Volume 124 Issue 85
kansan.com
Monday, January 30, 2012
CONCEALED AND CARRYING
University campuses may be forced to allow firearms
RACHEL SALYER
rsalyer@kansan.com
A bill in the Kansas House of Federal and State Affairs Committee would allow concealed carry permit holders to bring firearms onto college and university campuses.
The committee heard testimony Wednesday and Thursday on House Bill 2353, introduced by Rep. Forrest Knox, R-Altoona.
Under the current law, public and private buildings may prohibit entry of permit holders' firearms with signs posted at every entrance, which the University currently does.
According to the new bill, public places would not be able to prohibit firearms by licensed carriers unless it had "adequate security measures," including security guards and metal detectors at all public entrances.
The University and Kansas Board of Regents oppose the bill.
"The safety and security of our campus community is a top priority." Jill Jess, University Director for News and Media Relations, said. "However, we at KU agree with the Board of Regents and all university police chiefs in Kansas that concealed carry on campus will not increase security and public safety."
Since May 2007, 385 deaths occurred by killers with concealed carry permits, according to the Violence Policy Center's website, which updates the tally monthly.
In 2010, 12,996 homicides occurred by firearms, according to the FBI's website.
When comparing the two numbers, Dillon Barnes, a senior majoring in psychology from Maple Hill, Kan. thinks there is very little risk of a concealed carry permit holder abusing his firearm.
"There is a bad apple in every group," Barnes, a concealed carry permit holder, said. "People who want to get a gun illegally will find a way to do so, whether it's legal to carry a firearm or not."
Barnes regularly takes his firearm with him in public, and would take his gun on campus if the bill passed. Barnes believes allowing permit holders to bring their firearms on campus would help improve personal safety.
"People don't know that they're already around carriers. Because they are concealed and there hasn't been any problems with them, people don't even notice," Barnes said.
On behalf of all university police chiefs in Kansas, Richard Johnson, Director of Public Safety, wrote a letter to the board of regents, stating their opposition for the bill.
"It is our firm belief that allowing weapons on campus would significantly increase the risk of danger and tragedy, and not make anyone safer.
Many supporters of the bill believe it is their constitutional right to carry firearms in public under the Second Amendment.
It should not be assumed that the limited training persons licensed to carry a concealed weapon receive, will enable them to react in a safe, reasonable, and legal manner during a volatile situation," Johnson said in his letter.
However, Richard Levy, University School of Law professor of constitutional law, does not think current interpretations of the amendment call for concealed carry on campus.
"I don't think there is a strong argument under the law as it stands that it is required by the state to allow concealed carry in public places under the Second Amendment," Levy said.
Levy said the original interpretation of the amendment was the right to bear arms for militia purposes, but in 2008 the Supreme Court ruled individuals have the right possess firearms for personal protection under District of Columbia V. Heller.
"The Second Amendment didn't create conceal and carry," Levy said. "The Second Amendment doesn't tells us if you have the right to have the weapon on your person, or which places it is and isn't okay to have a weapon."
Levy thinks if the bill passes it would be difficult to have it overturned.
Following the hearings, the committee will decide to favorably recommend the bill to the house or not.
A bill similar to House Bill 2353 passed the House last year, but failed to gain traction in the Senate.
Governor Sam Browback's office said he has not made a public decision on whether he would sign the bill into law or not if it passed.
Edited by Tanvi Nimkar
EDUCATION
Cyber criminals may be people you know
MARSHALL SCHMIDT
mschmidt@kansan.com
According to a recent study by the Pew Research Center, many young couples share email and Facebook passwords to show their affection. However when considering ways to develop intimacy, these couples should be using greater protection.
"They're sharing things about themselves that they shouldn't, and they should consider the long term implications of giving someone such access to their online life," said Julie Fugett, network security architect for the University and an alumna. Married for ten years, Fugett and her husband have not shared their facebook, banking, or KU ID passwords.
"Cyber security isn't just about credit information or social security numbers, it's also about your privacy and personal information," said David Day, communications coordinator for the University.
Day said that one of the simplest ways to remain secure is to keep track of personalelectronics, such as laptopstablets and cell phones.
Brett Gerstenberger, information technologist for the University, said that theft of electronic devices is the most common crime on campus. "Students leave their devices in the library while going to the
bathroom, and they end up stolen" he said.
Gerstenberger also added that it is important to lock devices when left unattended, and report them missing as soon as possible. If a cell phone is stolen, the owner can contact their service provider to erase the data on the phone.
Students also need to protect their information on social media websites such as Facebook and Twitter. Gerstenberger said that users should regularly check their privacy settings to limit outsiders' access to their information.
"If you don't know a person, do not friend them," he said.
According to Gerstenberger, another way people compromise their privacy on the internet is by clicking on suspicious links and advertisements that introduce malware to the computer.
Also students should not use public, unsecured computers for activities that involve personal bankaccounts and other private information.
“There’s no such thing as a free iPad.” Gerstenberg said.
Finally, stu
dents should update their computer software regularly and install anti-virus software. The University offers students free SOPHOS anti-virus software, which can be downloaded at security.ku.edu/ antivirus/. Also, KU Information Technology posts cyber security tips on its facebook page, facebook. com/besekure.
"Once it's online, it's online forever," Gerstenberger said. "If your identity is stolen, it usually takes forty hours of your life to recover your identity."
Gerstenberger says that taking time to think about cyber security can prevent the inconveniences that come with cybercrime.
Edited by Caroline Kraft
The Information Technology office of the University says theft of electronic devices is the most common crime on campus.
CHRIS NEAL/KANSAN
MUSIC
KU Orchestra performs to drum-up support in Eutin
David Neely, the director of orchestral activities, and dean of the School of Music Robert Walzel led a small group of student musicians and singers to Eutin to play in the St. Michael's Church to an audience of nearly 350 to promote awareness and support for a coming summer collaboration.
"The people were great," said Christopher Cobbett, a graduate student from Boston studying opera who sang in the New Year's celebration concert. "They were very excited and the applause just seemed to kind of go on forever."
KU Symphony Orchestra members played a successful New Year's celebration concert in the Lawrence sister-city of
Eutin, Germany on Jan. 14.
The University orchestra last performed in Eutin in the summer of 2011, helping to save the city's annual music festival from
ISAAC GWIN
"Basically, the hope is to, in the long term, build a real summer institute," said Neely, referring to the goal of having the Eutin summer festival become a continual boon for the University musicians.
German music director Urs Theuss traveled to the University to meet with Neely for the first time in December 2011 to hold student auditions for the summer festival.
CONTRIBUTED BY JANIS PORIETIS
Pianist Breanna Ellison and violinist Shan-Ken Chien rehearse at the St. Michael's Church in Eutin, Germany before the night of their performance.
KU Symphony Orchestra performed in Lawrence's sister city for a New Year's celebration.
According to director Neely, 20 orchestra musicians and 20 singers from the University are planning to attend this summer's festival, where they will perform along with European student musicians in three stage productions.
the festival's finances so that it may continue without issue.
igwin@kansan.com
Theuss will be responsible for
shutting down by providing the music and performers for many of the festival's shows, according to local coordinators. Former organizers of the festival had filed for bankruptcy in the fall of 2010, which put the future of the event in jeopardy.
Edited by Nadia Imafidon
CAMPUS
Fire outside Oliver Hall
CLASSIFIEDS 11 CRYPTOQUIPS 4 SPORTS 12
CROSSWORD 4 OPINION 5 SUDOKU 4
Police responded to a fire on the south side of Oliver Hall Sunday night around 9:50 p.m. Sam Catir, a resident of Oliver, said he used a fire extinguisher to help police put out the fire
before Lawrence Fire and Medical personnel arrived. Catir said he suspected fireworks may have caused the fire. He did not see fireworks Sunday night, but had seen them fly toward Oliver from the direction of 19th street in the past.
KU Public Safety officers and Student Housing staff at the scene declined to comment.
-Ryan Schlesener
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ts, unless stated otherwise. © 2011 The University Daily Kansan
Check out Geoffrey Benzing's "Animals" exhibit at the Kansas Union Gallery from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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