UW-Milwaukee Students Voice Concerns About Guns on Campus

A team of freshman UW-Milwaukee students interested in media careers set out on campus with a simple task: Find a random student and, in non-leading fashion, inquire whether they support a controversial bill that would make it so qualifying people – including some students, faculty, and staff – could carry concealed weapons on campus. Some other media accounts have focused on warring rhetoric among officials; the student voice? Largely absent.

Many students interviewed said they wouldn’t feel safer with more concealed weapon carriers on campus. Many said being surrounded by other sometimes stressed-out students with guns would make them feel anxious as they didn’t trust their fellow students with the responsibility. Students generally said they feel safe on campus and are aware of available resources, like campus safety walkers.

A few students, however, said they supported the bill because they are worried about mass shooters. One student said he is worried that police response time wouldn’t be enough if a mass shooter was on campus, and he added that he would feel safer if the bill passes so people could defend themselves. One UW-Milwaukee student authored an opinion column for Media Milwaukee, arguing in favor of the bill. You can read that here.

Here’s what the class found:

Worried about impulsive students

By Sarah Babcock

Mequon native and UW-Milwaukee freshman, Chloe Herzog, was surprised at the new GOP bill that would allow students and faculty to carry concealed weapons on campus. “I was not aware that this was even going on. Which is weird because I go to this school.”

Told what the bill would do, Herzog said it wouldn’t make her feel safer.

“Overall, I would feel safer, personally, if people weren’t allowed to carry guns on campus,” said Herzog.

If the bill were to pass, there are questions regarding whether students and faculty should have to go through some extra training in order to carry on campus. Herzog said, “I don’t think it would make a difference. I would actually feel less safe if guns were allowed to be carried on campus because we’re in college, and college kids can get pretty impulsive.”

When asked about campus shootings and her thoughts on them, Herzog explained what she would do. “I actually think about campus shootings a lot lately since the tragedy in Oregon. I think that I would try to hide over running.”

Doesn’t trust students with guns

By Andrew Boldt

When asked if students should be allowed to conceal carry, undecided UW-Milwaukee major Christian Gilmore, 19, Janesville, believes that if the law is to be passed, it would be detrimental to the campus’s environment.

“Because I feel like our universities are safe enough. I don’t trust their (students) ethics and their ability to handle a firearm. “

If the law were to pass, Gilmore, however, wouldn’t be as sure whether he would carry one himself when he’s of the right age (you have to be 21 to carry concealed in Wisconsin).

“If a lot of other people were carrying around a gun, I might consider protecting myself with one; but I still don’t think I would…too much responsibility.”

Student 1 and 2: Would cause “constant paranoia”

Student 3: Would protect students against mass shootings

By Cassandra Bretl

The bill proposed by Jesse Kremer and Senator Devin LeMahieu that will allow concealed guns in Wisconsin college buildings, shocked Erin Diestler, age 18, and caused her to rethink the safety of Wisconsin campuses. The UWM communication major and her two friends, Kaci Bausch and Stefanie Marven, also both freshmen at UWM, have different opinions about the bill being passed, though.

Diestler, from Neillsville, Wisconsin, is against the GOB bill for many reasons. For one, she feels as though students and faculty on campus are not trustworthy. Diestler feels that, in a given situation, “someone could take it the wrong way, and use weapons when not needed.” When asked if she would feel safer or less safe if the bill was passed, Diestler said less safe because she would have the constant paranoia of armed students misusing their weapons.

Diestler’s friend Kaci Bausch takes a different approach to the bill. Bausch, a biological sciences major from Oregon, Wisconsin is for the bill. She recalls her sister’s professor being involved in a school shooting and would feel much safer if at least one person was armed just in case a situation arose. If the bill was passed, Bausch would like to see more regulations set for the licensing of a gun. She feels there should be more training and tests set forth to licensing a gun like acquiring a driver’s license.

Stefanie Marven, a communications science major from Greenwood, Wisconsin is also against the GOB bill. She believes, “there is a greater chance of a situation going wrong if students and faculty are carrying concealed guns.” Although this is a major concern, the three students all agree that they are not concerned of a mass shooter on campus.

The three students also all felt that the safety on campus and in the surrounding areas was nothing to be paranoid about. The resources provided on campus like BOSS and Safe Walkers give the students comfort, they said. They feel the bill to allow concealed guns in campus buildings would not solve safety issues.

Worried about mass shooters and stressed-out students

By Bianca Camiro

Mass shootings have suddenly become a fear for Emily Murphy, an 18-year-old who was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. The pre-med student at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee expressed her strong viewpoint on the GOP bill allowing guns in Wisconsin college buildings.

“I don’t think guns should be allowed on campus in any way, shape, or form because it’s dangerous to students and faculty,” Murphy said in regards to the GOP bill.

With recent shootings on college campuses, Murphy expressed her concern with the possibility of a mass shooting happening on the UWM campus, though.

“College students aren’t in their right state of mind to even carry a gun on campus with the amount of stress they balance,” Murphy said. “They also aren’t responsible enough to carry guns in a public setting. Why would you need a gun on campus in the first place?”

There isn’t a place on campus where Murphy doesn’t feel safe. “I feel safe knowing guns aren’t allowed on campus, and that we have good security in all campus buildings and how they are very active on campus,” said Murphy.

In regards to the possibility of the bill being passed, Murphy said, “I am not very comfortable with the idea of the GOP bill and being surrounded by people carrying guns, but it is not in my control so I will have to live with it. But it will definitely make me more anxious.”

Feels safe on campus

By Hannah Cornish

“I don’t believe that guns will solve our problems, especially not on a college campus,” Julia Dieter, an 18-year-old freshman at UWM majoring in gender studies begins. She had a very strong reaction upon learning about the conceal and carry bill and immediately said that she would not want it passed.

Dieter explained how she felt having more guns on campus would make her feel less safe and that there would be a higher chance of violence. “In a scenario of a school shooting, there is usually a sole gunman, maybe two, who wreak havoc on campus. Could you imagine hundreds or thousands of people shooting at once, attempting to find one shooter?”

Dieter made it clear that she felt safe enough on campus with security in the residence calls and emergency call centers on campus and that the proposed conceal and carry bill could compromise that. “The safety of students supersedes the rights of gun owners. We have on campus police for a reason.”

Worried about combination of stress and guns

By Kayla Dungey

Cassie Fissell, a UWM freshman majoring in Nursing, expressed her feeling of discontent for the GOP’s potential bill to allow concealed guns inside of University buildings.

The announcement of the bill and its plan to override gun bans inside of campus buildings has been flooding the news in the recent weeks, and in hearing about the bill, Fissell says,

“I think it’s an awful idea. School puts people under a lot of stress. Stress and guns don’t make a good mix.”

Fissell talks about the current campus safety and says she feels almost completely safe on campus.

“I’d say I feel 7/10 on the safe scale, but if that bill passes my safe scale will definitely go down,” Fissell says.

Wants psychological tests for gun carriers

By Morgan Graham

Scary. That is the word University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee freshman, Cassie Siedschlag, used over and over when talking about the new bill trying to be passed in Wisconsin to allow guns in campus buildings.

The current law in place allows guns on the grounds of public universities, however the schools are able to put in place that bans one’s ability to carry guns into buildings.

“Conceal and carry is good thing,” said Siedschlag. She doesn’t believe that is the issue. But she doesn’t support the guns being carried in a campus building.

Siedschlag considered the fact that school shootings are becoming more and more prevalent, and said she would still feel “less safe,” if people were allowed to carry guns into buildings, even though lawmakers are using the prevalence of shootings to back this bill.

“It scares me knowing anyone can have a gun on them anytime,” said Siedschlag. One place Siedschlag especially wouldn’t like guns is in the residence halls (the bill would limit gunholders to those who qualify for a concealed carry permit). If this bill were to pass Siedschlag hopes at the very least those who would like to carry guns into campus buildings have to “pass a psychological test,” or go through some sort of testing at the very least before being permitted to do so.

Thinks the bill would protect students and should pass

By Megan Hall

Gun control controversy has been on the rise due to mass shootings around school campuses. Jacob Johnson, a freshman at UWM, thinks that there should be access to guns to control safety better.

Johnson, an 18-year-old freshman at UWM from Stoughton Wisconsin, plans to major in mechanical engineering. When asked why students and faculty should be able to carry guns on campus, his response was simply, “For safety. Police take more time to respond, and the people that are there [students and faculty] will be able to respond because people will go crazy regardless of laws.”

Johnson added that the bill would make him feel safer and said gun control would better ensure “being able to defend yourself and others.” Johnson said once he turns 21, he too will probably get a gun. He said that he feels safe now but would feel safer if the gun law was passed.

Might want to carry a gun if sexual assault crime increases

By Tess Klein

Molly Pinnekamp, 19, sophomore and mechanical engineering major at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, has mixed feelings on the recent law involving carrying guns on campus.

Pinnekamp, a Maryland native, said that she has never felt threatened or unsafe in any way on UW-Milwaukee’s campus due to the many resources that the college provides, emergency phones and “Safe Walkers” to name a few. In fact, Pinnekamp only felt unsafe when she heard about this law, stating, “Psychos can carry guns.”

When informed about the requirement to complete a conceal carry safety class, Pinnekamp said, “Any serial killer can sit through a conceal and carry class.” Instead, she would prefer if people were required to complete a psych evaluation prior to purchasing a gun. She said, “Sometimes you just see people and wonder how they got a gun.”

Pinnekamp said that although she has yet to feel threatened on campus, there are circumstances where she might consider carrying a gun herself. For example, if the number of sexual assaults happened to increase on campus, Pinnekamp would feel safer carrying a gun.

All in all, Pinnekamp believes that students and faculty who have completed the required precautions and feel unsafe on campus should be able to carry a gun to protect themselves.

Worried about people with mental illness

By Claire Larkin

Payton Becker, freshman at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee was asked about her thoughts on the recent proposed bill that would allow some students and faculty the right to carry concealed weapons.

When Becker was asked if concealed weapons should be allowed on campus she said, “No. Nowadays you can’t trust anyone. You aren’t aware if these people have mental illnesses and can get really upset one day and attack.”

Wisconsin lawmakers proposed the bill that would allow both students and faculty to carry concealed weapons on college campuses, if they qualify for permits.

Becker added that she feels “fairly safe” on the UWM campus. She says “being in large groups and having good campus security makes me feel better.” When Becker was asked if she would consider carrying a concealed weapon on the UWM campus, she said, “No. I wouldn’t really trust myself with that kind of responsibility.”

Wants tougher gun laws

By Danielle Miller

As Wisconsin legislators and UWM faculty debate the place concealed weapons have in UW-Milwaukee buildings, students are now starting to voice their opinions about the matter that will affect them so intimately.

Eighteen-year-old Sarah O’Leary is an International Studies major having come from Lisbon, Wisconsin. O’Leary disagrees with the new proposal, and wants to see tougher anti-gun laws. O’Leary said she feels the new law “isn’t a good plan,” elaborating that it’s “making guns more readily available” to those who harbor prejudices and those who suffer from mental illnesses.

O’Leary comments that “Milwaukee has a good set up [with safety measures],” and that she had been “made very aware of campus resources,” in case the need for help arises.

After the incident in Oregon, the worry of another campus shooting looms. “Guns readily available isn’t a good plan,” O’Leary said. O’Leary hopes people will see how common mass shootings have become, saying: “I grew up seeing it…on the news, seeing it in the media,” and worse, O’Leary saw the consequences. “[There was] constant exposure to gun violence.”

Worried about student anger and stress, even though friends hear gunshots

By Madison Schebel

Olivia Larson, an 18-year-old freshman at UW Milwaukee, has made it clear that she is completely against the bill allowing students, faculty and guests the right to conceal carry on campus and in campus buildings. Larson, who grew up in Fond du Lac, thinks this idea is one of the worst ever.

“It’s scary to think that our classmates could be carrying a gun.” she continues. “We have enough protection on campus and don’t need any more.”

From hearing stories of her friends hearing gunshots, to her friends actually being jumped, she always keeps on her toes when walking around. But regardless she still disagrees with this bill, seeing as how she only feels unsafe away from the buildings.

“I feel as if with the stress level of college students, they would tend to make more irrational decisions regarding gun use,” she explains.

With heated debates in lectures and people with short tempers, Larson feels as if this could only increase the amount of violence.

Doesn’t want weapons in some public areas

By Leah Grygleski

Zach Caley, 18, is a pre-law Economics major at the University of Milwaukee – Wisconsin. He is one of the many students that would be greatly affected if the bill passes to allow students to carry concealed weapons.

His opinion on the issue was very strong. He believes that the effort to try to make students safer by allowing guns on campus is the exact opposite of effective.

Caley believes that realistically, weapons don’t belong in some public events or areas such as malls, movie theaters, and sporting events.

A feeling of safety on campus, the heart of the conflict with this bill, would be threatened with concealed guns in a school zone, he says. “If everyone was carrying a weapon, it would be hard to tell who is going to use it ethically,” he explains.

Caley continues, “I would not carry a firearm even if it where legal because I feel like it’s unnecessary.”

Thinks Students Should Be Allowed To Carry Guns

By Trystan Letourneaux

Nate Berg, a sophomore at UWM, agrees that students should be allowed to carry concealed weapons on campus as long as there are certain conditions put in place.

It is possible that in the near future, some students and faculty members will be allowed to carry concealed weapons on campus and in its buildings. Berg agrees that this should be allowed but says, “They should make people get background checks, and it shouldn’t be easy to get a gun.”

With shootings occurring on college campuses around the country, some students don’t feel safe at all times. Milwaukee also has one of the highest increases in homicide rate this year.

Concealed carry is already permitted in Wisconsin, but universities currently have the right to overrule the law in campus buildings. A new bill is seeking to change that by overruling campus bans. Berg says, “We all have the right to carry a gun as long a person passes all the tests.

Berg says (he), “probably won’t get a weapon unless something like a shooting happened.” He also says he feels safe living near campus.