Hot Topic Campus Carry Not so Hot Anymore

by Alex Bulko
akb50@txstate.edu

SAN MARCOS, Texas – When campus carry was first implemented back on August 1, 2016, many students were concerned about how the new law might affect their campus life. Students, faculty, and parents were concerned about the danger students might be exposed to. But now, two years later, the hot topic has seemingly sizzled out with many students noticing little to no change in the campus environment or even all together forgetting about campus carry.

Ryan Carley

Plenty of students disagreed with the new law when it was first passed. Ryan Carley, a 22-year-old senior, saw no need to allow firearms on campus.

“I didn’t understand it. It doesn’t make any sense why you would want students to have guns on campus,” Carley said.

Nathaniel McGuff, a 28-year-old who works for custodial staff, didn’t think students could be trusted in a high-stress situation with quick and easy access to a gun. McGuff thinks ever since the passing of concealed carry, the campus is more dangerous.

“I feel less safe,” said McGuff. “NYPD hits 20% of the time with their guns, and they’re trained professionals.

Jacob Rosen, a 24-year-old from Chicago, Illinois agreed, that students could cause more harm than good. Rosen had strong words for any would-be hero.

Jacob Rosen

“I don’t think that in the event of a mass shooting or staff could use their gun effectively. So what, they’re going to be a hero? Extremely unlikely,” Rosen said. “Where there are more guns, there’s more violence.”

While plenty of students disagreed with the new legislation, many have forgotten about it. Students were concerned with the legislation possibly overshadowing campus life, yet many have seen no visible change in everyday proceedings. Gabriel Tirado, a 21-year-old biochemistry major, hasn’t witnessed any noticeable changes from daily life.

“There’s even a guy in one of my classes who had a concealed firearm, and he told us the last day of class, and people freaked out, but I couldn’t understand the problem,” Tirado said. “I didn’t notice all semester. And I don’t think it’s anything bad, because he was a good person.”

Esperanza Cuevas, a 21-year-old psychology major, was initially worried about the law, but has since

Lived life normally.

Esperanza Cuevas

“Honestly, I almost forget that this bill passed,” Cuevas said. “Overtime I kinda just forgot about it. It didn’t affect my studies and it didn’t prevent me from going to campus.”

For many of the students, the issue isn’t necessarily about the guns, but more centered around whether or not the presence of guns lends itself to a safer campus environment.

“I think the real issue there is people wanting to feel safe,” Tirado said. “And they’re guaranteed to feel more safe when they arm themselves, because it’s like taking actions into their own hands, which makes them feel safe.”

Kevin Harris, a 22-year-old marketing major, believes Texas State is doing a satisfactory job at protecting its students.

“To be honest, I don’t even think about it anymore. At first, I remember it being a big deal because the requirements to get a license wasn’t even that hard,” Harris said. “People can be crazy man.”