Tucked away under lock and guard in the Eisenhower University Police station lies a little-known vault full of students’ guns and weapons.

Penn State students are prohibited from carrying guns on campus, and most downtown landlords don’t allow firearms to be stored in students’ residences. That’s where the university gun locker comes in. Weapons in the locker range from various types of firearms to bows and arrows.

University Chief of Police Tyrone Parham can’t disclose how many weapons are stored in the Eisenhower garage, but he said around six guns get confiscated from the residence halls every year. Usually the guns are just BB or pellet guns.

It begs the question: If students aren’t allowed to carry guns on campus, how are they supposed to get their weapons to the Eisenhower Garage in the middle of campus? Well, there’a policy for that. According to University Policy, section SY12-D, “Persons may carry or transport weapons to and from the University Police office for storage purposes.”

Parham said most students just park outside the building and walk in to retrieve or return their weapon. Most of the guns are in cases, so they haven’t caused unwanted alarm.

Most off campus apartments do allow residents to keep guns in the complex, but Parham said many residents feel more comfortable keeping their guns in the Eisenhower Gun Locker.

“I believe they are mostly concerned with theft and the fact that their roommates and guests would have access to their weapons,” said Parham.

The Eisenhower gun vault has existed for over twenty years and there is no fee for storing weaponry in the locker. To store a weapon, all students need to do is obtain the proper forms and a retrieval tag in the Eisenhower Police Station.