OUR VIEW: Alert system an obvious hit with parents….

Phone calls, text messages and e-mails were sent to the majority of USU students Jan. 29 during the Emergency Alert System’s check. Aimed at keeping students informed and safe, the program has good intentions. However, there’s a problem with the system and that problem resides in some of the apathetic, some might even say lazy, hearts of USU students across campus.
    But while some students may not have neither a desire to use the system nor a strong opinion about its effectiveness, my mother does.
    On the day of the system check, I discovered a voice mail left on my phone, a prerecorded test message sent through the system. Great, I thought, it worked for me.
    Then there’s my brother, also a USU student. He chose not to sign up for the system, despite the urgent promptings of messages across Banner and Aggiemail. The message was automatically sent to the number on his records – our home phone.
    My mom was the one who received the phone call that morning. She, like many other parents, has a tendency to worry. School shootings, winter storm warnings and the fact that two hours of driving stand between her and her kids constantly fuel that worry.
    That’s why she became a fan of the alert system that January morning when she successfully received the test phone call. With a system like this, there is a greater chance her kids will be kept out of hazardous situations on campus.
    Well, at least one of her kids.
    The alert system is a great idea and has potential as long as those who would benefit from its efforts take the time to sign up and understand how to utilize the program. It could prove to be a vital service to the students, but only if they let it.