On Friday, April 20, Student Government Association and the Friesen Center held an end gun violence rally on the quad. Students interested in this rally were encouraged to come to the quad, wear orange, and spend a moment in silence to honor those lost in the Columbine shooting. The following day, an anonymous post in the Coffey Break appeared, stating the following:

“As the Student Government Association and Friesen Center stage an “end gun violence rally” today, we the people will be holding a protest of our own. Though the intentions of those involved in the rally are most likely good and genuine, others of us believe it is too politically charged. Instead, we have opted to hold a Campus-wide protest to end ALL kinds of evil violence in the nation and the world in commemoration of the 19th anniversary of the Columbine Shooting. If you are interested in supporting the push for ending all kinds of evil violence, and not just those that are sometimes done with guns, wear whatever you want and go about your day as you would. We understand that just because you wear a color does not mean you are doing much of anything (in our opinions). So, therefore, be aware and guarded against the evils of this world and know how to expose them (Eph. 5:11-12). We believe that students should use the time they are at college to grow in knowledge and learn more about the ways evil works in the world. Here at HU, we wish to learn more of the calling Jesus has for us in exposing those evils so He can extinguish them according to His glory.”

Let us firstly remember that an end to gun violence rally is an entirely different issue than gun control. By holding this campus-wide protest, we were able to commemorate the nineteenth anniversary of the Columbine shooting. We were able to honor the students who have been victims of gun violence and pray for their families on this difficult day. This is not saying we do not acknowledge the other types of violence that happen every day around the world, but on this anniversary, it is essential to recognize how it took place. And although wearing orange does not magically stop gun violence, it does bring awareness to the situation, and in the end, if we all ban together, we can eradicate this problem.

Action is going to be what makes the difference. Encouraging students to “go about your day as you would” is part of the problem. If you are not willing to stand up for what you believe in, and more importantly, put your name behind it, you’re honestly just a coward. I also believe that students should use the time they are at college to grow in knowledge and allow themselves to be exposed to the real issues and not remain in ignorance. So, to the person who wrote this “anonymous” article in the Coffey Break, please feel free to get ahold of me or, seeing as though you don’t like to speak up publicly about what you believe in, I suppose I’ll just see you in class.

Allie Seleyman is a junior history major. This review reflects the opinion of the author only.