2008 Woodie Awards
What We Think
Get an Education or Die Trying
Issue date: 2/18/08 Section: Forum
From the time that we are old enough to form our own ideas about life and the future, adults have drilled into our heads the importance of getting a college education. High school seniors dreamt of stepping onto a college for the first time and experiencing that first breath of new found freedom. Parents used to rest soundly knowing that their children were safe while pursuing their educational dreams and preparing to emerge as productive citizens in society. But who would have thought that the day would come when getting an education could potentially cost you your life?
The recent college shooting at Northern Illinois University on Feb. 14 marks the sixth school shooting on a college campus in the United States since 2000. Two of those have taken place this month while the most recent four shootings have taken place in the past 10 months.
The frequency of fatal violence on college campuses continues to increase. These numbers are alarming and really make one question the level of security universities provide. We always see these tragedies on the news, but we never think how easily NIU could have been TSU.
Incidents such as these raise questions in our minds about what the administration is doing to help prevent TSU from becoming the next front page headline to stretch across every major newspaper in the country.
It is the administration's responsibility to do everything possible to make TSU a safe place to pursue an education. But it is also up to the student body to become proactive in maintaining the safety of our beloved school.
The administration has implemented an emergency notification system.
This voluntary system sends alerts directly to wireless devices via text message when an emergency situation arises that may jeopardize student safety. A system like this is invaluable if a shooting were to take place. Students would be notified immediately, enabling them to get to safety.
This system is currently up and running, but there is one major downfall. Students are not signing up. This system cannot be successful without student participation.
The recent college shooting at Northern Illinois University on Feb. 14 marks the sixth school shooting on a college campus in the United States since 2000. Two of those have taken place this month while the most recent four shootings have taken place in the past 10 months.
The frequency of fatal violence on college campuses continues to increase. These numbers are alarming and really make one question the level of security universities provide. We always see these tragedies on the news, but we never think how easily NIU could have been TSU.
Incidents such as these raise questions in our minds about what the administration is doing to help prevent TSU from becoming the next front page headline to stretch across every major newspaper in the country.
It is the administration's responsibility to do everything possible to make TSU a safe place to pursue an education. But it is also up to the student body to become proactive in maintaining the safety of our beloved school.
The administration has implemented an emergency notification system.
This voluntary system sends alerts directly to wireless devices via text message when an emergency situation arises that may jeopardize student safety. A system like this is invaluable if a shooting were to take place. Students would be notified immediately, enabling them to get to safety.
This system is currently up and running, but there is one major downfall. Students are not signing up. This system cannot be successful without student participation.
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