Carry on Proposed Senate Bill Would Allow Guns on Campus
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University of Texas at El Paso DigitalCommons@UTEP The rP ospector Special Collections Department 2-24-2011 The rP ospector, February 24, 2011 UTEP Student Publications Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.utep.edu/prospector Part of the Journalism Studies Commons, and the Mass Communication Commons Comments: This file is rather large, with many images, so it may take a few minutes to download. Please be patient. Recommended Citation UTEP Student Publications, "The rP ospector, February 24, 2011" (2011). The Prospector. Paper 29. http://digitalcommons.utep.edu/prospector/29 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Special Collections Department at DigitalCommons@UTEP. It has been accepted for inclusion in The rP ospector by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@UTEP. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The University of Texas at El Paso · February 24, 2011 SHOWDOWN AT THE DON theassayer of student opinion Miners take on Tigers at 1 p.m. Feb. 26 SPORTS • 7 SOCIAL NETWORK WAR Myspace phasing out prospectorOne free copy per student www.utepprospector.com ENT • 5 Carry on Proposed Senate bill would allow guns on campus BY AARON MARTINEZ mates in class, against a deranged person with the intent of committing The Prospector suicide and taking as many people A proposed bill in the Texas Leg- with him.” islature could allow individuals to Recent incidents involving gunmen carry concealed handguns on uni- on college campuses prompted Went- versity property. Th e Texas Senate worth to try and get the law passed in has proposed a bill (SB 354) that will 2009. Wentworth said the bill would allow concealed weapons on Texas allow students to be able to defend college campuses. SB 354 is now be- themselves if another incident oc- fore the Criminal Justice committee curred like in 2007 at Virginia Tech, of the Senate, where it will be up for where gunman Seung-Hui Cho killed Illustration by Sarah Burchett / The Prospector a hearing. 32 people. Politicians in the Texas Senate will soon decide on whether or not handguns will be allowed on college “It would allow people, who are “At Virginia Tech, the man that campus. licensed to carry concealed weapons went into that classroom shot several in Texas, to go into classroom build- dozen kids. He shot several innocent “I think it is a bad policy to allow He also said it could lead to more students and even the police offi cers ings at Texas public universities,” said students who had no way of protect- handguns to be carried in schools and confusion in a situation with a gun- know which one is which? Th is is just Texas State Senator Jeff Wentworth, ing themselves,” Wentworth said. “He other public places,” Rodríguez said. man on campus, where faculty and another example of the problems with R-San Antonio, who is the sponsor just picked them off like sitting ducks. “Th ere is too much of a danger and students would already be scrambling having handguns on campus.” to avoid the perpetrator. of the bill. “To be licensed to carry a He murdered 35 or 36 and I just never there are high consequences to allow Rodríguez used the Jan. 8 shooting “Th ere are about 22,000 students at concealed gun you have to be at least want that to happen in Texas.” proliferations of guns on campus. I at a rally in Arizona for State Repre- 21 years, so we are not talking about Texas Senator José Rodríguez, D-El UTEP, if half of them or even a third know the intended purpose behind sentative Gabrielle Giff ords, D-Ari- freshmen or sophomores, we are talk- Paso, is strongly opposed to the bill of them go around carrying handguns zona, as an example of the confusion it is to give students more protection, ing about staff , faculty, graduate stu- arguing that allowing any individu- that will not make for a safe environ- that is caused when an individual but the unintended consequences dents and some seniors. So it gives als to carry weapons onto university ment in my view,” Rodríguez said. “If opens fi re in a crowded location. them the right to defend themselves, property will cause more violence on is that it is going to give them less a gunman is attacking and another and either their students or class- campuses. protection.” student pulls out his gun, how will see GUNS on page 4 Campus Faculty Senate rules no make-up days Part 2 of series examining financial and academic problems due to the winter storm BY NICOLE CHÁVEZ days (Cesar Chavez Day and Spring and secondary education minor. SGA Senator and senior Spanish ma- Study Day) and to not make any more “Th ey haven’t said anything, but at jor, said that she thought that state The Prospector changes,” said Carl Lieb, president of this time, if we do not complete the law required the university to recov- Th e UTEP Faculty Senate recently the Faculty Senate. “It was easier and hours we are going to fail the class.” er the missed days. confi rmed that no further changes more practical for everyone.” Some education students were also “Th ere was, to my knowledge, would be made to the academic cal- Lieb also said that faculty mem- worried about not completing a 60- endar due to the weather-related clo- bers should communicate with their day internship, which is required talk that administrators would add sures the university experienced ear- students about any further changes to receive their teaching education fi ve minutes to every class period or lier this month. Th e decision means to their particular course schedule. certifi cation. According to Arturo add an extra week of classes,” Valles that students will not have to attend “Th e senate is not requiring col- Olivarez, chair of the Department of said. “Th ere is a state rule that says additional days of classes to make up leges to change the calendar,” Lieb Teaching Education, UTEP requires students need to spend a certain for the classes missed during the four said. “We are asking them to make students to complete a total of 72 amount of time in the classroom to days the university was closed. adjustments to maintain the quality days per semester, 12 days more than get credit.” “Some people were talking about of the courses.” the state requirement. Lieb said the Faculty Senate was having classes on Good Friday, Dead Students in particular fi elds of Olivarez also said the Provost’s Of- Day or spring break. Now I know study such as education have ex- fi ce asked every college dean to pres- dealing with a diffi cult situation, for a fact that’s not going to happen,” pressed concern about how the uni- ent a plan of suggested adjustments whereby a decision had to be made. said Charles Leinberger, associate versity was planning to make up the to help students regarding the can- “Th ere are no offi cial rules or a law professor of music and member of lost days since some of their courses celled classes. about what has to be done,” Lieb said. the Faculty Senate. have specifi c time requirements. Although Gary Edens, dean of “Public schools (K-12) are obligated DIANA AMARO / The Prospector Th e Faculty Senate decided in their “We are supposed to complete students and adviser to the Student to make up the days--in higher edu- Faculty Senate decided last meeting to not make any more 30 observation hours (in public Government Association, confi rmed UTEP will cation, we have more fl exibility.” changes to the academic calendar schools) in order to pass and get into to members of the SGA that the not make up days due to inclement “In our second meeting (of the the internship class,” said Liliana university would not modify the Nicole Chávez may be reached at prospector@utep. weather in early February. year), we decided to take back the Acosta, junior mathematics major academic calendar, Alejandra Valles, edu. You Deserve It! Become our Fan 1700 Curie, Suite 2400, El Paso, TX 79902 | xÎÎUÎ{È£ÊÊÊ schustereyecenter.com Optional 0% financing on bilateral procedures with no previous eye surgery. PAGE 2 Send your questions, commentsents February 24, 2011 and complaints to the editoror at editor-in-chief [email protected] perspectivesAaron Martinez, 747-7477 Column Proposed gun law could bring more danger to our campus BY AARON MARTINEZ his/her response have been? If a stu- bill. While eff orts to reach UTEP dent were to pull out a gun to defend The Prospector Police Chief Cliff Walsh went unan- against another gunman, it would ob- swered, one can only imagine what Th e list of issues viously leave the police department in has been running through his mind being discussed in the situation of not knowing which as he ponders whether this bill will Austin that could person was actually intent on harm- have a drastic im- ing someone and which one was de- get passed. pact on UTEP fending themselves. Th e role and challenges Chief students just grew Will UTEP police have to ask a stu- Walsh and his department will face Pitch a story to The Prospector a little bit longer. dent in a possibly threatening situa- will no doubt be diffi cult and numer- Th e Texas Senate tion whether he/she has a license to ous. I am optimistic that they will Story idea: in the 82nd Texas Legislative Session carry before they take him/her down? make the necessary adjustments to summited a proposal (SB 354) that Th e UTEP Police Department re- keep our campus safe.