MC1313 Jordon Brown: Campus Carry at Texas State University by Clayton Kolavo

Campus Carry at Texas State University

By: Clayton Kolavo

Starting on August 1, 2016, students will be able to carry their firearms concealed on campus. Texas State students have a wide variety of opinions on the Texas Senate’s Bill 11.

The campus carry bill has been an issue of great controversy and with its passing, some students have proclaimed their disapproval strongly. Carlos Flores, a 20-year old student at Texas State was one of many students that said it is a poor decision.

“I’m completely against it of course! I feel that the excuse of needing weapons to protect ourselves is a poor argument,” Flores said.

Other students don’t seem to feel that the new bill will necessarily affect them. Jesse Miara, a 22-year old computer science major believes that campus carry is a constitutional right. Miara does not think he will carry a concealed weapon and he does not know anyone who will.

“I am for it partially but just because it’s a constitutional right under the second amendment,” Miara said. “I definitely will not, I do not even own a gun”

University Police Department is right near the quad and multiple students believe that will keep them safe and the need for concealing a weapon is unnecessary. Michael Pearce, a 20-year old business marketing major does not think it's necessary to have campus carry because of UPD’s presence on campus.

“We have our police on campus right by the quad and they and SMPD tend to respond to the situation pretty fast,” Pearce said. On campus cops seem to be doing the job well. Texas State is overall a safe campus.”

It's not only students that will be affected by the campus carry bill being passed. The faculty and staff of the university will be directly affected. Heather C. Galloway, the dean of the Honors College at Texas State said if she had a vote, she would have voted no.

“I’m opposed to it. I just think that this not a place for it. The campus environment does not improve by allowing students to legally carry firearms,” Galloway said. “If they had asked me I would have voted no.”

Melanie Bush, a 23-year old student at Texas State was one of the few that saw some benefits of campus carry. She said that the main benefit would be for the protection of women late at night on campus.

“The only part of campus carry that I would support is for mostly women late at night,” Bush said. “If you need to be on campus late at night, then I understand.”

Regardless of people’s opinions, campus carry is going to happen come August. Karina Lopez, an employee of Einstein Bagels thinks that human emotion could make her job less safe.

“Someone who’s super angry could hold up a gun at my job and be like ‘give me a bagel’,” Lopez said.