Carly Allen had never fired a gun before - at least, not until she walked into the shooting range in Converse Hall for the first day of an air pistol class.
"The first day I was kind of nervous, but after we started shooting I wasn't really scared anymore," Allen said.
The course, International Air Pistol, is offered through the same department as physical education courses, such as boxing and fencing, and teaches students of all majors the fundamentals of safe handgun use following both National Rifle Association and Ohio laws. Students are introduced to the sport through classroom training and shooting-range application.
Pat Cherry, instructor of the course, said anyone could and should take the class.
"Everyone's going to be around a firearm, whether they like firearms or not they're going to be around them," he said. "It behooves everyone to know as much about them as they can if they own them or not."
Air pistols are handguns fired by compressed air that are used in the Olympics and recreational shooting. They are used for training because they are inexpensive and safe, while employing the same shooting procedures of any other firearm.
Cherry said it is important to recognize the role guns play in society, noting that guns have been around for 500 years and will still be 500 years from now.
Kelli Downey, a senior in biology, said she has taken a riflery course and wanted to extend her knowledge of handguns. She said air pistol is more than just an Olympic sport, but also teaches students to learn how to shoot real guns. With more hours of shooting, she will be on track to get her concealed carry permit, which will allow her to carry a concealed firearm.
Though some take the course to satisfy their interest in shooting, others take it to try something different.
"It doesn't require a whole lot of your time but is still something that's outside of the box for most people," Allen said. "I think it's like an individual challenge to just see how well you can do."
Regardless of skill level and motivations for taking the course, students said they really enjoy it.
"My goal the first day was at least hit the paper," Allen said. "And I definitely didn't, but then my goal was to actually get it on the target and I did that within one day."
Downey said the instructor brought a variety of unloaded guns to the class one day so they could examine and "dry fire" them.
"We learn a lot," she said.
She said the class is definitely more than just playing with and learning about guns - it can be therapeutic.
"If (students) want to learn more about handguns or just relieve a little stress, it's kind of fun to shoot a gun," Downey said.
John Gerbich can be reached at gerbich.2@osu.edu.
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