Campus Carry

        Campus Carry Interviews
        By: Veronica Tierno



        

  Name: Summer C. Tierno
Age: 35
Hometown: Gulfport, Mississippi
Ethnicity: Caucasian
M.A.B.C., CPC
PhD Candidate for Higher Education Administration at the University of Southern Mississippi

How much do you know about the current campus carry laws?

Working in higher education for several years and just completing my classes and comprehension exam for my PhD, I know a sufficient amount of information on current campus carry laws for my state, Mississippi, and other states. 

Do guns on campus make you feel safer? If so, what about it gives you comfort?

I do not personally want to see guns on a campus out in the open; however, I have no issue with those who go through extra training to earn the certificate to have their guns concealed. The idea that former police and military personnel, along with other who have trained, are nearby and potentially armed, is comforting.

From what you have seen, have campus carry laws led to an escalation of violence?

Campus carry laws may have escalated differing opinions on the topic, but people are going to argue about everything

Is there anything you would change about the laws?

No law is perfect, and no law will make everyone happy. It is difficult to make those who are not familiar with higher education culture understand why college campuses want to diverge from state laws. While some states allow this divergence and others may not. It is vital to understand the differences of cultures faculty and students on a campus. If these are not respected, a campus can crash and burn. 

Do you believe these laws affect you personally?

I am affected personally because I am currently looking for a position as a professor. I will have to deal with such issues, and the different dynamics affecting it, as soon as I am in the classroom. 


 

Name: Brandon Willis

Age: 21

Hometown: Fredericksburg 

Ethnicity: Caucasian

Undergraduate at Texas State University

Major: Psychology 

Minor: Physics 

How much do you know about the current Campus Carry Laws?

I really don’t know that much about the current campus carry laws. I just know that they’re in effect, and that certain people can carry certain types of weapons in certain buildings on certain campuses.

Do guns on campus make you feel safer? If so, what about it gives you comfort?

I wouldn’t say that guns on campus necessarily make me feel any safer, but they don’t make me feel any less safe either because there’s still lots of police and law enforcement to deal with any problems anyway.

From what you have seen, have Campus Carry laws led to an escalation of violent crimes?

I have not seen, or rather, heard about any increases in violent crimes. As a matter of fact, there has been very few violent crimes that I’ve heard of at all and almost none of them have been gun related.

Is there anything you would change about the laws?

No.

Do you believe these laws affect you personally?

No, not really because I don’t have any issues with guns or people having them as long as the people who have them deserve to have them.