A year after the tragedy at Virginia Tech, some students at area colleges and universities in the Pacific Northwest are taking matters into their own hands.

They call themselves Students for Concealed Carry on Campus. “We want students who are already licensed to carry, already have a permit, and carry everywhere else, we want them to be able to carry on college campuses,” said Kristin Guttormsen, a senior at Washington State University in Vancouver. “If we’re restricted from carrying the fact is we cannot act; we will be killed. That’s just the bottom line.”

But Nancy Youlden, the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs at WSU disagreed.

“I think it could create a lot of confusion. In addition, there could be some misidentification. It could really exacerbate what’s already a difficult and dangerous situation,” Youlden said.

State Representative Jim Moeller, who represents the Vancouver area, was in Youlden’s corner.

“People don’t want to feel fearful and I think adding more guns will raise the fear level,” Moeller said.

And while many students on the Vancouver campus agreed with their state legislators and administrators, others said they think it’s okay for their fellow classmates to carry on campus.

Guttormsen believes that right will make his campus a much safer place.

“It’s the only possible empowerment that has the potential to save your life in that sort of situation. Without it there is no chance,” he said.