By: Politico

No verbal shots were fired across Bigelow Boulevard at high noon on Tuesday, April 22, even though two opposing student groups were playing with a loaded subject.

Pitt’s chapter of the national group Students for Concealed Carry on Campus assembled at the base of the Cathedral of Learning for their Empty Holster protest, their camp facing the William Pitt Union. Their opponent, the No Guns on Campus student group, stood across Bigelow Boulevard in front of the Union protesting SCCC’s movement.

Though opposed to each other’s views, the warring factions coexisted peacefully. When SCCC’s rally faced the threat of being asked to disperse because they lacked a permit, No Guns on Campus organizers Cassidy Gruber and Josh Shulman crossed the street offering juice boxes and table space at the Union to their adversaries.

This civilized discord was reflected in the way members from each group responded to each other’s arguments.

On the side of No Guns, Gruber said that the bottom line is that both groups have at heart the interest of ensuring safety on campus, but they are approaching the issue from opposite directions.

"It’s a matter of being proactive as compared to being reactive, which is what they’re trying to do," said Gruber.

She said she believes that campuses will stay safer if guns are kept off the premises, as is currently the case at Pitt and at most, but not all, higher-level institutions in the United States.

"[Students] should be able to feel that they are here to learn and shouldn’t have to feel that in order to be safe, they need to carry a weapon of lethal force," she said.

SCCC, however, feels differently.

The national group, which formed after campus shootings at Virginia Tech and, more recently, Northern Illinois University, claims "state laws and school policies … stack the odds in favor of dangerous criminals and armed killers by disarming law-abiding citizens licensed to carry concealed handguns virtually everywhere else," said the group’s Web site, Concealedcampus.org.

"I’m glad they’re wearing targets," said SCCC member Sam Gupta, referring to the No Guns group’s encouragement of students to wear T-shirts with targets drawn on them.

"That works in our favor because it serves to show how vulnerable we are if someone were to come into a classroom with a gun intending to do harm," said Gupta.

SCCC argues that although concealed carry license holders in Pennsylvania are not required to take a training test, shooting skill is not an issue.

"If you think about it, people think police are training [with their guns] every day," said Dave Brytus, the campus leader of SCCC at Pitt.

"In reality they have an exam to pass before they are given their service weapon and after that their daily routine involves paperwork and classes, From then on they just have to pass the test again once a year to get their licenses renewed," said Brytus.

Brytus also said most concealed carry license holders are also gun enthusiasts like he is, and they practice with their guns at shooting ranges regularly.

Colt Templin, event coordinator for SCCC at Pitt, said gun owners should take it upon themselves to practice with their weapons. SCCC also could work with Pitt police to create a mandatory training program for license holders who want to bring their guns on campus.

"We understand that in order for [the University to consider amending its ruling], we would need to make some concessions," said Templin.

"We’ll be happy to work with the Pitt police to mandate a training program if that’s what it takes to get the same rights on campus we have everywhere else with our licenses," said Templin.

But No Guns on Campus doesn’t think a training program would cut it.

"SCCC has said they want to develop a training program with Pitt police, but that’s still only training to a maximum of 20 percent accuracy," said Gruber.

According to the Brady Campaign, a national non-partisan organization for the prevention of gun violence, "police officers hit their targets less than 20 percent of the time."

Gruber voiced concerns about the efficacy of training programs, questioning how well modules can prepare anyone for the stress of a crisis situation.

"The difference between going to shoot your gun at a shooting range and shooting at someone in a crisis situation is the presence of a crisis," said Gruber.

Despite the conflicting opinions offered by either side and the signatures each secured on petitions, the decision whether or not to change the current ruling prohibiting guns on campus is ultimately the University’s.

Editor’s note: No Guns on Campus organizer Cassidy Gruber is a columnist at The Pitt News.

Hayley Grgurich reports for University of Pittsburgh’s The Pitt News. The Pitt News is partnering with Campus Politico for the 2008 elections.

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