New color code to alert campus emergencies

Universities across the nation turned on the news and watched in horror as a student gunned down fellow classmates at Virginia Tech University last year, killing 32 students. Since April 16, 2007, the day of the VTU shooting, Weber State University started work on an initiative to prevent tragedies on our own campus. Now available to students, the program is called Code Purple, set up to help alert students in the event of an emergency.

The program, operated by the company Send Word Now, works by sending text messages to students, faculty and staff to inform anyone of a potential safety or health concern at the school. WSU has seen roughly 4,000 sign-ups since registration notification was sent to students to their wildcat e-mail addresses on August 14th.

"The university uses every source it has to get word out," said WSU Police Lieutenant Michael Davies, "it uses media, radio stations, newspapers and the marquee, but this program goes one step further to make more timely notifications. If there is anything we can do to create a safer atmosphere, we will do it."

Send Word Now helps universities, public and private schools, and corporations like Wal-Mart and Tiffany & Co. prevent tragedies like the VTU shooting from reoccurring. The program extends its services by also informing WSU students when classes are cancelled due to inclement weather.

"When I was working in the Vice President's office," said Rachael Holley, a junior in the nursing program, "we would always get lots of calls from students wanting to know if campus was closed from a snow storm. Now most students have cell phones. It shouldn't be any kind of inconvenience, just a benefit."

Even WSU is not immune to gunmen on its campus. In the summer of 1993, Mark Duong, a WSU student, walked into his disciplinary hearing armed with two guns. Duong fired twice on the group gathered there before he was fatally wounded by police officer Kent Tiernan.

Raechale Elton was scheduled to graduate from WSU in 2006 when she was brutally murdered. Elton was held at knifepoint, raped, and repeatedly stabbed. Recently retired WSU professor, Paul Johnson, who closely knew Elton commented on the need for the new program as someone who knew the importance for student safety first hand.

"I think any prevention system on campus is a good one. It is unfortunate we have to go this far, but it is wonderful protection. In this day and age, we must take all the steps we can to protect students."

Code Purple has been in the works for a while at WSU, but is now being implemented for students, with the full support of both school administration and the campus police. Davies emphasized the program as a high priority to the school, something the Emergency Planning Committee was created to accomplish.

While the school heavily supports the idea, some students remain skeptical on the effectiveness of the new program.

"It's a good idea in theory," criminal justice major Todd Hinds said. "Whether it actually works, a lot of people just, and I personally, keep cell phones on silent. People might not look at their phone till they decide to pull it out of their pocket. In the real world I don't think it can work. It is a good idea I just don't think it would be effective."

WSU entered a contract with Send Word Now for the upcoming year, and will continue automatic renewal each new school year. The company charges WSU $1 per registered user, totaling a $16,500 initiative for the school. While students are currently signing up via e-mail, a portal link will soon be up and running as an easier alternative for sign up in the future.

"Nobody is immune to violence," Davis said, "and that is why it is important for the participation in this. That is where the success of the program hinges, on participation. The more who sign up for it, the more people we can get potentially life saving information to."