The Exponent - Purdue's Student Newspaper
I will not be able to be in attendance due to a test, any other boilers, americans or lafayette residents please show up!
6pm tonight in Beering Room 2291
Tonight, students will discuss the validity of carrying a gun on campus.
The Purdue chapter of Young Americans for Liberty, a libertarian student organization, will host a forum to discuss whether anyone should be allowed to carry a concealed firearm on campus.
“The purpose of the forum is to get people to start having conversations on ... issues that affect their freedoms,” said Nathan Murphy, a junior in the School of Management and president of the Purdue chapter.
The forum will be in the format of a public debate. Participants will first be briefed on the laws and regulations that affect the issue and a moderator will then direct discussion among anyone who wants to contribute.
According to Murphy, the Purdue chapter has hosted one forum earlier in the semester similar to this one and roughly 30 people participated in the discussion. He hopes for an even bigger discussion tonight.
“I believe that the crowd will be fairly evenly split,” said Daniel Peffers, a junior in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering and a member of Young Americans for Liberty. “I personally feel that law-abiding citizens should be allowed to concealed carry on campus for purposes of self defense.”
Not every member of the Purdue chapter is in favor of concealed carry. Jessica Rombach, a junior in the College of Agriculture and chapter member, believes that “concealed carry isn’t necessary on campus to improve safety and shouldn’t be allowed if there is any question of it hindering safety.”
All Young Americans for Liberty members agree that the forum should promote public discussion of a complex topic.
“The forum is to bring students together and encourage dialogue on this campus,” Rombach wrote in an e-mail. “We need to get people out of their shells and out of the apathetic mindset that appears to be more common in our generation than others.”
The forum will be held at 6 tonight in Beering Room 2291. It is open to the public.
I will not be able to be in attendance due to a test, any other boilers, americans or lafayette residents please show up!
6pm tonight in Beering Room 2291