The other day, there was a man standing in the middle of Central Michigan University’s campus. He was shouting about how people who get an abortion, identify with the LGBTQ+ community, etc. are going to hell. I've seen this guy a countless amount of times during the previous year, so I wasn't surprised to hear that he was back. I rolled my eyes and continued with my day. However, I learned a few hours later that this time, something was different.

Hundreds of students were standing in a circle protesting his presence on our campus. They respectfully debated with him and stood up for what they believed in. I can't count the number of times I have walked by and said nothing, pretending to be on the phone or quickly putting my headphones in so he wouldn’t try to talk to me. I can pretend that I didn't have time to talk, but really I was too afraid to stand up for what I believed in. I’m not good at debates. I’m not good at thinking on the spot. Even though I definitely disagree with everything he says, I couldn't ever bring myself to stand up and say so.

I'm so proud of my fellow students who stood up for what the believed in the other day. It would have been so easy to keep walking by and trying to avoid him like I always do, but they were so much stronger and braver than me, and I think it was something that really needed to be done. He has been attacking us for far too long.

This man came onto our campus, our home, preaching about how a majority of us are going to hell because of who we are and the choices we've made. That's a really unfair thing for him to do. This is a place where we are supposed to feel safe, and he's consistently ruining that by verbally attacking my friends and classmates. Don't get me wrong, I know that everyone has a right to protest, but he has made people uncomfortable for long enough, and it's about time someone stood up to him.

I will never understand how someone can make a living preaching about how people don't deserve to be happy. How can someone honestly believe that constantly telling people they're going to hell makes you better than them? He, and others like him, is so hateful - how does he deserve to go to Heaven?

To my fellow students who confronted him, and for people who stand up for what they believe in every day, I want to say thank you. Thank you for being braver than me. You're an example for the rest of the world to follow.