Senate yet to take stance on gun bill

After two weeks of discussing the state Senate bill allowing secured firearms in cars on campus, the Associated Students of the University of Arizona Senate has yet to take an official stance.

Noticeably absent from Wednesday’s student government meeting in the Student Union Memorial Center was any mention of progress on the gun resolution on the part of ASUA, although Sen. Tyler Quillin made his own views clear during the senator reports.

The bill is meant to protect those “”who don’t feel safe walking from their house to their car,”” he said. “”This is not bringing guns into classrooms.””

The purpose of the bill is to decriminalize those who are engaged in activities with guns off campus, Quillin said, pointing out marksmen and legal gun carriers as examples.

ASUA Executive Vice President Emily Fritze addressed the issue after the meeting, saying ASUA’s lack of an official stance is due to there currently being no general consensus among the senators and the student organization.

Fritze added that ASUA will reach an official stance on the issue at some point in the near future. Senators are currently speaking intensively with entities on campus, such as the Residence Hall Association, to decide ASUA’s next steps.

WRC wants self-defense trainers

Women’s Resource Center co-director Malia Uhatafe informed the senate that the WRC is searching for the money to train new self-defense teachers.

Ideally, the WRC is looking for two men and two women to fill the four sponsored positions, the cost of which is estimated at $1,440.

The WRC has requested that ASUA help fund two of the instructors’ training.

Uhatafe explained that once trained, the teachers could train new instructors in a cycle that ensures the WRC will end up with several certified instructors in the future.

“”This is a one-time fee,”” Uhatafe said.

The WRC is currently searching for other supplemental funding, most notably from Greek Life and the Residence Hall Association.

The Senate chose to refrain from committing to any efforts to fill the positions, tabling the item for the future to see how the program’s funding may change.

Support center’s high traffic may lead to more funding, expansion

Think Tank Executive Director Jeff Orgera addressed the senators with a report on the entity’s high traffic over the last several weeks.

Think Tank, which is the UA’s combined tutoring and academic support programs and is supported by the Student Services Fee, has served about 2,200 students over the first four weeks of the school year, a number that the center expects to rise.

Because of the center’s high traffic and relatively small workspace, Think Tank will probably expand in the future, a measure that may have to be funded through more Student Services money.