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| Aerial View of Paul Smith's College |
Paul Smith’s College is a small, private
liberal college located in upstate New York much like our beloved Hamilton.
However, Paul Smith’s has one unique feature that it can boast about in its
catalogue – a claim to fame as the one and only college located within the
Adirondack Park. Located on 14,200 acres of land in the middle of the Adirondack
Park, Paul Smith’s provides 1,000 students with the opportunity to study
forestry, culinary arts, and environmental studies. Its students are not only
surrounded by stunning Adirondack views, but also have the chance to experience
an authentic Adirondack lifestyle.
The history and culture of Paul
Smith’s are inextricably entwined. Today the college embraces a hunting and
fishing culture not so different from the late 19th century when the
facility was a wilderness resort (the Paul Smith’s Hotel). Both Theodore
Roosevelt and Calvin Coolidge even stayed at Paul Smith’s Hotel. According to Paul
Smith’s students and faculty, the college celebrates its heritage by encouraging
hunting and fishing on campus. Clearly, such activities are homage to the old
hotel and reflect an important part of Adirondack culture. However, hunting and
the welcoming of guns on campus inevitably pose questions of safety.
In the wake of the mass shootings
such as Sandy Hook (2012), Umpqua (Oregon community college, 2015), and San
Bernardino (2015), supporters of stricter gun regulations are gaining momentum.
However, a majority of Paul Smith’s students continue to bring rifles, muzzleloaders,
and shotguns to school for the fall hunting season. Moreover, the college has
established an armory for storing the firearms. Michael Stringer, president of
the Paul Smith’s College Fish and Game Club, assures that the procedure for bringing
guns to campus is stringent. In addition, he explains that many Paul Smith’s
students come from small towns and have extensive backgrounds in hunting and
fishing.
Although the thought of bringing
guns to school makes most people uneasy, it is important to remember that Paul
Smith’s community members already belong to a culture where guns and hunting is
commonplace. Their knowledge of guns promotes safety rather than misuse. Moreover,
pistols and handguns – the types of guns often involved in mass shootings – are
not allowed on campus. Therefore, it makes sense that “The College of the
Adirondacks” (Paul Smith’s motto) allows firearms and encourages hunting on its
property. While gun control and gun violence are contentious topics in the
national political realm, Paul Smith’s remains peaceful with its choice to allow
guns and does not appear to change this attitude anytime soon.
Sources:
http://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/30814/20160128/one-north-country-college-welcomes-guns-as-part-of-campus-culture
It's interesting that there is so much controversy over having hunting weapons that are stored safely and used only for hunting. I understand that people are worried about mass shootings, but I doubt that a student is going to use a shotgun to shoot a group of peers instead of a deer, especially students who grew up learning to hunt.
ReplyDeleteA fun fact about Theodore Roosevelt (since you mentioned him) is he was actually in the Adirondacks, specifically Lake Champlain, when President McKinley was assassinated and that is where he learned that he would be taking over as President.
Since the college claims that their students are experienced when it comes to guns I think it’s totally fine that they have guns on their campus. Especially because, as you mentioned, they are simply continuing their culture of hunting and aren’t using the guns to go after students. Given that guns are present in our society and won't ever disappear, I think it’s important to teach people how to properly use them for their intended use which is hunting.
ReplyDeleteI think it is especially taboo to have guns on college campuses but I think the Adirondacks are an exception to this along with many other rules. The students learn proper use of guns and they have a specific need for the guns too. Really interesting to think how policies can mean different things in different geographic regions.
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