STORY BY ETHAN FICKAU
Though most students go home during the summer, some stay close to campus for work or summer courses.
This summer, students at or near Drake University were notified by multiple Bulldog Alerts in the course of 72 hours in late July.
The alerts were about two separate shootings. One took place at the Kum ‘n’ Go gas station at 22nd Street and University Avenue, while the other occurred at 29th Street and Cottage Grove Avenue, putting both in Drake University’s backyard.
Bulldog Alerts are sent out by Drake Public Safety via email, text or phone call/voice mail. While many students say they feel safe thanks to the Bulldog Alerts, some feel a little annoyed.
Emma Wilson, a Drake senior, loves the concept of the Bulldog Alert and thinks the Guardian Mobile App is perfect for students, but she also expresses concern about how something is determined to merit a Bulldog Alert.
“I’ve grown up around here so I’m used to things happening,” Wilson said. “I think sometimes alerts are sent out when it’s not really in the immediate Drake vicinity and it’s hard to determine whether something should have an alert sent out about it or not.”
Wilson says she would rather know what’s going on in the area than be unaware of serious events taking place nearby.
“I’m glad we get the alerts and it’s a comfort to a lot of students,” Wilson said. “Drake Public Safety and Student Senate do a great job protecting students.”
Drake junior Kayla Kroner agrees, saying the Bulldog Alerts help keep her updated on serious and sometimes dangerous things that take place around campus.
“One time last year, my roommate was out for a walk and a Bulldog Alert was sent about a shooting nearby,” Kroner said. “So I called my roommate to make sure she was okay and [she] came back to the dorm.”
But despite the security and guidance the Bulldog Alerts provide, other students do not have such high praises for the system.
Drake junior Sarah Beth Coleman says that while Bulldog Alerts are helpful, they can be a bit irritating.
“I don’t like it at all when I get woken up in the middle of the night by a phone call that turns out to be a Bulldog Alert,” Coleman said. “I can’t sleep when that happens!”
Nevertheless, Wilson, Kroner and Coleman say that first and foremost, the Bulldog Alerts do give students a sense of security in an environment where random, criminal events sometimes take place and it is better to be aware of the danger, even if — like many other things in life — it can be a little inconvenient at times.
