On the morning of November 28, many of us looked down at our phones or turned on the television to find that there had been a mass stabbing at Watts Hall on the campus of Ohio State University.
The university is a 40 minute drive from Granville, and at times, there’s certainly a sense of disconnect between schools like Ohio State and Denison. It is one of the largest universities in the country, and it dwarfs Denison: we are less than five percent of the size of the Buckeyes. We pride ourselves on the diversity of our liberal arts education, while they pride themselves on the massive amounts of research that their staff and students are able to churn out. On paper, we stand in stark contrast to OSU in many ways.
However, on that frightening day, the Denison community did not feel secluded atop its little hill, and we stood with everyone in Central Ohio who turned their gaze inward, to Columbus. We were reminded how important Ohio State is to this region. Not only is it among the largest employers and the beating heart of the largest city in the state, it feels like everyone has here Buckeye connection.
We have visits from artists and scholars from OSU. Just a few weeks ago we had a panel with other OSU students on our own campus. We also have students of various backgrounds on campus, and the effects of this attack could have implications on those communities as well. It’s likely that most of us know someone at OSU. Most of our staff knows at least one person on their campus.
Our hearts go out to Ohio State, and especially those 11 who were injured.