Student Congress’ nearly unanimous decision in December to pass a resolution that would identify any gunman within a mile of campus as an Alert Carolina emergency deserves the administrative consideration it recently received.
The plan should be applauded for two reasons: trying to improve student safety and opening vital communication lines between student leaders and University administrators.
The recent shortfalls of the Alert Carolina system have been well-documented. Students have reported receiving warnings well after the threats arose, while others did not receive any notice at all. This is unacceptable.
For some students the haphazard text messaging alert system — riddled with “all clear” and “take cover” announcements that hold little weight — functions more as a news delivery system than a safety system.
Reliability and timeliness are indispensable, especially in matters of public safety.
Student Congress — led by Speaker Paige Comparato — understood the gravity of the situation and responded. Dean of Students Jonathan Sauls and Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Winston Crisp both took notice, admitting that the ideas in the resolution raised valid concerns.
However, those concerns must now be acted upon. Comparato’s idea of sending out preliminary warnings is especially worthy of implementation.
While the Department of Public Safety has a duty to confirm the details of an event before sending out notifications, the safety of the University community must come first. And this requires fair warning.
It is important for both sides to unite in the interest of preserving the safest possible environment on campus. After all, people’s lives are at stake.
