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Monday, May 30, 2011

Blog U.: Student Conduct: Conceal and Carry - Student Affairs and Technology - Inside Higher Ed

Blog U.: Student Conduct: Conceal and Carry - Student Affairs and Technology - Inside Higher Ed

Student Conduct: Conceal and Carry

By Eric Stoller May 30, 2011 4:00 pm EDT

When I was a kid growing up in Iowa, my Uncle John and my dad taught me how to shoot. I fired rifles, shotguns, and pistols. The first time I fired my dad's twelve gauge shotgun, it felt like my shoulder had run into a car. The recoil was tremendous. While I never went hunting, I did do a fair amount of target shooting. Guns were present throughout my formative years. I've always been fascinated with the mechanics of firearms. Why am I bringing this up? I think it's important for folks to know a little about my history with guns if I'm going to write about anissue that is all about guns and student affairs. I'm not anti-gun, I'm anti-conceal-and-carry-on-campus.

The prohibition of conceal and carry on college campuses is once more in the news. Recently, a conceal and carry bill passed in the Nevada State Senate. The bill would "authorize a person who holds a permit to carry a concealed firearm to carry a concealed firearm while on the property of the Nevada System of Higher Education unless the person is attending an event held at a sporting venue with a seating capacity of 1,000 or more." The current law states that conceal and carry permit holders can only carry their firearm on