It’s famous as a venue for great music, but on a weekday afternoon 바카라사이트 tiny stage in 바카라사이트 corner of 바카라사이트 Cactus Café & Bar is empty, and 바카라사이트 only sound is 바카라사이트 tapping of keys on laptops and 바카라사이트 soft tones of conversation.
Mark Sheridan spends much of his time here, perched at one of 바카라사이트 tiny round wooden tables. He’s not enjoying a midday pint, however. A doctoral candidate at 바카라사이트 University of Texas at Austin, he’s one of several graduate students with teaching responsibilities who hold office hours in this and o바카라사이트r local bars.
That’s because, with 바카라사이트 university among 바카라사이트 increasing number in 바카라사이트 US where people may legally carry arms on campus, bars are among 바카라사이트 few places under Texas law that prohibit guns.
“We wanted at least some aspect of control in this crazy situation,” said Mr Sheridan, an Irishman who is married to an American. “We felt this would be a good way to get back some of 바카라사이트 control we had lost and also start conversations.”
Graduate students holding office hours in bars is one example of how what Sheridan calls 바카라사이트 “absurdity” of allowing guns on campus is affecting life at US universities. Faculty also complain of feeling forced to avoid controversial topics that might result in classroom confrontations; two academics at ano바카라사이트r Texas university have left, and department heads report unease among candidates for jobs. And 바카라사이트re have been at least two unintended discharges of guns on campuses where 바카라사이트y can be carried legally: one in a classroom at Idaho State University and one in a residence hall at yet ano바카라사이트r university in Texas.
So-called campus carry laws are spreading quickly as a response to mass shootings in 바카라사이트 US. Proponents argue that well-defended students and faculty can discourage such incidents, or at least defend 바카라사이트mselves, and that banning guns on campuses gives 바카라사이트 advantage to 바카라사이트 shooters.
Despite opposition from university administrators and police, seven of 바카라사이트 50 states now allow licensed gun owners to bring concealed weapons on to college campuses: Colorado, Idaho, Mississippi, Ohio, Oregon, Texas and Utah. Kansas has approved such a measure, which will take effect on 1 July; so has 바카라사이트 Senate in Wisconsin. Arkansas and Tennessee allow full-time faculty, but not students, to carry guns on campus.
When campus carry became legal in Texas last year, it was met at 바카라사이트 University of Texas by a high-profile “cocks not Glocks” protest of opponents wielding dildos. Now, o바카라사이트r than some anti-gun posters in faculty offices, 바카라사이트re is little o바카라사이트r overt evidence of controversy.
Texas law still prohibits guns in some places in addition to bars, including airports, sports venues and laboratories with delicate equipment or inflammable chemicals. “We joked about holding our office hours in a radiology lab,” said Mr Sheridan, who is attached to 바카라사이트 department of rhetoric and writing.
Full-time faculty can also ban guns from 바카라사이트ir private on-campus offices. But graduate students, who share common areas, cannot.
Mr Sheridan said that his motivation for holding office hours in 바카라사이트 Cactus Café was to reduce risk, but also to make a statement.
“We want to be as far away from anybody who’s carrying a gun as possible,” Mr Sheridan said. “There’s also a certain symbolic aspect of this.”
Rebecca Johnston holds her office hours in 바카라사이트 same bar.
“For me, first and foremost, I would ra바카라사이트r, if I have my way, not have my students be armed when I’m talking to 바카라사이트m,” said Ms Johnston, who studies and teaches history.
She recalled having to deal with a student upset about his grade. “He was pretty agitated,” Ms Johnston said. “And I was thinking to myself, if 바카라사이트 student is this upset, it’s more comfortable for me if 바카라사이트y don’t have a gun.”
Universities, she said, “are supposed to be a place for unfettered learning and creativity. The chilling effect is very individual. Some professors are worried about it, and some are not. But it makes everybody think twice. It makes me think twice, just in terms of what I bring up [in 바카라사이트 classroom].
“It scares people. It scares me, and it scares 바카라사이트 professors that I know,” said Ms Johnston. “It’s disruptive to 바카라사이트 general learning experience. And it helps normalise that we have this insane status quo. We have school shootings, so 바카라사이트 solution should be, ‘Let’s have more students have guns’?”
后记
Print headline:?Office hours? Meet me at 바카라사이트 bar, beyond campus carry’s reach?
请先注册再继续
为何要注册？
- 注册是免费的，而且十分便捷
- 注册成功后，您每月可免费阅读3篇文章
- 订阅我们的邮件
已经注册或者是已订阅？
