On September 14th, Ohio State University sanctioned an Open Carry Demonstration on campus. No official notification was given to the students, and many heard it through friends, but most notably, the Twitter account for the History Department.

While OSU promotes freedom of speech, this demonstration is putting unnecessary stress on students. Since there are no details being presented to students, there's no confirmed information other than the fact that a variety of loaded guns will be carried as a part of the demonstration and that the police will be accompanying the demonstrators. Without this, students aren't able to prepare themselves and plan around the demonstration in order to travel safely around campus.

Since this has concerned students, some professors have canceled classes so the demonstration can be avoided as much as possible. One professor even said, "Although the demonstration is lawful, I believe that students may have legitimate safety concerns and that the presence of guns is not compatible with our educational mission." If a demonstration actively interferes with classes, especially because of the fear that students have presented, how can Ohio State allow it?

After the 2016 election and the events that occurred in Charlottesville, the tensions on campuses across the United States were very high. Ohio State denied Richard Spencer the right to speak on campus. The university cited the high possibility for violence as the reason that he wouldn't be able to speak. As reprehensible as his ideas are, how are one man's ideas more dangerous to students than guns?

Additionally, the purpose of this demonstration is to start a dialogue with the students about open carry on campuses. When the religious demonstrators come to campus with their signs and opinions, students do debate them. However, students and faculty are afraid to engage with these protestors. There is a complete power imbalance because the people that students are expected to debate are holding loaded weapons when an exchange of ideas is supposed to occur.

Freedom of speech on college campuses is an important issue that is frequently debated. It is important that ideas be shared, especially when those ideas don't always exactly align. During college is when students are most exposed to experiences that are different than their own. However, there is a big difference between stating an opinion about guns and carrying one around a college campus to express your opinion.

The last time an open carry demonstration occurred at Ohio State was only one week after the attack that occurred two years ago. Students were given a similar amount of information, and when it was occurring I was walking to campus. I distinctly remember the fear I felt at seeing so many people walking through campus with guns. I started walking faster and couldn't stop turning around to see where they were headed next. No part of me wanted to engage in a conversation; I was still so worried about what had happened that seeing a group of people with a loaded gun made me want to get out of the situation as soon as possible. Legally, students aren't able to carry guns on campus, whether it's concealed or open carry. However, since none of the people involved in the demonstration are students at the university, they are able to bring their guns on campus with special permission.

As a student, I don't feel that people should be able to bring their guns on to campus, without the input of students, in order to show what they think is best for college students. In a time of gun violence, especially present in schools, it's hard to feel safe around loaded guns, even knowing that these people are on campus with permission from the university. As a student who was on campus at the time of the attack, I feel betrayed by Ohio State. Freedom of speech shouldn't be valued more than the safety and well-being of students. At the very least, students should be provided with enough information to protect themselves and not have to learn about events such as this from sources that aren't directly from the university.