2008 Woodie Awards
Recent shooting brings up issues of campus security
Students, faculty across country concerned with safety at universities
Katie Jones
Staff writer
Issue date: 2/19/08 Section: News
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Amanda Shaw, a second-year early childhood education student, said in light of recent events she doesn't feel as safe as she used to.
"It makes me aware that these types of things can happen at regular universities. Who would have picked Northern Illinois?" Shaw said. "It is just as likely to happen here as anywhere else."
Jonathan Abejuela, a second-year NIU accounting student, said he is upset that tragedies ruin everyday life.
"It pisses me off that the entire atmosphere of the school has changed," Abejuela said. "The fun once had going to classes and hanging around campus is replaced by sadness and anger toward those events."
Abejuela credited the NIU police with such a rapid response.
"I felt really safe on my campus and I applaud the NIU police," he said. "I had always thought of them as a very respectable police force. I feel they did a great job that day getting warnings out so that everyone knew a shooting happened."
Emily Aberson, a second-year NIU psychology student, said she is still stunned.
"I feel completely devastated," she said. "I cannot make sense of what has happened. I don't know if I feel safe anywhere. I think that everything was handled extremely efficiently."
Some in the USC community still feel safe, but see the necessity in being prepared.
"It's a big campus but they do their best with what we have," said Sarah Langdon, a first-year visual communications student. "We can't gate off everyone."
Langdon is registered for the Carolina ALERT system, which sends text and messages to cell phone numbers provided by students, faculty and staff.
Russ McKinney, director of communications and university spokesperson, said preparation is the best mechanism of university safety.
"All you can do is plan and try to always have the entire campus community think safety at all times," he said. "We spend a lot of time and effort on emergency planning for many, many different types of scenarios. I think that the campus as a whole is pretty much tuned in to safety."
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paul
posted 2/19/08 @ 12:06 PM EST
I some students don't feel as safe as they used to may be this is awakening to the fact that they never did have the security they thought nothing of until this tragety. (Continued…)
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