After examining the board, the opponent (X) does not appear to have an immediate winning move, and neither do we have an immediate win. However, with our O pieces in row 5 at columns 1, 2, and 3, we want to set up future opportunities while not giving the opponent an opportunity. Dropping into column 5 will place our piece in row 5, further contributing to potential horizontal and diagonal connections in future moves. Column 5 is a central column that helps us to maintain board presence without inadvertently opening a winning opportunity for the opponent. Therefore, choosing column 5 is a sound move for building our strategy in this mid-game state.