University of Kansas - Jayhawker Yearbook (Lawrence, KS)

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dam Khan carries a gun for his work as a Mil-Spec security guard. Eric Stein has a conceal Carry license but also uses his gun for home protec- tion. Brittany Ramos is looking to get her con- cealed carry license once her boyfriend becomes certified to teach her the course himself. They all share some- thing in common: a want to protect themselves and others. A In 2001 a Harvard University study found that three and a half percent of college students own firearms. At that time, about 14 million students attended a two- or four- year university, so when the study was conducted, close to half a million college students owned a Hrearm. EVERYONE ROMANTI- C1zEs IT LIKE wEsTERNs', As college jobs go, one that requires a gun is definitely not on par with flipping burgers. Adam Khan, Wichita graduate student, and a co- worker of his told several stories in which a shootout almost occurred-situ- ations when they had to draw their guns. STUDENTS BEARING ARMS i Everyone romanticizes it like Westerns, but if you ever pull one and put it to awguyis chest, youlre praying to god. You're praying to god that you don't have to use itf, says Mil-Spec officer and business graduate student from Western Kansas who wishes to remain anonymous. Khan says each time he had to draw his gun, time slowed down, he had a moment to think about the situa- tion. Fortunately, he's never had to shoot someone. Though Khan carries for work he also keeps several guns at home for recreational purposes and home protection. MNOT THAT FM REQUIRED TO CARRY A GUN IN CHURCH. . . After conceal carry became legal in Kansas in 2006, more than 14,000 people have applied and attained a conceal carry license-which is not the easiest to acquire. It costs S15 0 and requires an eight-hour training course. Still, 1,252 Kansas residents between the ages of 20 and 30 have a conceal carry license. Eric Stein, Topeka senior, is the campus leader of Students for Concealed Carry on Campus at KU. I-Ie says he takes his carrying as a responsibility and feels that heid rather be prepared in any situation than risk that one time where he isnit. I-Ie even carries to church-the pastor knows and is fine with it. That's where I feel somewhat on the job, I Stein says. I sit in the back and make sure everything goes according to plan. Not that I'm required to carry a gun in church, but Fm sure that I feel safer and others feel safer. Owning a gun, and being comfortable with it, can also be a way to break from standard gender roles. 'Tm kind of a part-time feminist, says Brittany 3 Ramos, Overland Park senior. I donitgprefer to have to rely on other people to protect me. ,I In Kansas, 12 percent of licensed concealed carriers are women. I REALLY WANT MY FAMILY TO NOT ONLY FEEL SAFE, BUT BE SAFE IN MY HCMEF, College students are not the prime market for home se- curity systems-how many college dwellings have you been inside of with a security system? Probably not many. Some students prefer to protect their homes with a Hrearm instead. Khan, the Mil-Spec officer, recalls a time when he felt the need to use a gun for protection in his home. I hear a window breakingf Khan says. I grab my shotgun, jack a shell into it and it ended up being the guy next door drunk out of his mind thinking it was his house and trying to get into his bed. The houses were identical. Luckily no one was hurt, and Khan,s neighbor paid for the broken window. After that, though, he didn't see much of his neighbor. Khan says he thinks after the inci- dent, he was afraid of him. Khan, Ramos and Stein mentioned comfort as a rea- son for owning the firearms. They felt more comfortable because of the firearm being in their homes than without it there. A level of uncertainty in regard to everyday life is also present. It's not that gun owners, on a whole, are paranoid-itis just that they'd prefer to feel ready if a ter- rible situation happens. I really want my family to not only feel safe but be safe in my home, Stein says. It makes me feel better knowing that I have a means to protect myself. I' tw, GUNS l 76