By: Scared, angry student

Scared, angry student
Tue, 13 Oct 2020 19:10:48 +0000

If there’s no gang presence in the off-campus student housing areas then why have I, and so many people I know, seen and experienced gang presence personally since Saturday? Why are the police who I’m speaking to outside of my doorstep and who are still telling me not to go outside for any reason now putting out announcements saying that nothing is wrong?

I am so scared. We all are. Half of Greek life has moved completely off-campus because we feel so, so unsafe. But instead of feeling supported by the University, we feel 100% invalidated over and over again. First Chase Meola was victim-blamed in a thoughtless Lantern article that focused more on his history of fraternity affiliation than the criminal record of the shooter. Now the University and the Lantern are telling students that the things we’re seeing with our own eyes don’t exist.

I am so disappointed in the school. They have proven themselves unable to put aside anti-Greek mentalities in the wake of an inexcusable tragedy. They are continuing to demonstrate that they’re more interested in protecting their reputation than protecting the students that have put their trust in the school.

We are grieving and we are scared. We need support. Ohio State has done nothing but invalidate our fears, told us that the things we see with our own eyes are not true, and shamed a murder victim for whom our whole community is attempting to grieve.