It is hard to believe that it has already been half a year since tragedy struck the campus in March. Returning members of the Rensselaer community will never forget the panic and confusion that day—those who were in the CII during the lockdown have an even more alarming story to tell. We must also recall, it was only a couple of weeks later that a massacre occurred at the Virginia Tech campus, and everyone couldn’t help but think, what if that had happened here? How would RPI have handled that situation, and what is being done to ensure it won’t happen here?
In order to discuss emotions and concerns over safety here, President Shirley Ann Jackson held a safety forum last April. The goal was to announce changes and upgrades to campus security, and to give the students the opportunity to question the administration over further improvements or to raise concerns. Since the time of the incident here, various offices on campus and in Troy have been working on overhauling all safety and emergency response systems. Last Friday, there was a security update forum scheduled, again with Jackson, to let the campus know what changes have been implemented and provide another chance to have questions answered; however, the event was canceled.
While we respect the observance of the Jewish holiday Yom Kippur, it is important to point out that the holiday has been on the calendar all year, and canceling the forum in lieu of this is not a completely valid excuse. There is no reason why the event could not have been scheduled on a different day in the first place, and regardless of whether or not Jackson could be in attendance—though it is admirable and important for her to be—she still has a full cabinet of competent people who could have led the discussion. There is a specific time block set aside for such events, on Tuesdays at 4 pm, a time when people would likely still be around campus but not many would be in classes or other activities, though it is rarely utilized. Instead, important events like a security forum are scheduled for times such as a Friday at 4 pm, which is not favorable for most, regardless of what holiday it is.
Some of the work that has reportedly occurred ranges from practicing drills with the Troy Police Department, to researching types of mass notification systems and how to implement them, to ensuring the campus is well-lit at night. One of the more noticeable changes has been in circulation control, where staff are stationed at vehicle entry points, which increases pedestrian safety and allows them to look for suspicious activity. These are all very necessary and important changes, and topics that should be discussed with the campus—not only to inform people of the upgrades, but also to ease tensions in the face of incidents at other campuses, including one just last week. Regardless of why the forum was canceled, the administration needs to find a better time to have this discussion with the campus.
