Campus implements emergency text messaging system

JESSIE HOLEVA STAFF WRITER JH734@CABRINI EDU

Cabrini College’s Public Safety is taking campus awareness to a whole new level with text messaging alerts. This instant communication is to alert faculty, staff and students of a crisis on campus.

The Director of Public Safety, Lillian Burroughs, has been spending her days in Jazzman’s assisting with the registration process.

“I’m going to be here as long as it takes,” Burroughs said as she urges the campus community to sign up for the voluntary emergency texts.

The emergency text message system has been created to enhance communication in the time of a crisis. The texts would quickly inform the receiver with a simple command and then possibly be followed up with further instruction via text or even e-mail.

“We need to be able to tell you what to do in as few words as possible,” Burroughs said.

The only requirements for signing up are five minutes to spare and a cell phone. The process seems easy and proficient. Enter some data, phone number, name and graduation year. Wait for an almost instant text with a code and then enter it.

People tend to rush through the process. There are numerous choices of cell service companies to choose from and it is easy to pick the wrong one, especially when it comes to joint companies like Cingular and AT&T. Also, when the text is received many disregard opening it because they assume the number it’s sent from is the code. To get it right, opening the text is imperative.

“Think about it, when things went bad in Gotham, Batman had a bat signal. When things go bad at Cabrini we’ll have a text message,” Charles Bush, a junior English and communication major, said.

Bush is a Resident Assistant and as an RA was urged to join the text message system. He feels it is almost necessary so that information will travel fast.

E.J. Gilchrist, a senior elementary education major, was unaware of the new alert system but thinks the concept should be required for incoming students and should be included in their paper work.

“It’s 2008, everybody looks at their cell phones,” Gilchrist said. He agrees with the concept but doesn’t necessarily think a simple text will keep you safe.

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