Disagreement arose among students when a group at Winona State University posted flyers promoting concealed carry on campus.
The flyers read, “Signs can’t stop acts of violence. Armed citizens can,” and “This is a gun free zone. If you were planning on shooting a bunch of innocent people and then yourself, we’re sorry, but that is not allowed here.”
The signs were put up in the Student Union by junior Alexi Paizis in promotion of a newly forming campus group, currently involving half a dozen students who call themselves “Students for Concealed Carry on Campus.”
The ultimate goal of the group is to change state policies to allow owners of concealed gun licenses to be able to carry concealed guns on campus, Paizis said.
After receiving permission from the student union desk, Paizis put up the flyers.
Paizis said that he and his group members expected some kind of reaction from students, but the posters were put up to spread awareness about the group and to get people to go the Web site to see why their group exists.
“It crossed my mind that we may be going against the grain with some people,” Paizis said, “but it never prevented me from putting them up.”
Paizis and two other group members, Christopher Burg and Jon Heer, said that the posters have been allowed at other colleges around the country.
Within a day of posting, Paizis noticed the flyers were being torn down.
The removal of his flyers did not deter Paizis from reposting them.
Joe Reed, the Student Union director, said that within two days of the flyers being posted, there were between 20 and 30 students coming into his office to complain that the flyers were offensive and inappropriate.
Reed said that the flyers should have been brought to his attention first before being posted.
“With all the complaints, I had to do something,” Reed said.
Reed recommended the matter to the Student Senate.
In a Senate meeting last month, the group members were able to voice their concerns during the meeting’s open gallery.
Senate’s Student Activities chair AJ Schuler said that, although he understands what the group was trying to say, the message was untimely due to the Northern Illinois University shootings.
Reed added later that he wanted to find a “safer way” to communicate the SCCC group’s message.
“This is your building,” Reed said. “I’m basically the landlord of your building, so I have to do what’s right for the students.”
Although the group was asked to work on rewording future posters, Paizis said he recognizes the concerns of the Student Union office.
“I understand their position,” Paizis said. “If I had to put myself in Joe Reed’s shoes I probably would have done the same thing.”
The group members said they would confer with Reed as they continue to work on new posters.
According to Reed, this was the first time the Student Union committee has had to deal with complaints about posters.
The SCCC group plans on continuing to promote their cause with an empty holster protest day in April in which members will wear an empty gun holster around campus for a day.

Contact Rachel at RDSmith5697@winona.edu