Today, four students will congregate in the cold to debate an issue currently being discussed in the Florida Legislature: concealed carry on campus. These four will meet in the Marshall Student Center Amphitheatre to share their argument and raise awareness of the issue. Each team will consist of two current USF students.
John Wilcox, a third year senior majoring in political science and international studies, will be providing the rebuttal for the anti-concealed carry team.
“I just think it’s common sense,” he said, though he has never had an issue regarding concealed carry that motivated him to argue against.
“I think it’s important, because it’s an issue that’s going to matter.”
Right now, the on-campus concealed carry bill is being debated in the Florida Legislature, which has been in session since Friday.
“It’s something that will effect your time at USF,” Wilcox said. “It’s something that every college student should be aware of.”
Ultimately, he said, the debate will serve as a means of raising on-campus awareness of an issue that has been hotly debated all over the country for many years.
The issue of on-campus concealed carry has been debated for decades, and many now-college-age students grew up with a fear of campus shootings thanks in part to incidences like the Virginia Tech shootings and the Columbine massacre.
The debate will take place at 6 p.m.
