The recent shooting outside of the Lab’n Lager pub on Main Street has raised some concerns for me regarding safety protocol and some rumored changes on campus.
In an Aug. 26 Keene Sentinel article they established there is an active investigation by Keene Police Department into the shooting and no leads had been made toward an arrest. The Keene State College alert system worked appropriately by sending a phone call and email notification. However, the notification email of the ongoing altercation and the resolution email both stated that there was no “threat to the campus.”
While Campus Safety is right about the immediate threat level that the shooter imposed, they have missed the loss of comfort that comes with an incident like this. People get nervous and unsettled by these situations and I think the mechanical attitude in response to the problem seems a bit callous. I mean, let’s keep in mind that Lab’nLager pub is a 5-minute walk from Fiske Quad up Main Street.
I certainly think the response could have been better. Yet it is not like the whole system needs an overhaul, merely it could use a more human touch. Maybe suggest that people travel in pairs when out at night or recommend people make sure they have their cell phones. Nothing overly paternalistic, just some recommendations that make it seem like someone cares in a meaningful way. Another vitally important aspect of student safety is the blue call light system that is around campus.
The blue light system around campus is a callbox that allows someone in distress to get a direct line to Campus Safety. This callbox system is used at other campuses in the University System of New Hampshire and other colleges and universities throughout the country. These allow for immediate peace of mind and to ensure rapid response times for people in distress. It also allows for consistent and reliable communication; it does not require you to fumble with your phone and if you have forgotten your phone you can still contact help.
The importance of a system such as this can not be stressed enough, especially in light of the Lab’n Lager incident. Other colleges and universities have eliminated the call boxes and moved toward safety apps and while they can seem appealing, I see some major flaws with those systems. They do not offer the same consistency as a call box and are completely dependent on the user of the cell phone. You had better hope that your cell phone does not die or lose cell service; if it does then I hope you do not get into trouble.
I just hope that as we start to move back to normal after the shooting incident on August 20, we as a community remember to be there for one another and not forget about the important resources that we have available to ourselves. More importantly, how mundane and possibly archaic our resources may seem yet that old-school technology is incredibly reliable and fairly fool-proof.
Timothy Fitzpatrick can be contacted at
tfitzpatrick@kscequinox.com
