CHALLENGING DRONOTOPIA - War Is A Crime .org

Ohio State University – 56,900 students (Columbus campus)
On the morning of September 19 we set up two drone replicas with the “Stop the
Drones” banner at the entrance of Ohio State University (OSU) on North High Street at
East 15 th .
Many students passed us, apparently oblivious to our presence and to the drones.
Nearly all whom we approached with literature declined to take it. A few said that
“drones keep us safe” as they refused the handouts.
OSU has a large engineering program, and in late morning, a number of men from this
program, dressed in suits and ties, and a few women also professionally dressed, passed
by headed for a career day on campus. None stopped, all refused literature.
We have not gathered information on how much drone work is being done at OSU, but
an article appearing in the Dayton Daily News (September 18, 2012) said that OSU had
begun displaying its “inaugural drone prototype” at a farming exposition, a drone, the
newspaper said, that may be used to monitor plant health, pesticide dispersal and need for
water.
Only about 20 people were attracted by the replicas at OSU, and happily several said
they were very eager to assist with local organizing.
Lehigh University – 7,000 students
Before the lecture at Lehigh that I described earlier, we set up our drone display on the
lawn of the campus’ main green, assisted by Nancy Tate, director of the Lepoco Peace
Center, in Bethlehem, and Lloyd Steffen, professor of religious studies and the
university’s chaplain, who made the arrangements for us at Lehigh.
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