2008 Woodie Awards
Text messages don't alert all students to emergencies
Issue date: 9/20/07 Section: Opinion/Editorial
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In the event of an emergency on campus, Webster University will be sending text messages to students who signed up to receive emergency and school closing information. While this is a worthy venture, this plan will neglect to fully alert all students to what happens on campus.
Not all students will take the time to sign up for the text messages, so not everyone on campus will be informed of emergencies. Students and staff have to sign up by creating an user name and password online at http://www.webster.edu/technology/websteralerts/. If a shooter was on campus, a large percentage of the student body would be unaware of what to do and where to go and possibly might not even be aware of the situation.
In addition, many professors do not allow cell phones in their classes. It will be impossible for some students to check their messages, preventing them from knowing about the emergency.
Additionally, the cell phone reception at Webster University is poor at certain locations on campus. The Emerson Library is a prime example, AT&T, Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile phones all fail in the library. The level of reception on all providers was low on all floors - calls drop and cut in and out. The second floor in particular received no reception from any provider. West Hall and the basement of most buildings - Maria Hall, Webster Hall and the Loretto-Hilton - are notorious for dropped calls.
In addition to the text messages, the university is looking into more warning options such as sirens - another solution that would not accurately inform students. A siren does not tell where a shooter is or where students should go. It may even confuse students if it sounds like a tornado siren.
The administration made an honest yet short-sighted attempt to come up with a system to let students know what is going on. If the university really wants to protect students, it should take further measures in training faculty and staff in what to do during crisis situations and help train them to recognize trouble students, preventing the event all together.
Not all students will take the time to sign up for the text messages, so not everyone on campus will be informed of emergencies. Students and staff have to sign up by creating an user name and password online at http://www.webster.edu/technology/websteralerts/. If a shooter was on campus, a large percentage of the student body would be unaware of what to do and where to go and possibly might not even be aware of the situation.
In addition, many professors do not allow cell phones in their classes. It will be impossible for some students to check their messages, preventing them from knowing about the emergency.
Additionally, the cell phone reception at Webster University is poor at certain locations on campus. The Emerson Library is a prime example, AT&T, Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile phones all fail in the library. The level of reception on all providers was low on all floors - calls drop and cut in and out. The second floor in particular received no reception from any provider. West Hall and the basement of most buildings - Maria Hall, Webster Hall and the Loretto-Hilton - are notorious for dropped calls.
In addition to the text messages, the university is looking into more warning options such as sirens - another solution that would not accurately inform students. A siren does not tell where a shooter is or where students should go. It may even confuse students if it sounds like a tornado siren.
The administration made an honest yet short-sighted attempt to come up with a system to let students know what is going on. If the university really wants to protect students, it should take further measures in training faculty and staff in what to do during crisis situations and help train them to recognize trouble students, preventing the event all together.
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