College Safety To further your education beyond high school most people would go to college. Most people also think that college is a relatively safe place for your learning. Colleges are actually becoming more dangerous than ever. With the 2007 Virginia Tech massacre, many students, along with their parents, are calling for more security measures. But just how far should colleges go to keep campuses safe? Reports have seen more colleges implementing increased number of blue-light phones, more campus security guards, and even emergency text alerts. Some institutions are even maximizing the use of security cameras in every place they can. Is this taking a step to security, or taking a step right into the privacy of the students themselves? When trying to save the lives of thousands of students, many people promote every drastic safety measure possible. In an article written by Brett Sokolow, he states that “every college and university should rush to set up text-message-based early warning systems, install loudspeakers throughout campus, and develop mass-shooting evacuation plans,” then he goes on to even more extreme actions by stating colleges should “expel student with serious mental health conditions.” Surely, with all these security actions, colleges could implement a foundation that could bring back the safety that was once there. If you start early warning systems you can essentially eliminate the number of victims in a shooting through the use of a silent text message that wouldn’t alert the attacker. By installing loudspeakers, the attacker would hear it, possibly leave if alarmed, but mostly it would alert everyone as a whole that an intruder was their so they could then make plans based on the scenario. Probably the most controversial issue is expelling students based on their mental health. By not allowing these types of students on campus, you can simply prevent the confrontation from even happening. Many psychopaths that create this type of scenario are provoked by the stress of college. If you do not give them the chance to be provoked then you prevent the altercation altogether. Regardless on how the attacker gets their or if the attacker is a college student or not. All colleges should have an evacuation plan. By strategically placing a plan for each attacker entry point possible, you can minimize injuries and maximize student safety. With all of the safety measures being taking the problem of getting away from the attacker may be solved, but what about stopping the attacker? If you can stop the attacker before he ever attempts to cause harm then you could be saving the lives of thousands. Thus bringing up the next issue; should firearms be put into the hands of administrators, professors, or even students? Given that not all campus are located close to a police station, by having designated individuals that are licensed to carry a gun, you could have a viable response to an intruder on campus. This could be the most effective method when it comes to getting rid of the shooter immediately, but it also could have grave collateral. In an article written by Jesus Villahermosa, he states that “Some faculty and staff members may be capable of learning to be good shots in stressful situations, but most of them probably wouldn’t practice their firearms skills enough to become confident during an actual shooting,” which in turn could lead to “great potential for a bullet to strike a student.” On the contrary, some say that these steps are only invading privacy, and that there is no way a college could set these standards without being liable for their consequences if they failed. I believe that some of the methods should established such as the mass-shooting evacuations plans and the expelling of students that have underlying mental issues, but i disagree on others such as the text messaging program. The text message alert program is great in theory, but you have to see in the eyes of the intruder. If the intruder is a college student then he is receiving the same alert at the others, which may include evacuation plans and also locations where the majority of students are seeking refuge. The consequences of the text message program being intercepted by the attacker could have more dangerous effect than if their was no program at all. As for expelling mental health students, i feel that this should be implemented but implemented very carefully. A student placed under this category must be a without a doubt threat of substantial harm to the college body. Discrimination against a student or poses no viable threat could result in an investigation against the college. Colleges should have programs put in place to ensure the safety of their students. Infringing on their privacy shouldn’t be apart of these methods and their are ways that are equally effective without doing so. I believe the best ways are to put evacuations plans in place for every scenario. Simply because their is always going to be ways for intruders to gain access to a college so the best way to counter that is to ensure an escape route. Colleges are becoming more and more dangerous, but I believe through these safety procedures, they can have the safe college atmosphere again.