Guns OK’d in dorms and classrooms
By Katie Armstrong—
Staff Writer
Additional reporting provided by Rebecca Hernandez, Morgan Little, Kelsey Poynor, Jasmine Sullivan, Thomas Varnado and Haley Watson.
People with Concealed Handgun Licenses will be allowed to carry their firearm on campus, including dorms and classrooms. There will be certain areas throughout campus where firearms will be banned.
Restricted places include scientific labs, daycare facilities, counseling offices, sporting events, recreational facilities, camps/programs where minors are present, disciplinary meetings and other approved locations.
The rules were released late Wednesday afternoon and can be found at http://www.tamus.edu/proposed-campus-carry-rules/.
After the campus carry law was passed by the Texas Legislature, approved by the State Senate, and signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott in June of 2015, each university president and agency CEO was charged with the task of putting together a policy on how the law would be implemented on their campus.
According to the summary of proposed rules released by the Texas A&M University System these proposals have been reviewed by the Texas A&M System Office of General Counsel, approved by the Chancellor for submission to the Board, and will be considered by the Texas A&M System Board of Regents on April 27, 2016.
Texan News gathered reactions from Tarleton State University students and faculty to the rules minutes after they were released.
“I don’t like it because people will try to show off, which could lead to dangerous situations. However at the same time, it will also be safer for our students,” said sophomore Larry Osterman.
“People are already concealing their weapons and not all people who carry guns are bad people. So in this sense it is a wonderful thing in my opinion,” said graduate student Josh Hale.
“Personally, I am not really for it but it is how legislation has decided to handle it. I am not going to pretend students didn’t already have guns before, they just had them illegally all over campus,” said Criminal Justice Interim Department Head Dr. Rhonda Dobbs.
“I have mixed emotions about it. I think in some cases it’s going to be effective, but in some cases it’s going to backlash considering how it could affect legislation itself. But I think Tarleton should increase awareness towards the psychological issues that are prevalent that are related to gun violence and gun related deaths,” said junior Patrick Phillips.
“I think it’s fine. If they can conceal carry at home, why not here?” said math instructor Kaycie Griffith.
“I am a concealed license holder and I am 100 percent on board and ready for it to happen,” said freshman Tate Stavenhagen.
“I’m fine with the decision. It makes me feel safer because people would benefit from having someone else having conceal carry if a shooting was to happen,” Kyra Schmidt, age 20, said.
“It doesn’t make me feel safe because college kids have anxiety and could easily just shoot someone if they get upset,” Jordan Gray, age 18, said.
“It makes me feel safer of the right people have it,” said Ryan Hester, age 20.
“If you’ve got a CHL and have the proper documentation then by all means I don’t mind,” said junior Luke Walker.
Texan News attempted to get in touch with Tarleton’s Risk Management Director Kent Styron who chaired the Tarleton Campus Carry Committee. Styron, however, was not immediately available; he was in a meeting about active shooter training when the rules were released.
