Campus Carry: Affecting Students on Campus

Campus Carry: Effecting Students on Campus

By: Bailey Green

Bmg106@txstate.edu

 Texas Legislature passes a law enacting the carry of a concealed weapon with a license on campus.  Texas State students and faculty discuss how the law is affecting their safety on campus.

photo and quote taken by Bailey Green
Paula Monzon 

On August 1, 2016 the law was put into act on all Texas college campuses. The law clearly states in the Texas State Carry Campus page that there are numerous safe and gun free zones.

 Even with the regulations, students are still concerned about their safety on campus.  Paula Monzon, a freshman at Texas State, states, “It makes me feel really uncomfortable. I feel like it makes school shootings more likely to happen." 

There are many mixed emotions to law for all students and faculty members on campus. The uneasy feeling of seeing a weapon freely has been more a distraction and safety awareness. Especially when students do not know what other students are going to do with the weapon.

photo and quote by Tanner Murphy
Leigh Anne Crowell

Leigh Anne Crowell, a Texas State student, expresses her thoughts on the situation by saying, “…it's much easier for people to access weapons, and then be able to bring them onto a busy campus whenever. Anything could happen, and you have no way of stopping it in a timely, non-life-threatening amount of time.”

Although there are many other students and faculty members that feel much better when they are able to protect themselves and have a concealed weapon on campus.

Kerri Fitzgerald, an English senior lecturer, expresses as to why carrying a concealed weapon can be beneficial for students on campus, “"I've been a victim of assault before, and I've considered protecting myself with a firearm. I do think that's completely acceptable."

photo and quote by Stacee Collins
Kerri Fitzgerald 

Due to these situations the law does give a protection for all types of students that have went through similar situations or are weary of this situation occurring in the long run.

Many students are just as in favor of the law. Students like Mason Gann, a junior from Burleson, say that, “Yes. For protection. If I felt like the threat to society were great enough.”

Even though there is both equally credible reasons as to why and why not to enforce the law, some students choose to not be affected by the law. Since the law has been passed, film major student, Weston Morgan, says that, “I don’t think they should be allowed or encouraged but the law isn’t going to change the way I feel in a classroom.”

Therefore, since the passing of the law many students and faculty are still concerned about their safety whereas others are finding the law a way of protection against harmful situations.