A new club is in the works here at Clemson: Clemson Students for Gun Competency.

Freshman Aubrey Steele is creating this club in an effort to encourage responsible gun ownership as well as gun safety. Steele wants to change the negative opinions of guns in our society.

“I want to facilitate an environment where anyone would be open to learning about what I consider a fundamental right, but more so just allowing people a safe and efficient environment to learn about something that otherwise they wouldn’t be able to,” he said. “It’s primarily educational, but also helping people explore that particular right that they have.”

Steele originally came up with the idea last semester, but recent events prompted him to further pursue the idea. 

“I’ve always been very passionate about  things concerning not specifically the 2nd Amendment, but things of that nature. And so I was thinking about an RSO that I could kind of create,” he said. “But what really prompted me to do it at the end of the day was the fact that there’s a huge discussion going on. I was thinking about this before the Parkland shooting, but that [incident] specifically spurred this huge movement [that] I feel as though it’s not, it’s not positive.”

Steele has had various reactions to the idea from a post on the Clemson sub-reddit. However, he has encountered some issues involving the location of a shooting range the club could use, as well as finding an advisor. 

“It’s really hard for some reason to contact the riflery instructors or just find their emails and so that’s something I was going to have to look into,” Steele said.

Finding an advisor who is passionate about what they do has proven to be difficult as well, despite having a constitution and bylaws for the club already completed. 

“[The club needs a] faculty advisor that I feel has adequate knowledge to actually be able to assist during like shooting days. Because it’s one thing to have an advisor who sits in the background. For something like this, we’re going to need someone who’s active and really passionate about what they do,” he said. 

Steele also emphasized his understanding for any disagreements an organization like this might cause.

“If people disagree, I just want to put it out there that I support them 100 percent,” he said. “I think that everyone should have the right to an opinion [and] anyone who disagrees with this is more than welcome to talk to me.” 

If you are interested in this organization or have any questions, contact Aubrey Steele at [email protected].