Okstate Safe Campus?/Guns on Campus

Pat-

I think you're off to a great start, but there are a few areas that I thought could use some attention. I don't mean any of this in a bad way- it's just hard to see stuff in your own work sometimes! :D

First, I wouldn't abbreviate 'Oklahoma Sate University' with 'Okstate'. I had no idea what you meant. Secondly, I think it would be wise to broaden the opening line from, "Is Oklahoma State a safe campus?" to "Do you feel safe on campus?", or something like that, so that people everywhere could identify with the subject more easily. Later, when Lt. Shearer is speaking, there's a pause in between when he talks about the reverse 911 & tornado warning systems and when he talks about a possible upgrade to the campus-wide phone system. I know that he's talking about expanding the security on campus, but I think it would help the flow of the piece more if you cut that part.

You made great use of B-roll for the campus-wide phone system and the tornado alert equipment, but there's a lot of talk about guns and not a single image of a weapon! Also, I feel like the pod presents a bias against guns on campus. For example, there are two responses in a row that are against guns on campus, rather than a point/ counter-point. Additionally, I think it's only fair to explain that only students who are allowed to carry concealed weapons in public would be allowed to carry them on campus.

I would love to see someone saying, "Just because I want to get a college education doesn't mean I shouldn't have the right to defend myself." Or, someone arguing that until schools go to greater lengths to protect their students with fences, gates, security checkpoints, metal detectors, and armed guards, they should be allowed to defend themselves with their own means.

Personally, I think that "safe zones" are part of what contributes to mass shooting sprees. Many of these shooters enter areas where they know that people are defenseless, kill as many people as possible in a terrifying manner, and then him/herself painlessly. I honestly think that it wouldn't happen in the same way it has so many times before if responsible citizens were allowed to carry their guns at their public educational institution, just as they are allowed to carry in almost any other location open to the public.