This week, students from around the country are participating in the empty holster protest to show their support to allow students to carry concealed weapons on campus.

The NMU sportsmen’s gun club is promoting this event with Sarah Schwen, president of the gun club, spearheading the protest.

“We’re into guns and a lot of students do have concealed carry permits,” Schwen said. “It’s just something that as an organization we want to do.”

This year a new option is available for students to give feedback on the protest.

“There were some problems with feedback last year, such as students hitting ‘reply all’ to the empty holster emails,” Schwen said. “The emails would back up the network.”

This is the second year that NMU students are participating in the protest that was started by the previous president of the gun club.

Schwen said that carrying a gun on campus should be a personal choice for the individuals that qualify, but that the university must do more research before allowing students to carry.

“If they feel safe and if they feel the need to carry, it should be the students’ choice,” Schwen said.

Students can participate by wearing an empty holster, but can not put anything in it, including things such as pens or cell phones.

“This protest has nothing to do with Northern not being a safe place,” Schwen said. “Some people just need a gun to feel safe.”

The protest funds through Friday, April 8. For more information on the protest and the NMU sportsmen’s gun club, they have a Facebook page where students can join and show their support. Students can allow visit concealedcampus.com for more information.

Comments can now be posted online at http://share.nmu.edu.