthem. It was terrifying and super fun at the same time, because I had never performed for that many people before. As a naturally quiet person, this was the first time I experienced the power of my own voice. Since coming to Castilleja School, I have transitioned from using the power of silence to using my voice. Before Casti, I was too shy to really talk when meeting new people. Over the past two years, I have not only expanded my voice in school but also started doing Model UN, where getting your voice heard is crucial to your success. 

This past summer, I learned the power of my voice to make a difference, for a cause not quite historic, but still important to me. My grandparents live in an apartment building with mostly seniors in Bronxville, and they love dogs. However, their building doesn't allow dogs, so my cousin and I decided to try to change the rules. 

We went door to door, asking the residents if they were in favor of allowing dogs in the building. We created an email, a Facebook page, and a petition. We put fliers in all the mailboxes. We emailed the board president of their building and I wrote a letter to the editor of MyhometownBronxville, which was published. 

I would love to tell you that this story has the ending you're expecting, but unfortunately we did not change the rules. Our fliers were removed from the mailboxes by a grumpy resident and we came across a bit of resistance from a few of the other seniors. The board president was on our side but didn't have the power to change the rules alone, and the board didn't meet again for many months. So, plan A failed. 

However, my grandparents will be getting a dog, and they will be sharing it with my aunt. Through this experience, I also learned the importance of having a plan B, because although we didn't accomplish what we set out to, without our efforts there would be no puppy coming in October. 

I believe that we should celebrate silence as well as value our voices. While these two approaches work best in different settings, they are of equal importance. 

Silence helps us listen to what others have to say or to protest in peace. Using your voice helps bring to light important issues. Over the past two years, I have transitioned from utilizing silence to focusing more on my voice, both literally and figuratively, but I try to keep the two in balance. 

"When the whole world is silent, even one voice becomes powerful." This is a quote from Malala Yousafzai, author of I Am Malala. She was brave enough to use her voice even when no one else would. She spoke out for girls' education in Pakistan and is winner of the latest Nobel Peace Prize. Let Malala be a role model for using your voice, no matter what your cause, whether it be mocha yo in the cafeteria or gun control. Never be afraid to express yourself. Or choose the path of Gandhi and go for silence. 

The whole world is waiting to experience your unique contribution. 

Pictured here:  Eliza Crockett Migdal.

Photo courtesy Victoria Thorp