better safe than sorry

no matter how you look at it, monday's bizarre campus lockdown was a good test for those of us who call this place home. while i wasn't surprised to learn that the alleged gunman on the loose was simply a hoax, it did spawn practicality to the new emergency plan and communication flow. sure there were kinks and there were holes in the system but overall, and all things considered, we were informed and we reacted. trying to control the rumor mill when events like this unfold is something no one will ever successfully defeat, but i think it was smart to have a lockdown of buildings when there is potential threat to the safety and well being of those around you.

i find it truly idiotic that there are some people out there who are critical of the university for reacting in such a way and so quickly. why are you so quick to judge? what would you have done if you were in the shoes of an administrator(s) who is responsible for the well being of 15,000+ students, several thousand faculty and staff members and a host of other neighbors? come to the reality and realize that we have no way of knowing what might be stewing in a perpetrators disturbed or confused mind. i still believe in the "better safe than sorry" approach. let's take every precaution and every threat seriously. we have a marvelous setting and wonderful people to protect.