Last night, the Student Senate appointed six students to chair the Senate’s standing committees. The Senate also appointed William Lopez, senior in finance, to serve as senate secretary and Matt Spade, freshman in biological and agricultural engineering, to serve as senate parliamentarian. During the first open period, representatives from Students for Conceal and Carry on Campus spoke about changing the current K-State policy that prohibits students from carrying concealed weapons on campus. Ben Davis, sophomore in political science, said that the issue of concealed carry on campus is not a partisan issue, but an issue of campus safety. “People that are law-abiding and responsible should be able to defend themselves,” Davis said. Bryan Little, senior in social studies education, said current policies make students feel safe rather than providing safety. A question-and-answer session followed the presentation. Mark Andre, senior in architecture, asked if more weapons on campus in a crisis situation would create confusion for police. Little said most gun fights last 30 seconds and are over before police arrive. John Porter, junior in mechanical engineering, asked what college campuses allow concealed weapons on campus. Davis said that 11 colleges, located in Utah, Colorado and Virginia, allow concealed weapons. The Senate spent 45 minutes discussing the issue. U.S. Army Sergeant Ryan Gardner also gave a presentation during the Senate’s open period on how the Fort Riley office of Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers is working to improve relations between soldiers and students. BOSS recently surveyed Ft. Riley soldiers to gain understanding of relations between soldiers and students. Participants in the survey were asked what could be done to improve relations. Common answers included sports events, dance teams and an organizational day. The Senate appointed Emily Haug, junior in political science, to chair the Special Committee on Big 12 Student Government Affairs. Kristen Tremonti, freshman in family and consumer education, was approved as a student senator in order to fill a vacancy from the College of Human Ecology.