ZeeMore21

I, too, would like to know the reason behind allowing students to carry guns to campus? Political statements? Honestly don't know why anyone would really need a concealed weapon in a learning environment. People just seem to want to make a political statement with their guns, not really protect themselves.

Are you distinguishing between public and private institutions? The reason why I've been focusing on schools having the right to ban guns on campus was due to posters arguing that college gun bans is an affront to the rights of individuals to carry guns, which was alarming to me. I will think about your question for a little bit.

As far as college students having the choice to pick whatever institution they choose...is that necessary always the case? What about location or finances? That could limit their school choices...maybe a college that permits guns on campus might be the only choice they have. I don't think students should have to add gun presence as another deciding factor when it comes to making a college decision.

Do you honestly expect someone to pull out a concealed weapon and start shooting you because they disagree with your opinions?

I was simply countering the argument you made that all institutions draw a line between concealed and unconcealed weapons....for the majority of public K-12 schools, no teacher is allowed to carry a concealed weapon...and these would be teachers of the legal age to carry guns. I am not discussing minors here. This was just an example of the fact that just because a gun is concealed, doesn't make people feel safer. These schools see concealed weapons as just as dangerous as those unconcealed.

And also....even if guns are concealed, that doesn't necessarily mean that the classroom setting wouldn't be altered in some way. Like Two Espressos stated, the fact that I know that guns are allowed in the classroom would be unsettling for me...especially since most people in the classroom would be complete strangers to me. There would be some shift in the way I handle myself in the classroom, and I don't think I am a minority here. There is nothing wrong with a fear of guns, given the damage they can do in a very short period of time.

Well doing a bit of research, the majority of K-12 schools don't permit guns on their premises....whether it is concealed or not. To be honest, I don't understand why, for example, one person in a classroom owning a gun has the right to make any decision about how to use it while around others. Just because this student owns a gun doesn't necessarily mean they can make judgment calls on the behalf of others or that they are even mature enough to be carrying one. And I am talking about those carrying guns legally. Like I said before, owning a gun at home is fine...you want to protect yourself and your family, right on. But carrying a gun into the classroom setting is a totally different situation.

Also, I never answered your rebuttal here. Yes, people are allowed to drink alcohol, but establishments have the right to ban people with alcoholic beverages....it's their right to do so. So basically, their right to feel safe is a priority as opposed to individual's rights to drink. Similarly, institutions should have the same right to ban guns on campuses. I don't know when gun carriers had supreme authority to tell institutions what they can or cannot do.

Definitely agree here....people can choose to carry guns if they want, colleges have the right not to permit them to attend campus. That's the way it should be. I don't understand Eigen...are you saying that every institution must agree to allow students to carry concealed weapons? How about an institution's decision to ban weapons? Is that an affront to the constitutional rights of gun owners? Again, colleges should be the ones making the decisions on behalf of the opinions of the campus community.

I'm not trying to suggest that gun deaths are more important than other deaths due to violence. A life is a life, so I would never say that. I think what makes me angry about deaths due to gun violence is the fact that people who support current gun laws don't feel the need to address the high level of murders that result from gun violence. We can talk about deaths due to stabbings and bar fights all we want, but the fact is that most murders are due to guns. There must be a reason why the United States has a higher level of crime in comparison to other countries...and it surely is that fact that guns are way too accessible in this country. It is so much easier to take someone's life away with a gun. The reason why I have heightened sensitivity when I hear about gun violence isn't because death by gun is more newsworthy than death by other types of violence. The reason is because nobody wants to admits that there is a serious gun problem in this country. As soon as anyone mentions this, people start trying to legitimize gun ownership by pointing to other types of deaths. People celebrate gun ownership but don't want to take the time to seriously thing about the consequences of making guns easily accessible. As far as limiting guns on campus to 21 year old college students....I'm not sure we can say that all 21 year olds are at the same maturity level to handle guns, that's a fact.

I see your point of wanting to protect yourself in your own home MoJingly, since I am a 23 year old female myself. Like I said in my other post, guns should be kept at home...I don't understand why guns need to be brought onto campus. Just seems unnecessary and detrimental to an overall feeling of safety on campus.

I see where you are going Eigen...but it seems just too easy to discard the fact that gun violence is a very serious issue by offering up drunk driving as a counterweight. A life is a life, and regardless of whether people get killed by drunk drivers more than guns, at the end of the day, someone's son, father, mother, sister is gone forever due to gun violence. I've had a friend's brother die on my street due to gun violence, so this is a very serious issue for me....knowing that drunk driving might be more dangerous/common than gun violence doesn't really tackle the real issue here. Regardless of whether crimes are committed with legally or illegally purchased guns, I definitely believe that current laws are making guns way too accessible. I think that too often we let politics get in the way from realizing how delicate life is...I don't think someone's liberty to carry a weapon in public places should supersede someone's right to feel safe as a citizen in this country. Obviously, not all gun-carrying individuals are violent. But I shouldn't have to sit with complete strangers in college classrooms who have guns hanging out of their pockets, I honestly would not have the peace of mind to make it through a class session. With this in mind, I think that guns could possibly get in the way of a healthy learning environment. If people want to be able to have guns in their homes, that is fine by me. However, I don't think that people who may be uncomfortable with the presence of guns (and rightfully so) should be forced to be surrounded by them on a daily basis. They have rights too.

We can keep going on pretending that gun violence is rare and doesn't happen that often....but in reality people die everyday from guns, no propaganda here. That's all I have to say.

That's definitely a plan on mine....I would get a bike even if I do get a car. I really would just want the car for big errands and going far distances.

Thanks for the advice hejduk! Really appreciate it. I will probably do the wait and see approach but getting a loan for a car is definitely off the table for me...either I can afford the car or I can't. I think in my case, I don't absolutely need a car...it would just be really nice to have one though. With that in mind, I don't think I will take a loan out for a car.

I appreciate all of your advice Eigen! Very helpful.

Hey Eigen, thanks. Are you at Vandy? I did visit Nashville for Open House this past March, so I am familiar with the layout and now that having a car would be important. I just really don't think I will be able to afford one right now. I would be a first-time buyer, so I'm still trying to figure out what a reasonable price for a used car would be and how to go about looking for one in Nashville, since I will be new to the area. I currently am in Philadelphia right now, so I'm even trying to consider whether I should purchase here or in Nashville in August. Stressful situation!

How many graduate students here will be starting their programs without a car? Since I wasn't too successful finding a job for the summer, my plans to purchase a used car is still up in the air right now, especially since I'm thinking about how to handle all the initial costs I will have to deal with when I move in August. I will be living in Nashville, which is not the most car-friendly of all places, but the upside is that I will be living very close to campus and there is an adequate public transportation system if I need it. I am not too sure about groceries and other places where I will need to purchase items, but I'm hoping they are not too far away. I'm also nervous about how to go about hanging out with fellow students in my program without a car. But anyway, I was hoping that I would hear from others who will most likely not have their own transportation off the bat. How do you plan on commuting? Do you plan on purchasing a car when you get settled in? My plan is to maybe wait a couple months and see if I can get a used car, but I'm not sure if that will work out. There is a little bit of pressure on my end since my roommate doesn't have a license and isn't from the States so it will take her a while also if she ever plans on searching for a vehicle. I'm trying not to stress myself out over the transportation issue but the older I get (almost 24), the more responsibility I feel to purchase a car so I can be more dependent and be able to go wherever I want to, especially as a graduate student. But maybe I'm just being too hard on myself. It would be nice to also hear from graduate students who do have experience going without a car. Thanks!

I'm assuming that your department has a graduate student association of some sort...most programs have something like that. Also, if you check your school's student life page, you should be directed to an entire list of student organizations, ranging from undergrad to grad.

I would definitely go ahead and do the PhD...don't let temporary feelings of guilt get in the way of your goal...you have to do what is best for you. But most importantly, Congratulations!!!

Bump.

Thanks for the advice. Actually, this internship has nothing to do with my field. The foundation deals with community development, which I do have experience in outside of school, but the internship has nothing to do with Literature. I would essentially be doing administrative work under two program officers in addition to some grant writing. I plan on teaching college level English, so I doubt that any universities I apply to in the future would be wanting a reference for a summer internship from 5-6 years ago that has no relation to my field or teaching. I also don't plan on working any summer positions during school. Also, given that I was leaving for a school, I don't think a short term job would look bad on my resume.

Also, another thought is that I would feel guilty if I landed this job: for the employers to spend their time going through two interviews, finding an intern, and having the intern quit after a month and a half seems unfair.

Hi, So basically I applied for an internship last month that I assumed was a summer position (they were asking for graduate students or college seniors), and landed the first interview two weeks ago. During the first interview, the employer said that she would hope the intern would stay until the end of December...she never asked me how long I could work if I landed the job, so I never mentioned the fact that I would have to leave mid August. Today, the employer emailed me that she would like to invite me to a second interview this Wednesday. I'm kind of surprised because in the first interview, she said that they may not do a second one, so I was hoping that I would have heard from her about getting the position sooner. I haven't replied to her email request today because I am unsure if I should even have a position that I would only be in for approximately a month and a half....I hate being in awkward situations, and having to write a two week notice the first week in August just seems daunting. The employer I interviewed with seems like a tough girl, so I can't even imagine how I would deal with confronting her about leaving. But, it would be very nice to make some money this summer, especially since I wouldn't get my first paycheck from my school until the end of September. It would be great to have some kind of cushion. Anyway, it would be nice to have some advice about whether I should just turn down the interview. Or even if i did go to the second interview, would I have to mention that I do plan on leaving in August. It is likely that that I may be asked how long I can stay, so I'm wondering if I should just get out early and not waste my time.

Thanks for the help bhikhaari!