Coming from a stereotypically conservative town, the lively controversial conversation seen daily on college campuses are very intriguing to me and always catch my attention.

In my less than a month that I have lived on campus, I have seen preachers, nuns, business professionals and students in the commons trying to get students to listen to their messages. As a diverse, public university, IU facilitates “free speech zones” to provide safe ways for organizations to protest. Dunn Meadow has been a major free speech zone on campus since 1962.

More on Indiana University’s Policy on Free Speech can be viewed here.

One particular requirement that the handbook states is that, “At any time, an organization or student may exercise his/her right to free speech in Dunn Meadow. No reservation forms are necessary. Dunn Meadow is the only space on campus designated by the IU Board of Trustees as a "spontaneous free speech area."

As an aspiring journalist, I admire the beauty of living in a country with free speech and petition rights, and I am lucky to go to a school with free speech zones.

However, I believe that with the right to free speech comes the requirement of social responsibility and consideration.

Walking to class in the morning is one of my favorite things to do. Why wouldn’t it be? Going to one of the most beautiful, lively schools in the country, a walk to class on a crisp fall day is a privilege. However, some days, walking to class can be a discerning experience.

One morning in particular, on my daily 15-minute walk to class, I saw a protest so disturbing that it stopped me in my tracks.

I saw students at every intersection of a crosswalk holding large posters. As I got closer, I realized they were protesting abortion by holding giant pictures of bloodied, cut up fetuses. No matter what your views on the subject are, these images are horrifying and disturbing to see, especially in a setting where you are not expecting it.

Students around me also stopped and turned away, horrified by what they saw. I heard one girl comment, “I think I’m going to be sick.”

There is a line between what is acceptable and what is an unacceptable protest to partake in on college campuses. Unacceptable protests can create conflict and discomfort in a campus of diverse students.

Imagine a student who has already had an abortion. Imagine the impact this kind of protest could have on them on their morning walk to class. Yes, protesters do get student reactions from radical messages and images such as these, but I can promise that it is often not the desired reaction.

By choosing to use shock value, you are polarizing your audience, therefore dividing people further.

Starting with common ground and establishing trust and moving from there is much more effective in getting your message across in a respectful way without making others feel uncomfortable.

What makes Indiana University and other big schools so special is the diversity of the student body seen on campus every day. Students come from different backgrounds which have led us all to develop different perspectives and ideas on issues, however, one thing that we all have in common is that we all call Indiana University Bloomington our home.

For this reason, trends such as #IUisHome have become so popular.

Home is where one feels the most comfortable, free to grow and express themselves. We need to help each other grow instead of making uncomfortable situations that do not consider other students and their backgrounds.

All that I ask is that before you grab your signs and start yelling in the meadow, think of the students who will pass you and remember that this campus is home to students of all backgrounds. Free speech is a right that comes with responsibility. Use free speech as a power to help others grow in their ways of thinking, rather than to divide us. Start the conversation, don’t widen the gap.