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Listen: What People on the UT Campus Think of Campus Carry

Gabriel Cristóver Pérez
/
KUT
Demonstrators march to end gun free zones near the University of Texas at Austin on December 12, 2015.

Today marks the first day of the state’s so-called campus carry law – a law passed in 2015 that allows Texans to carry a concealed handgun on public university and college campuses, if they have a license to carry a handgun. It’s a law with no shortage of opponents on the UT Austin campus. Across the campus, however, opinions on the law are less clear-cut.

So, KUT canvassed a handful of students, faculty and staff members late last week ahead of the law's rollout today. 

Jamilla Karemo, a 22-year-old student, says she’s concerned about the law, namely that any of her classmates could be carrying a weapon at any point in time.


Soo Yang, 31, says she's uncomfortable with the prospect of weapons in the classroom or in labs.

campuscarryvox_soo_yang.mp3
Soo Yang speaking to KUT about the campus carry law


Mason Valentine, 24, says the law doesn’t especially concern him. As a grad student, he mostly works in labs, where weapons aren't permitted.

campuscarryvox_mason_valentine.mp3
Mason Valentine speaking to KUT about the campus carry law


Sally Phonthaasa, 19, says she recognizes the benefit of self-defense, but the undergrad student questions the training course required to receive a license to carry. She says the classes don't address the threat of active shooter scenarios.

campuscarryvox_sally_phonthaasa.mp3
Sally Phonthaasa speaking to KUT about the campus carry law


Jacob Williamson, a 40-year-old member of the undergraduate studies staff, says the law will be a “big change.”
campuscarryvox_jacob_williamson.mp3
Jacob Williamson speaking with KUT about the campus carry law


Paul Monticone, 34, is a grad student and teaches classes, as well. He’s not teaching a class this upcoming semester, but he fears the policy may influence the discussion around grading – namely, grade inflation.
campuscarryvox_paul_monitocone.mp3
Paul Monticone speaking with KUT about the campus carry law


Nisha Javeri, 27, is just starting at UT. She says the policy is a change of pace from her previous campus in the Northeast.
campuscarryvox_nisha_javeri.mp3
Nisha Javeri speaking with KUT about the campus carry law


Student Jarod Becker, 22, says he sees both sides of the argument, but says, if there were an active shooter event, adding more guns would turn a “dangerous situation into a huge gun fight.”
campuscarryvox_jarod_becker.mp3
Jarod Becker speaking with KUT about the campus carry law


Jacek Prus, 23, says he’s glad he’s graduating from UT soon.

CampusCarryVox_JacekPrus.mp3
Jacek Prus speaking with KUT about the campus carry law


Dan Rimkus, 28, just moved to Austin from Chicago. He says the law is a little “unsettling,” but that he doesn’t think the law will have an effect on his day-to-day life.
campuscarryvox_dan_rimkus.mp3
Dan Rimkus speaking with KUT about the campus carry law


Maro Youssef, 30, is a teaching assistant working in UT's sociology department. She says the subject matter discussed in classes is sensitive, and that she and others in her department are leery of the law.
campuscarryvox_Maro_Youssef.mp3
Maro Youssef speaking with KUT about the campus carry law


Zach Vahle, 20, is an undergrad. He says he’s nervous about the number of firearms on campus.
Campuscarryvox_ZachVahle.mp3
Zach Vahle speaking with KUT about the campus carry law


Jeff Svajda is a 22-year-old undergrad student. He says he can see both sides of the argument over the law, but he doesn’t necessarily feel unsafe with guns in classrooms.
campuscarryvox_jeffsvajda.mp3
Jeff Svajda speaking with KUT about the campus carry law

 


Vince Carrozza, 21, is an undergrad student who says he supports the right to carry a firearm campus, but says the practice could become a distraction.
campuscarryvox_vincecarrozza.mp3
Vince Carrozza speaking with KUT about the campus carry law


Fernando Tejeda, 21, is a biology undergrad student. He says he thinks guns on campus could increase safety, but that he wouldn’t personally carry one.
campuscarryvox_fernandotejeda.mp3
Fernando Tejeda speaking with KUT about the campus carry law

 


Adam Redmer says he doesn’t see a problem with concealed carry on campus. The 19-year-old undergrad says people all over the U.S. and Texas have concealed carry permits and it's not "chaos in the streets."
campuscarryvox_adamredmer.mp3
Adam Redmer speaking with KUT about the campus carry law


Undergrad Blake Bartlett, 22, says he doesn’t think too many people will bring firearms on campus and he’s not concerned about campus carry.
campuscarryvox_blakebartlett.mp3
Blake Bartlett speaking with KUT about the campus carry law

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