I did not expect my first article to be a heavy one but in light of everything going on lately... I have a heavy heart. And I can't seem to shake it. It was a scary weekend for Lawrence, Kansas. And a scary weekend for the entire country. Social media sites are flooded with disturbing images, videos, and articles.

These posts sparked comments from users all over the world. Some feel it is inappropriate to turn this into a political conversation, while others feel it is inappropriate to wait for an event such as this to occur again. Regardless of the opinions on the topic, lots of people are showing up to the conversation. And it is about time we start talking, in fact, it is way overdue.

In my classes, the voices around me continue to shrink with each new headliner. Whether it is an issue on discrimination, gun control, depression, or immigration policies, a large amount of the class is not involved in the conversation. And lets face it, the people who do talk are typically the same 3 people who continue to pose the same opinions (props to you guys for knowing your stuff), but when we have a room full of students, we have got to get everyone involved in the conversation if we are going to make any progress. And it all comes down to one thing... people feel uncomfortable.

And although confronting difficult topics can be uncomfortable, a conversation is so important. It helps us learn new things, hear different perspectives, and explain our own thoughts in a way that solidifies them. And this is why now more than ever, we need to be having these uncomfortable conversations.

Knowledge is power. When you are talking about intense issues that strike everyone in the class differently, there will be different opinions. We should not shy away from engaging in intense conversations because we might feel stupid, uninformed, or like our opinion doesn't matter. We should not shy away from intense conversations because we are intimidated, expect someone else to, or feel confused.This does not only apply to the events that happened this weekend, but rather everything happening right now. In fact, the list of things we need to have people discussing is never-ending.

The bottom line is we should never feel uncomfortable while trying to broaden our knowledge. And in order to do this, we need to challenge ourselves and our opinions by saying them out loud. And we need to feel comfortable doing this face to face, not just on social media during a time of chaos and crisis. If someone makes a better point than you, well at least you learned something today. If you realized you knew a lot less than you thought you did, well then you have something to go home and look up. If you did not like an idea someone proposed, try to create a better solution.

If you don't know what people are talking about, ask someone who does. Get online. Grab a newspaper from your campus. Do some research. Feeling like you don't know enough about something to speak up is not an excuse during this time. Even if speaking up simply means asking a question. Find a topic you are passionate about, and soak up all the knowledge you can.The resources are endless, and we need all the ideas we can get.

It is not about always being right or always having something to say, it is about being present. These are issues that affect all of us and will continue to affect all of us. Starting these conversations help us strengthen and shape our own beliefs and opinions. Feeling confident in who you are and what you stand for is what ignites change. And this change is impossible without conversation.

Moving forward I hope to see the conversation continue to spark after tragic events such as the Las Vegas shooting. Conversations that will lead to healing, knowledge, support, and solutions are crucial during this difficult time.