DailyMississippian The
Monday, February 20, 2012
thedmonline.com
Vol. 100 No. 252
Mississippi passes new campus gun laws BY JUSTIN TAYLOR
New Oxford high school could cost more
jdtaylo2@olemiss.edu
The tragic shootings on the Virginia Tech campus, in which a student killed 32 people and wounded 25 others before committing suicide, occurred nearly five years ago. Since then, some states and their universities, including Mississippi, have thought about changing their on-campus gun laws. The thought is that a law-abiding person carrying a firearm could have a positive effect in a situation like a school shooting. Beginning this year at the University of Mississippi, students can complete an eighthour course to have a concealed weapons permit, which allows them to carry a firearm on any campus in the state. People wanting to take the course have to be over the age of 21 and must pass a background check to be able to receive the advanced permit. Several years ago at an Oregon-based university, a former Marine was arrested for having a concealed weapon on campus, even though he had a permit from the state of Oregon allowing him to take concealed weapons into most public places. The former law at Ole Miss said anyone with a concealed weapons permit would be allowed to bring a
BY OKSANA DEMCHENKO odemchen@olemiss.edu
Information from the University of Mississippi Police Department.
firearm on campus but would have to leave it in their vehicle. Under the new law, people with the proper permit can carry firearms to locations like courtrooms, police stations and college campuses, which were once off-limits. Chancellor Dan Jones told The Daily Mississippian last year that he believed Ole Miss did not need to modify its gun laws. UPD Chief of Police Calvin Sellers said he is not in favor of allowing students to carry con-
INFOGRAPHIC BY CAROLINE DANIELS | The Daily Mississippian
cealed weapons on campus. “We are at a place where emotions run high, just in classroom discussions,” he said. “You have a class with people with opposing views and sometimes the discussions get to the point of arguments. Any place that I think emotions run so high, I don’t believe people need firearms.” Ole Miss is not the only university in the state to have this happen. Every university in Mississippi is required to let students who meet all the cri-
teria for the enhanced permit carry a weapon on campus. Sellers said he has spoken to all the university officials and none of them are in favor. “I’ve talked to all the fouryear university chiefs and all the junior college chiefs, everybody is against it,” he said. Associated Student Body president Taylor McGraw said he is also not in favor of the law. “I’m not a huge fan of letSee GUN LAWS, PAGE 3
The new Oxford High School facility is expected to cost more than the original $30 million approved by voters in 2010. “As the project goes, we needed to add something we didn’t think about in the beginning,” said Brian Harvey, interim superintendent of the Oxford School District. “We’ll know the exact cost of overrun on March 1, when the bids come in.” As initially presented, the facility could cost as much as $37.5 million while the basics could come in at $31.6 million. Once the bids come back, school officials will decide which expenses to cut. Bids will be accepted for each of eight school segments. “These structures are five academic buildings, gymnasium, cafeteria and fine arts center,” said Oxford High School Principal Michael Martin. “Within these four there are certain parts, which they may choose to build or not to build, but the academic buildings should be completed for sure.”
Turner Center in desperate need of expansion to meet student needs
PHILLIP WALLER | The Daily Mississippian
With increased enrollment, the Turner Center at the University of Mississippi can no longer keep up with students who want to work out.
BY MARIDANE HEWES maridaneh@gmail.com
There are more and more people using the Turner Cen-
ter at the University of Mississippi these days, and with that comes more lines and full fitness classes. “Sadly, there has been no ex-
pansion to the Turner Center, just a few changes done,” said Bill Kingery, the center’s director. Approaching its 30th birth-
day, the Turner Center has had countless students in its confines, but it has not seen an expansion to meet the needs of the current Ole Miss student body. The few changes that have been made over the years have not been enough to keep up with the growing student population. The current fitness center used to be a gymnastics room with trampolines, exercise mats and other equipment, but it was converted because the academic program is not teaching it anymore. After the gymnastics program ended, there was a significant part of the student body missing from the Turner Center — the girls. Three of the racquetball courts have been taken away to make room for the dance program, leaving only seven courts, and the basketball floors have been converted from synthetic to wooden floors. As a result of overcrowding, students are starting to go to
other gyms. Kingery even said some of his staff members do not use the Turner Center to exercise. “I just go to the gym at the Connection because the lines are so ridiculous,” said sophomore public policy major Bailey Haile. Haile is a former Ole Miss ambassador. When she was giving tours, Haile was encouraged not to bring prospective students by the Turner Center unless they specifically asked to see it because it is so unattractive. The lines add to the unattractiveness, giving the Turner Center an uninviting environment. Students have to wait for fitness classes. Just last week, 50 girls were turned away from a Zumba class, and the cycling class can only hold about 20 people at a time due to a lack of bicycles. See TURNER, PAGE 3