By The StaffIn light of Georgia House Bill 280 (HB280), there have been many questions raised about the campus carry law beginning with the differences between concealed carry and open carry.According to the statute listed under the bill, concealed carry of a weapon is defined as being, “carried in such a fashion that does not actively solicit the attention of others and is not prominently, openly, and intentionally displayed except for purposes of defense of self or others.” In simpler terms, this means that someone, as long as they have the correct permit, is allowed to carry a weapon as long as it is not displayed openly. With HB 280, a license owner is allowed to carry a handgun while it is fully covered by clothing or contained within a bag. Some restrictions apply with the state law, of course. Students are not allowed to carry the weapon into a classroom if there is a student under the age of 18, into any building where athletic activities take place, into administrative or faculty offices, or into a disciplinary hearing of any kind.Open carry is far different than the concealed carry that is allowed on college campuses. Open carry of a weapon is when someone with a firearm license is allowed to openly carry a weapon in most public places.However, in the state of Georgia, there are currently no laws that allow anyone to openly carry a weapon of any kind on college campuses.Since July 2017, Georgia became one of 10 states in the U.S. to allow handguns on college campuses legally. For the state’s universities and colleges, such as Augusta University, licensed owners can have handguns only in a concealed manner.For Augusta University, there haven't been any recent shootings at the Summerville or Health Sciences campuses before or after the “campus carry” legislation came into effect.From this past summer to this fall semester, the Augusta University Police Department has provided active shooter training sessions and public forums on campus carry with a fair amount of attendance from the community.In addition, Augusta University was named the safest college campus in Georgia this year back in April, according to ADT Security Services.However, anything can happen.A shooting occurred on Oct. 5 around 12:45 a.m. across from AU Medical Center near the intersection of 15th Street and Harper Street, which resulted in the death of a woman. An email from the Office of Critical Event Preparedness and Response (CEPAR) was sent to students, faculty, and staff in connection to the nearby shooting. The email also included safety tips for the community to follow, such as using the buddy system and using the RAVE Guardian app.Of course, crime incidents occur here like other colleges and universities in the country - some more than others. There are students and faculty members have doubts on how the campus carry law is protecting them and others from harm.As a community, it is important to be concerned. In order to understand better about HB 280, let’s start with knowing basic carry laws in the state. We need to educate ourselves in protecting each other, and allowing university officials to protect us as well.It is also important to note that every licensed owner of a handgun doesn’t need to bring it to campus all the time just because they have one.So, does this mean that AU is still on edge with the law? Do students know enough about the law?This begs the question as to why some students are not showing their concern for this law.According to an article in The Augusta Chronicle published in late August, the university’s police department had low attendance for one public forum compared to other public forums with good attendance. In fact, no students showed except for a man from the Student Health Center.Why isn’t this issue at large now, when it needs to be talked about the most?The campus carry law is meant to protect the rights of protection as well as oneself. Those that are licensed generally know how to shoot and disable a firearm. But for those that carry illegally, students should better their knowledge on what to do if an active shooter is on campus.Since professors are unable to bring firearms with them to classes and students can, it should be in agreement that those who are willing to holster a gun should take the initiative to learn all there is to know about how to use it properly in public. It should come as a responsibility.Whether or not students bring a gun to campus out of spite or solely for protection, campus carry has now presented everyone attending a public school with the realization that in many locations around the United States past and present, this law may save lives.The editorial was published on October 26, 2017, in Volume 60, Issue 1, of The Bell Ringer newspaper.