Here at Ball State the third week of the spring semester is almost done and a number of challenging issues face colleges and universities across the country in this new year of 2024.  Among them are hate speech and its wrestling match with the First Amendment. Also, the spread of firearms in the United States, including on college campuses, is of concern.  Ball State had four instances of firearms violations on campus during the fall semester.

Stan Sollars is IPR’s Morning Edition host and a senior lecturer in Ball State’s Department of Media.  Contact him at stansollars@bsu.edu.