Student Body President Phil Lund proposed several places on campus to make gun-free zones in correlation to the 2016 Campus Carry law at the Student Government Association’s first general body meeting of 2016 last night.
The list included athletic events and arenas such as the Johnson Coliseum and Bowers Stadium, all government meetings held on campus and the SHSU Health Center. Members and visitors were then invited to add to the unofficial list. Students had concerns about residence halls, which the Texas Legislature has said do not qualify as potential gun free zones.
The question surfaced if students or the resident advisors would have access to know who in their residence hall was in procession of a firearm, to which Lund reluctantly said no.
The discussion of gun-free zones carried over to the future expansion of the Lowman Student Center.
Lund invited guest speaker and LSC Director Dan McDaniels to present his proposal of expansion and renovation to the audience.
“The LSC is the number one place on campus to make a better place,” McDaniels said.
McDaniels’ presentation included a proposal for a grand entrance that brought in more natural light, a building atrium that allowed for a larger ballroom with a breakout space, and a larger ballroom to be moved from the 1st floor of the LSC to the 3rd floor, allowing a bowling alley to be built near the Kat Klub.
McDaniels will be retiring during the spring semester and is excited to see the LSC expand.
“This is your student center, get involved and make it right,” McDaniels said.
Another student inquired if the Kat Klub and new bowling alley would be a gun-free zone to which Lund was unsure, but made sure to add to the SGA’s proposal.
Stay tuned to The Houstonian as legislation progresses.