It is nearly impossible to be a native of Cleveland without hearing nonstop chatter about the upcoming Republican National Convention, which will be held in Cleveland, Ohio starting this Monday. Despite your political views, it cannot be denied that this event will bring a great deal of excitement and life to our beloved city. We got a taste of this type of hype when the Cavaliers won the NBA Championship, so Cleveland is definitely not a stranger to crowded streets and chaotic crowds this summer. However, with all of the hype of this event we must also remember to be safe.

The RNC is consistently a huge event that brings in all types of people from all over the country. With the event in Cleveland this year, the people of Cleveland must prepare for these people to swarm our city. With a hefty combination of Republican Party members, delegates, protesters, lobbyists, etc., the RNC will inevitably result in far more people than Cleveland is accustomed to. With this type of volume, cities undeniably are overwhelmed with the increased numbers of people. However, this particular event will be even more confusing and potentially dangerous due to the fact that the majority of people in the city are not from here. Therefore, Cleveland will be overflowing with people who do not know their way around, resulting in many dangerous possibilities.

In addition to the dangers that come with any crowded event, the RNC brings in a whole other danger as well. Because the RNC is political and features one of the most controversial presidential candidates of our time, an entirely unprecedented set of dangers will also be in play. We must be aware that the number of protesters greatly outweighs the number of politicians. While the majority of protestors will be peaceful, many groups that have come together for this event have rather violent intentions. Being someone who frequents all areas of downtown Cleveland myself, I am definitely not going to be visiting the city this upcoming week. I am not typically hesitant with these types of things but in light of many recent events we must all work hard to protect ourselves and do everything we can to create a peaceful and smooth RNC experience in Cleveland. As the heated (figuratively as well as literally) days of this year's RNC unfold, it is absolutely critical that we proceed with caution and appreciate the newfound hype in our city extremely carefully.