Blanca Reyes
Staff Writer
The Student Government Association held a meeting with other members to meet each other and to make plans for the semester ahead. Students were welcomed to ask questions and raise suggestions to the student council. One student raised questions about the topic of concealed carry for firearms.
“In five minutes, a lot of damage can be done,” said Colin Borgan, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and freshman, after attending the SGA meeting where concealed gun carry was asked about in the delegate meeting.
Borgan said although he is against open carry laws, he believes lives can be saved if a well-trained person carries a firearm in case of a shooting such as the one at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde May 24.
Nineteen children and two teachers were killed in that shooting. “One gun on you in a bad situation [is] worth 10 guns in your safe,” Borgan said.
Kelly Sonnanstine, adviser for SGA at Richland Campus, said the importance of talking about this specific topic in the first meeting was for a growing concern from the campus officials during the summer months as incidents of gun violence rose.
“I think just the violence they have seen in the schools over the summer since the last semester have burdened [campus officials] to do something about campus safety,” Sonnanstine said.
According to the Texas State Law Library, a person can carry a concealed gun on the premises of higher education institutions including junior colleges.
Although the concealed arms are permitted in the college, the gun cannot be seen by any person. If somebody is able to see a gun even by accident, they can contact the campus police using the phones available in every classroom or by dialing 911.
“If you can see it, it’s not concealed. … That’s the moment when the line gets crossed,” Sonnanstine said.
Borgan said although he is aware that not all people who hold a gun license are well prepared to use them, he also thinks there are many restrictions on campus that prevent the open carry being as practical and safe as it was supposed to be.
“It’s not only military service, it has been a passion of mine since I was little,” Borgan said about guns and gun safety. Those are some of his priorities and the main reason he is trying to be an active member in the Richland SGA.
