This past summer, newspapers filled with headlines about gun violence. From the Dark Knight Rises shooting in Aurora, Colo. to the massacre at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin and the shootout at Texas A&M University, there have been far too many tragedies.
But it is during times like these that students and administrators should step back and ask themselves what else can be done. Foggy Bottom is a relatively safe part of the District, but how many students actually read the emergency brochures they receive at Colonial Inauguration?
Students should be required to enroll in a safety class. Though safety sessions are part of CI, mandatory trainings can ensure that those who tuned out during those summer talks are prepared in the event of a campus emergency.
The University Police Department’s threat assessment teams and the newly created CARE network were both designed to safeguard students, but we still must educate students about basic safety skills.
Programming the UPD and 4-RIDE phone numbers into your cell phone is not enough, and GW must make sure all students are aware of that.
After the tragic events this summer, a renewed focus on safety is essential.
The Duke University Police Department and the Durham Police Department altered their “training programs this summer to better prepare officers to respond to active shooter situations,” according to the Duke Chronicle, the school's student newspaper.
While each campus is different, GW should use the early weeks of the semester as a chance to remind students how to be safe on campus.
No university can completely eliminate the threat of violence on campus, especially one located in an urban area where the boundaries between city and campus are not always clear. But the University has the responsibility to ensure all students are aware of the resources available.
Alyssa Rosenthal, a junior majoring in political communication, is a Hatchet columnist.
Students can find more information on how to assist the Office of Safety and Security in keeping our community safe by downloading the GW Emergency Response Handbook and pocket guide at http://campusadvisories.gwu.edu/current.cfm?id=1807
The handbook is also provided to students through the Division of Students Affairs, and each freshman will be given the pocket size version during Freshman Day of Service.
The Emergency Response Handbook and pocket guide are excellent emergency preparedness resources for students.
In my opinion, it may also be helpful to add GWPD’s response protocols for some of these hazards. What standard of emergency response can the GW Community expect from their Police Department? Educating the college community of this may help manage expectations.
Pack your own heat.