Anne Gilligan

Anne Gilligan

Age:20

Major: Geography

Ethnicity: White

Gender: Female

What are your thoughts on campus carry?

“I do not support campus carry because I feel like it violates the rights of those who are uncomfortable with guns on campus.”

Do you own a gun?

“No”

What are your thoughts on guns in the household?

“It depends on the family, if everyone in the family is comfortable with it then that’s fine but I personally wouldn’t want a gun in my household.”

“If I had it my way, there would be no guns in America”

“It would be better for child’s safety for there not to be guns in the household”

Do you think the second amendment has been misinterpreted from what the founding fathers intended?

“I do think that we have misinterpreted what the founding fathers because they intended for us to protect ourselves against a strong central government but now with the weapons the government has right now we wouldn’t be able to fight against that.”

   Alex Molina

Sophomore | Political Science Major
19-years-old | San Antonio

Do you oppose or support Campus Carry?

"I strongly oppose campus carry. We're just inviting people to bring guns on campus. This is a place of education, we don't welcome guns here. We should separate both of those things. If you want to go to a gun range, then that's cool because that is a place where guns are welcome... not where we want to learn."

If Campus Carry were to be implemented at Texas State, would you feel less safe as a result?

"Oh definitely, because I don't know the mind set of a student carrying a gun. How am I to know that the person carrying a weapon is actually a student. Anyone could put a backpack on, come to campus and appear as a student. I can't tell who is a student and who is not."

Arte Vega

Arte Vega 

Interviewed by: Gabrielle Gibson

Age: 19

Occupation: Student 

Major: Computer Science 

View: Supports 

Ethnicity: Hispanic 

Where: LBJ Student center

Q: We are interviewing students for open carry law in effect next semester. Whats your take?

Arte: “I support it” 

Q: Why do you support it?

Arte: “Because of course the second amendment. The right to bear arms.”

Q: Why is this important for you?

“I guess for protection, for security.”

Rachel Brownlee

By Dylan Anguiano

Rachel Brownlee
Major: Human Nutrition
Occupation: Texas State Graduate Student
Age: 27

Question: Do you think it’s necessary for College Students to carry a gun while on campus?

Answer: I think it's a bad idea because students, a lot of students, are in a new situation for the first time. College is very stressful and on one hand students are able to explore new ways to be in a relationship with other people, new freedom, power over their own life. Their in this stressful situation that can make people do crazy things. So college is a time when people kind of have a chance to make bad decisions and good decisions and learn about themselves, but then when you put lethal weapons in the mix it just doesn't seem like a good thing to bring to the table.

Question: Does it make you feel safe or unsafe knowing that Students are carrying guns to the classroom?

Answer: It's unsafe because of the emotional aspect, but also, I don't trust any person that has a handgun even though a lot of people train, they go to the shooting range, maybe they have used guns their whole life. In a situation, someone who really in an emergency situation may not be able to use it properly. Even police people, who are trained and use them on a regular basis who are suppose to know how to use them, make mistakes. I wouldn't want someone coming out and be like defending me with a gun just pulling it out of their pocket.

E.J. Garza

E.J. Garza,19, is from Portland, Tx and is a business administration major and student worker at Our Lady of Wisdom University Parish.

E.J. was interviewed by Judith Prieto-Rodriguez.

Judith: What is your name?

E.J.:"E.J Garza."

Judith: What is your major?

E.J.: "Business Administration."

Judith:What's your classification?

E.J.: "Freshman."

Judith: How old are you?

E.J.:"19."

Judith:Where are you from?

E.J.: "Portland, Texas."

Judith: What is your occupation?

E.J.: "I'm a student worker at Our Lady Of Wisdom."

Judith: First of all, do you support or oppose Campus Carry?

E.J. : "No, I do not support that."

Judith: Why don't you support it?

E.J.:" I just feel like a gun could land on the hands of the wrong person. Things can happen in a split of a second."

Judith: Would you feel safer if there was police patrolling all of campus?

E.J.: "I think I'll feel safe but I'll always have that sense of anxiety."

Judith: Do you own a gun?

E.J.: "Do I own a gun? No."

Judith: What would you do if there was a mass shooting on campus?

E.J.: "I'd probably look for the nearest exit or escape route."

Judith: Would you feel comfortable if only certain parts of campus allowed guns?

E.J.: "Not really, because there's no barrier in those parts of campus."

Judith: Would you feel safer if there was gun safety classes on campus?

E.J.: "No, because I feel like it's easier for someone to just take that class and have the wrong intentions for what they're gonna do with the gun."

Judith: Would you feel like you would have to take precaution if you had a roommate with a gun in their room?

E.J. "I'd definitely feel like I'd have to be more cautious about like the conversations we have, you know, our living style. But, I feel like that'd just something that I would have to talk to my roommate about."

Judith: So, when you heard about Campus Carry, what was your reaction?

E.J.: "I was just really hesitant about it, like it wasn't a good idea, and it'd kind of put an anxiety on pretty much everyone on campus. Like we're in college, we don't need anymore of that anxiety, you know?"

Judith: If you were just walking down campus and someone attacked you with a gun, would you immediately report it or keep it to yourself?

E.J.: "I would immediately report something like that."

Judith: With the recent mass shootings, do you feel like this Campus Carry policy is really necessary?

E.J.: "I feel like we don't need to leave like the authorities and our the students to it, we need to have it more so of like our officers on campus and security and stuff like that."

Melanie Bush

Interviewed by Erik Rodriguez

Name: Melanie Bush

Age: 23

Occupation: Texas State Student

 

Q: Are you in favor for campus carry at Texas State University?

A: "I don’t really see the point as to why you would need a gun on campus. Unless you were that worried about your life, but why would you be if we already have campus security and police."

A: "The only part of campus carry that I would support is for mostly women late at night. With the assaults that happen late at night on campus. If you do need to be on campus late at night then I understand. I have a late class, so I can understand walking to my class that’s at bobcat stadium”

A: "Some people are very proud of their guns. I’m not against guns at all, but understanding that it is something that is very serious. It is something that can hurt people. Some people feel more powerful and stronger when they have a weapon, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s going to fix anything."

Q: Overall would this be beneficial to you? would you feel more safer here at Texas State?

A: "I’m hoping to see assaults on were men jump women go down"
A: "As someone who knows how to use a gun, I don’t care if someone else has a gun as long as they don’t use it in a negative way or try to hurt anyone because of their right to carry that gun, that’s all I really care about. For me personally if I do ever get the license to carry a gun I welcome anybody that wants to start shit."

 

Taylor Cavin

By Corey Rowland

Taylor Cavin, a 20-year-old education major at Texas State University, who is from San Marcos, Texas, is strongly against the recent passing of the open carry law on campus.

Do you oppose or support the new open carry law on campus? “I oppose open carry on campus because this is a place of education, and we already have the measures that we need to feel safe as it is.”

Does the fact of knowing that people are openly carrying a weapon on campus makes you feel that you are less safe than you were before this was legal? “Well, the campus is increasing its UPD staff due to the passing of this. Why would they need to do that if we are safer?”

Do you feel the campus atmosphere is less safe or do you just feel less safe personally? “Definitely both. I feel that the campus atmosphere was safe enough as it was, and now I myself as well as my friends feel that campus will be more dangerous.”

Carlos Flores

Interviewed by Annalise Hughes

Name: Carlos Flores
Age: 20
Ethnicity: Hispanic
Occupation: Student
Major: English

Q: Are you for or against Campus Carry?

A: "I'm completely against it of course! I feel that the excuse of needing weapons to protect ourselves is a poor argument."

Q: You seem to feel strongly about the issue. What are some of the reasons you oppose it?

A: "Well, lots of European countries have banned weapons in general and have seen a reduction in crimes with weapons. I just feel that it would be completely unnecessary since we have UPD here. We already have people in charge in case something happens."

Keisha Ray

Professor at University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston

Age 26-35

Do you oppose or support campus carry?

“I oppose it coming out of it from an instructor’s point of view, to think about maybe talking about touchy subjects that students might get upset at and then they have a weapon you know it may be intimidating for students to talk about some topics if they know that their classmates have a weapon.”

What does the approval of campus carry mean in regards to safety?

“I think it may be less safe, I mean it’s laws that we have to abide by, but I am weary of it actually doing any good.”

What are some precautions you would suggest?
“Maybe only allowing them at certain places, make it a compromise.”

Bob Fischer

Sawyer Stull


Professor Bob Fischer (Philosophy)
36-50

How do you feel about campus carry?

Bob Fischer "I worry about the impact on classroom discussion, I worry about the way that the presence of fire arms changes our ability to have open discussions about uncomfortable topics"

Do you support campus carry?

Bob Fischer: "No I don't think Im in support of campus carry"

Mandy Espinoza

Kelsey Maxfield

2/29/16

Interview assignment

Interviewee: Mandy Espinoza

Age: 18

Occupation: student

Ethnicity: Hispanic

Hometown: San Antonio

 

Questions:

1.      Name/ Major/ year?

·         Mandy Espinoza. Major is Anthropology. Freshman.

 

2.      How do you feel about the campus carry law?

·         “I’m scared. What if the safety isn’t on and it goes off? Or what if some of the guns doesn’t even have a safety lock?”

 

3.      Do you feel safe/conformable with this law?

·         “It makes me feel more scared. It doesn’t make me feel safe at all.”

 

4.      Who do you think this law will impact the most?

·         “The professors. The gun could go off in the large lecture rooms.”

 

5.      How do you feel about being around guns in the classroom?

·         “I’m worried. It takes out the safe environment.”

 

 

 

Aron Martinez

Aron Martinez

English Major

Freshman

How do you feel about Campus Carry?

Scared. You are going to be around a lot of guns. It is scary being in big classrooms not knowing who has a gun.

Does it make you feel safe knowing this will go into effect?

No, it makes me feel scared. You don’t know who has one. The fear level rises.

Who do you think it will affect the most?

Professors because they have a lot of students. Especially teachers who have huge lecture classes.

How do you feel knowing there will be guns in the classroom?

It’s really scary. You don’t know what people are capable of.

Michael Pearce

Michael Pearce 

Business Marketing Major 

Student

20 Years old

Caucasian 

Q: What is your stance on campus carry?

A-       There're good and bad sides to it. I'm against it because I feel like you're not gonna ask everyone on campus, “Hey do you have your license for that gun?” so it kind of scares me. I’m for it because responsible citizens usually know how to carry weapons so if there's a responsible person that can handle the situation, it’s a good thing.

Q: Would you ever carry on campus

A-       No, I'm too clumsy. I feel like my gun would slip out and it would be my fault that someone got hurt. Unless I have a job that requires me to openly carry a gun I would never do it.

Q: How do you think the students will react to this law being passed?

A-       Some will be for it, but the liberal nutheads will be in the quad protesting it every day I would imagine. There will end up being a protest where, students get behind a petition to repeal it.

Q: Do you think there was a need for campus carry here at TXST

A-       Not necessarily because we have our police on campus right by the quad and they and SMPD tend to respond to the situation pretty fast. On campus cops seem to be doing the job well. Texas State is overall a safe campus.

Terry Bertling

Interviewed by Morgan Mitchell

San Antonio resident Terry Bertling, 60, is an adjunct lecturer at Texas State University as well as a full-time journalist and special projects editor at San Antonio Express News.

Morgan: How do you feel about campus carry … how students will be able to carry anywhere on campus including dorms, classrooms, and common areas?

Bertling: I think it’s kind of nice that private universities get to opt out. As someone who teaches, I’d rather not have students who carry. It doesn’t create a good environment for learning. I wish they would change the law so public universities could opt out as well. 

Hakeer Kaymore

Hakeer Kaymore, 19, Business Management major.

Do you support or oppose Campus Carry?
"Oppose. Not only from a campus lifestyle, but students actually in class may feel more scared to speak up because of other peoples reactions."

Would you feel safe on campus or in class if Campus Carry is approved?
"No, I would not feel safe. Unless I had a gun too."

Jesse Miara

Jesse Miara - 22 // Computer Science Major // From NY

What's your stance on campus carry?

"I am for it partially but just because it's a constitutional right under the 2nd amendment"

Are you gonna carry on campus?

"I definitely will not, I do not even own a gun"

How do you believe students will respond to people openly carrying firearms?

"I think there's going to be a mixed response divided evenly"

Do you know anyone currently carrying on campus?

"No, I do not. If they are, they're doing it pretty discretely."

Do you think there is a need for campus carry at Texas state? 

"I don't think there is a need but I just feel that that it's a right that deserves to be exercised."

Kristen Courtney, 18

Biology Major | Freshmen

What do know about campus carry?

“I know that they made it legal but I don’t really know much about it here”

Do you oppose or support campus carry? Why?

“In a way I kinda support it because if a school shooter were to come by it would be a lot faster for a student to react than have somebody having to come all the way over here and react”

Will you feel safer once campus carry become official?

“Not necessarily just because people can get mad and act unintentionally”

Would you consider getting licensed and bringing a gun to campus?

“No”

Karina Lopez

Karina Lopez, 18, Nursing major, works at Einsteins Bagels.

Do you support or oppose Campus Carry?
"I oppose Campus Carry because humans are emotional creatures."

Being a Texas State employee, would you feel safe at work if Campus Carry is approved?
"Not really. Someone who's super angry could hold up a gun at my job and be like, 'give me a bagel!'"