The Campus Talks Campus Carry

By: Cameron Goodall

The debate over campus carry has been going on for years, but as of August 1, 2016, Texas State University will allow those with a concealed handgun license to carry their weapons on campus. Students recently voiced their opinions, and they had a lot to say.

Michael Pearce
Photo By: Cameron Goodall

The new law, with the official title being Texas Senate Bill 11, will allow people who are traveling on campus to conceal a weapon on their person, as long as they have the proper license to do so. Some students voiced their opinions but, not all of them were in agreement with each other.

Aron Martinez
Photo By: Griselda Benitez

Concerns about personal safety seemed to be a lingering issue with Michael Pearce, a sophomore at the university. "I'm against it, because I feel like you're not going to ask everyone on campus, 'Hey, do you have your license for that gun?' so it kind of scares me," Pearce said.

Aron Martinez, a freshman at Texas State  shared a similar concern for the safety of people on campus, due to the anonymity of who could and could not be legally carrying a weapon onto campus. Martinez said, "It is scary being in big classrooms and not knowing who has a gun."

Melanie Bush
Photo By: Erik Rodriguez

On the opposite end of the spectrum, other students expressed opinions in favor of the new S.B. No. 11, with insight as to how it could actually help benefit anyone who finds themselves wandering the campus. "The only part of campus carry that I support is mostly for women late at night," Melanie Bush, a student at Texas State University said.

Arte Vega
Photo By: Gabrielle Gibson

Arte Vega, a computer science major spoke out about his support of the bill, not simply
for protection reasons, but, "Of course, the Second Ammendment, the right to bear arms."

Keisha Ray
Photo By: Katherine Huerta

Some faculty even had some words to say about the effects that the presence of weapons on campus may have in the classroom setting. Professor at University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Keisha Ray discussed how the new law can have certain dangers in the classroom when it comes to having open discussions among the students. "It may be intimidating for students to talk about some topics if they know that their classmates have a weapon," Ray said.

She continued on by suggesting a compromise for the law. The idea was that guns could be allowed in certain areas around campus as opposed to being able to be concealed anywhere and everywhere the individual chooses.

Bob Fischer
Photo By: Sawyer Stull

Sharing similar concerns as Ray, Bob Fischer, Philosophy Professor at Texas State University also commented on the impacts of classroom discussion, which is revered by many as a key part of learning in some subjects. "I worry about the way that the presence of fire arms changes our ability to have open discussions about uncomfortable topics," Fischer said. "No, I don't think I'm in support of campus carry."

There was an open forum held on November 18, 2015, where the more people from the public had the chance to speak out about the campus carry law, as reported by The University Star.