The last time I checked, a college campus is supposed to be a safe place to express your opinions in a respectful manner and accept the criticism, positive or negative, that it comes with. This stage in our lives prepares us for the real world our parents speak of and all of the challenges and opportunities this real world is going to throw at us. With the always-changing, media-heavy, expressive world that we live in today, topics surface every day about a situation in the world or in a country that people will have differing opinions about. From Donald Trump running for president, to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, to who was going to win the Superbowl, not everyone is going to agree on all matters, and that is a good thing. Without debates, confrontations, and criticism, nothing would be solved. Seeing and understanding both sides of a matter is necessary when it comes to these situations.

I recently heard a student say that he or she did not want to bring a topic to the table because he or she did not want to have this topic turn into a debate or hostile conversation. What? This is the attitude that college students need to rid from their brain. Every sensitive topic does not need to result in a hostile argument or dialogue. There are ways to talk about these matters in a professional manner, and what better place than a university? The way things are being handled today, such as hostile protests of student meetings, aggressive campus assemblies, and so on, are not the way we as students should be handling our opinions. We students are the next generation to lead our country, so let us lead by example.

A college campus is the ideal location to bring up these topics that students are too afraid to talk about. I use the elementary word “afraid” because that is how we are acting. We are too scared to bring up religious matters, too afraid to talk about world conflicts, and too afraid to be exposed to the criticism that comes with “talking the talk.” Criticism is good. Accept the criticism. This is the only way we can find solutions to the issues that are in the back of our minds, wanting to come out of our mouths, but trapped inside by society. I encourage all of us to discuss these imprisoned opinions and expressions, but in the right way.

There is a right way to conduct discussions, and learning how to do so in our young adult lives can only benefit us in the future. Let go of the media attention-hogging hostile protests and assemblies, because these start each side on uneven footing, one more heated and more angry than the other. Start out balanced; create a safe space to discuss matters, and take them into your own hands. We are student leaders, so be leaders. Do not let other influences persuade you, or embrace a stubborn mindset on the topic before you have fully understood both sides. Ignore the opinions the media creates and cultivates and start on neutral ground. Start by hearing both sides of the conversation. I, for one, believe it is impossible to engage in a discussion with someone who will not see the other side of a conflict or who is not willing to become knowledgeable of the opposing opinion. Educate yourself on the issue at hand. Research and read the discussion outside of your community to understand what is actually going on. Ignorance is a handicap that puts our generation at risk. We have so many tools that allow us to search and become knowledgeable on a copious amount of topics, so use them.

I am tired of hearing “I don’t want to hurt their feelings” or “This topic could get too out of hand.” It is a mindset like that that will create an out-of-hand discussion. We have the power to start discussions to change the world, we really do. It is the way we handle them that this changing. Your opinion is never going to be the same as everyone else’s; that is a fact. Everyone has their own way of looking at a situation due to how they were raised, where they come from, what they believe, and who their leaders are. This is the way things should be. If we start off knowing this and quit being afraid of the criticism that comes from expressing our own opinions, we will start using the university environment for one of the main reasons it was established: to be adults and engage in conversations that need to be had. Do not be afraid of the truth. Engage in dialogue, and put an end to this apprehensive attitude we are becoming comfortable with.