The vote went 15-9 in favor of keeping guns off campus. An hour and a half later, it was 10-9 in favor of allowing them.
As Morris admits, if you do the math, some people had left before the end — but at least one person had been moved by the discussion.
The primary speakers were Daniel Nguyen, an MSU freshman, and Kathryn Eutsler, a sophomore, and both gave a seven-minute speech to the audience promoting their side.
Nguyen believed that people with concealed carry permits should be allowed to carry their weapons on campus, arguing that the process they have to pass through to get the permit deals with most of the problems that could arise.
Nguyen also argued that the presence of a gun in the hands of a trained civilian during an active shooter situation can keep many safe, quoting President Ronald Reagan, who called guns "the great equalizer."
Self-defense rights shouldn't end when you attend college, Nguyen said, citing studies showing decreases in violence that corresponded with increases in gun ownership.
Eutsler began with an anecdote about a recent school shooting at the Umpqua Community College in Oregon, noting a New York Times story which quoted students who had been carrying weapons during the shooting, but were afraid to act.
The right to concealed carry should apply in some places, Eutsler said — not just on campus.
The studies that Nguyen cited weren't as simple as he made it seem, Eutsler said, arguing that the explanations for the reduction in violence weren't adequately explained.
Additionally, Eutsler brought up another study, which showed that police officers had an average accuracy rate of 18 percent in gunfights. If those trained specifically to protect us can't even hit the target 20 percent of the time, she said, how well is your average civilian going to do?
Eutsler's advice for increasing safety on campus was to study Missouri State University's training videos on how to act during an active shooter suggestion — and suggesting that campus safety officers be allowed to carry guns, and receive training to improve their efficacy.
The audience was then allowed to take part in the debate — and while the discussion often ballooned into a larger discussion about gun rights and their place in the country, Morris guided it back each time.
Stacey Trewatha-Bach, coordinator of public affairs special projects at MSU, said it boiled down to feelings for her.
"Whether it's logical, statistics — I want to be able to feel safe," Trewatha-Bach said. "I have to be here 10 hours a day for the next 20 years."
Some of those hours involve her talking with students who may not be happy with her, she said — and if she was fearful that they may have a gun, it could affect her ability to do her job.
Still, by the end of the session, Trewatha-Bach wasn't so sure about where she fell.
"I've gone from totally against to undecided," she said.
The fourth and final debate will take place on March 16, on the subject of water rights and water quality. The time and location are to be announced.