Well, there's no hoplophobia at this college...
Hillsdale College in Michigan:
http://media.www.hillsdalecollegian...tudent.Weapon.Storage.Locker.In-3225746.shtml
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College's 72-acre shooting range opens this fall; student weapon storage locker in plans
Katherine Poythress
Issue date: 2/21/08 Section: News
Hillsdale College students may soon have a place to store and shoot their firearms.
About 72 acres of land, roughly three miles south of campus on Bankers Road will open as a shooting range this fall, Hillsdale College officials said this week. The range will open initially without frills, though building storage areas for firearms is part of the long-term vision for the range.
It is against school policy for students to keep guns in their dorms.
Vice President of Administration Rich Péwé said he already has heard sharp interest from student, faculty and community members, eager for the new option to hone their shooting skills.
"We probably can't [finish the range] fast enough," he said.
The first phase of the shooting range, anticipated to debut in September, will include temporary traps at the range site with 100-target capacity and the resources necessary for some physical education classes on target shooting.
Péwé said the college also plans to purchase ammunition, targets, safety equipment and several shotguns to start Hillsdale College's shooting program.
The college still needs to hire a part-time supervisor to maintain the grounds and oversee programs and equipment, Péwé said.
He said the college also plans to hire a part-time certified instructor to teach an introductory course on stance, sighting and trigger control. Students will be able to receive physical education for taking the course once the instructor develops and receives approval for the course curriculum.
The original land purchase was funded in part by the college's Roland Ebersole endowment, which promotes Second Amendment rights.
The shooting range fits well into the college's mission, Péwé said, because of the college's interest in promoting the Second Amendment and the right to bear arms.
"It will promote responsible gun ownership," he said. "It's a natural thing for the college."
Junior Ian Beuckelaere said he would probably spend a "significant amount of time" at the shooting range when it opens and looks forward to shooting his rifle there.
Thought the range may start off at a basic level, additional amenities - such as a variety of shooting targets and firearms - would make the range "more like a hunting experience, where you don't know what to expect," Péwé said.
The master plan benefits from the input of such prestigious names as Kramer One design firm based in Arizona, shooting expert Michael Murphy, and National Rifle Association's Education and Training Division Director Bill Poole.
The college is also consulting with a sound engineer to study sound impact on neighbors.
"We have to study the site and make sure it's organized well," Péwé said.
The cost of the range is still undetermined, Péwé said, because until the master plan is finished, the college will not know what needs to be accomplished or what it costs.
"We can move as fast as funds allow," Péwé said.
Based on initial student interest, that may be sooner rather then later.
"A lot of people don't participate in shooting sports because they don't have access to the kind of equipment they need," Hobson said.
Long term plans include a storage locker for student weapons.
"If there are facilities for storing my firearms there, I will probably make use of them" said Beuckelaere, who used to keep his guns in his vehicle. "I don't like storing them in my car and I would like to be able to go shooting."
Sophomore Luke Hobson said he knows several students who have kept firearms in their vehicles.
The guns often suffered corrosion from the humidity and extreme climate changes, he said.
Hobson said he takes an active interest in shooting sports and the right to keep and bear arms.
"A shooting range would be in keeping with a lot of what the college stands for as far as conservative values," Hobson said.
