Why does a student mention that her/his mother said that "Silence gets you nowhere in life"?

The student wants to sing when Jopie and Lies come, but the student does not speak up. Later, the student is sad because s/he did not speak up and sing. The student is also thinking about how bad things happen when people withhold information. There are many tragedies that can be stopped if someone speaks up. From then on, this student is not silent.