The shootings at Northern Illinois University and Virginia Tech University brought campuses across the nation together in mourning for students whose futures were lost. The aftermath, however, might save the futures of Ball State University students in years to come.
Director of Public Safety Gene Burton said after a national incident like the shooting at NIU, campus safety at Ball State is thoroughly investigated on two levels.
He said the first level involved the effectiveness of the Ball State Police Department's policies and how it compared to national standards. The second level incorporates campus-wide communication and alert systems, he said.
"The department is making sure the emergency response is timely and effective for what the situation dictates," Burton said. "We have to have communication with our constituents, the students, faculty and staff at Ball State, and tell them how to help themselves."
Freshman Nicole Harris said further regulations and stricter policies for campus safety would be unnecessary because violators would find loopholes in the system.
"If someone decides to go on a shooting spree, he will find a way to do it," she said.
Harris said she wasn't worried about campus safety when she started classes last fall because, while minor crimes such as vandalism and mugging were hard to prevent, major crimes were less likely to occur.
Harris said a friend of hers was mugged on his way from Woodworth Complex to the Village Green this year, but Harris said she didn't lose her calm attitude.
"I never worried about my own safety," she said. "Call me naive, but stuff like that can happen anywhere."
Burton said students who choose to protect themselves with personal weapons should check whether the weapons are legal.
According to the Student Code, stun guns and other firearms are illegal to carry on campus.
Burton said having an Indiana permit to own a stun gun did not make it legal to carry one on Ball State property.
If students carry permissible items, such as pepper spray, they should understand how they work and what risks they could face, Burton said. Some personal protection items have stronger capabilities than others, he said, and their effectiveness can often depend on the situation.
"When you spray pepper spray, some will have an immediate effect on the person, some will take around 10 to 15 seconds to take effect and other factors may make it not effective at all," Burton said. "Whether you're inside or outside, whether it's spray or foam, all affect how well the product will work."
Harris said another weakness of personal weapons lies within the owners. She said she saw the dangers of allowing large numbers of paranoid students to walk around with protective weapons.
"I see how pepper spray's not a bad idea, but I could also see it getting out of hand," Harris said. "People will be freaking out more. If people walk by you and they're in a hurry, you might think they're coming after you."
Burton said the best weapon students and faculty had against incidents similar to the ones at NIU and Virginia Tech was their sense of intuition.
"We all have that kind of intuition that something doesn't feel right," Burton said. "Don't ignore it, trust in it. Be aware of that, and make the appropriate call."
Protect yourselfWhile a campus shooting is not an event students can prepare for, general awareness of your surroundings can help if a problem arises, Gene Burton said. Here are a few tips on how to understand your environment:
- When taking in your surroundings, don't feel paranoid, Burton said. Stay calm and remember that the following mental exercises are only a planning tool.
- Think about what you would feel comfortable doing. Is running from the scene an option, or would you be better suited to hiding and waiting it out? These are calls each person has to make, Burton said.
- Make sure you know where all exits in the building are.
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