Florida Atlantic University's first student-run news source.

UNIVERSITY PRESS

Florida Atlantic University's first student-run news source.

UNIVERSITY PRESS

Florida Atlantic University's first student-run news source.

UNIVERSITY PRESS

High-Tech Tools Can’t Prevent Student Stupidity

The title of this issue may seem a little over-the-top, but in honor of September being safety month at FAU, we asked one question: Is FAU safe?

It turns out some students don’t really think it is. But it’s not FAU’s fault – it’s ours.

Within the past year, FAU has spent a lot of time and money trying to make their seven campuses safe, but all the technology in place (click here) can’t account for human nature and stupid students.

Whether students are letting just anyone into the dorms (click here), or finding ways to bring weapons on campus, students don’t realize they are putting themselves in danger.

I had a phone interview last week with FAU’s Chief of Police Charles Lowe, and he told me the called the honest truth: “We can have the best systems in the world but you can’t 100 percent prevent anything from happening – there are just no guarantees,” and no matter how secure our campus is, FAU police “can’t override personal responsibility.”

We’ve already had an on-campus shooting last April (click here), and just last week eight guys ended up facedown on the pavement after a few students thought they saw one of the strangers flash a gun (click here) at the University Village Apartments.

I don’t know how to fix this or what the next step should be – I’ll leave that up to people much smarter than I am – but I do know something needs to be done before something serious happens.

It’s probably not going to happen in the classroom like it did at Virginia Tech in April 2007, but it’s very possible that something is going to go down at a lame-ass dorm party.

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