In 1999, we were all in grade school and after April 20 of that year we had all heard of a place called Columbine. For our generation, school shootings became a reality, something that constantly happened. It seems as we have grown up, shootings have followed us and are now happening more often on and around college campuses. By the time we placed our story about the Seton Hall shooting on the front page, another shooting happened at the University of Texas.
The senior staff on The Mirror remembers when there was a gun in Regis Hall our freshman year. Last year after shots were fired in the vicinity of The Sea Grape, we remember penning an article, which was much like the one on today’s paper.
Guns on campus, on campus safety and off campus safety are becoming a major concern for parents of college students. As adults we take on the responsibility of being aware of our surroundings and our safety. Yet, when we are having a party on a Friday night we are much more willing to say the more the merrier, unless we are running low on drinks, then it’s if I don’t know you, get out.
Yet we have never thought that those people we kick out or do not allow entrance will come back with a loaded gun. Fairfield County has always been known to be a safe, quiet New England town, but with the ease of public transportation through Amtrak and the Metro North, access to campus and the beach from surrounding towns and cities has always been easy.
To those on campus, always report your guests to Public Safety when they arrive. Lock and never prop open doors, inside or outside.
To those living off campus, it is much more difficult to control who enters the beach area, but locking doors during parties can prevent unwanted guests from entering. But what if they do? Anyone who lives or ventures down to the beach knows, Fairfield brings plenty of cops late at night and don’t be afraid to alert them of suspicious behavior.
Additionally, while we all love to advertise our crazy parties on Facebook and Twitter, the address, the time and name of who is hosting the party can pose a threat to student safety. As gun shootings unfortunately become more common in this day and age, do yourself the favor and take your safety seriously before you crack the bottle.
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