2008 Woodie Awards
Emergency phones an essential part of campus safety
Issue date: 11/11/05 Section: Opinion
Help! Help!
Those are two words that never are good to hear on college campuses. Thankfully, at Slippery Rock University, there are things called emergency phones that are here to provide at least some semblance of comfort in knowing there is help when it is needed.
Are they used all that often? Not really. The ephones registered only 32 uses since 2003. But the emergency phones here have served their purpose even if only one student was able to escape a dangerous situation unscathed.
Those 17 emergency phones that are here on campus provide one-touch instant access to campus police in the case of an emergency. That's important because in a stressful situation when things seem like they are going a million miles per hour, thinking things through does not even become an option. One-touch capabilities then become essential.
Understandably most students would argue that the pervasiveness of cell-phones makes the ephones seem obsolete. For one thing, calling somebody from a cell phone takes about 10-15 seconds depending on how fast you are; it's not instantaneous. Sure, that may not seem like a long time, but in a serious situation, seconds become vital. Secondly, that button on those phones is a direct link to campus police, a big help for students who may not remember that number right then and there, or just those students who may not have any idea what the number to campus police is. (It's X3333, by the way)
Not to mention the fact that not everyone has a cell phone. It may seem hard to believe that a person would be able to survive without a phone in their pocket but it does happen. The ephones also help out when there is no signal, the battery is dead or someone forgot to pay the bill. The ephones will always be available. Also, there are specific locations where the ephones are located. Some new students may not know where all the landmarks are, so describing where you are going to be could be a bit of a challenge, especially when there isn't a ton of time to describe your location. The ephones automatically let the police know which phone the person is calling from.
We at The Rocket feel that although not used often, these emergency phones are essential for the university to give a sense of comfort and security to the students at all times.
Those are two words that never are good to hear on college campuses. Thankfully, at Slippery Rock University, there are things called emergency phones that are here to provide at least some semblance of comfort in knowing there is help when it is needed.
Are they used all that often? Not really. The ephones registered only 32 uses since 2003. But the emergency phones here have served their purpose even if only one student was able to escape a dangerous situation unscathed.
Those 17 emergency phones that are here on campus provide one-touch instant access to campus police in the case of an emergency. That's important because in a stressful situation when things seem like they are going a million miles per hour, thinking things through does not even become an option. One-touch capabilities then become essential.
Understandably most students would argue that the pervasiveness of cell-phones makes the ephones seem obsolete. For one thing, calling somebody from a cell phone takes about 10-15 seconds depending on how fast you are; it's not instantaneous. Sure, that may not seem like a long time, but in a serious situation, seconds become vital. Secondly, that button on those phones is a direct link to campus police, a big help for students who may not remember that number right then and there, or just those students who may not have any idea what the number to campus police is. (It's X3333, by the way)
Not to mention the fact that not everyone has a cell phone. It may seem hard to believe that a person would be able to survive without a phone in their pocket but it does happen. The ephones also help out when there is no signal, the battery is dead or someone forgot to pay the bill. The ephones will always be available. Also, there are specific locations where the ephones are located. Some new students may not know where all the landmarks are, so describing where you are going to be could be a bit of a challenge, especially when there isn't a ton of time to describe your location. The ephones automatically let the police know which phone the person is calling from.
We at The Rocket feel that although not used often, these emergency phones are essential for the university to give a sense of comfort and security to the students at all times.
