COLUMBIA - Even after seeing and hearing about the tragic shootings at the Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois campuses, most MU students did not sign up to get an alert which could save their life.
But numbers are still growing four months after the birth of MU's emergency alert system.
The MU alert system provides emergency notices via text and e-mail to students and faculty. In case of a tragedy inside a campus building, MU freshman Ashley Reinsch believes the notices will help get the word out quicker.
"It will help get the news out faster," said Reinsch
The system came into effect after the other campus tragedies. Terry Robb, of the division of information technology, said the recent Northern Illinois tragedy reaffirms the need for such a system.
"It was a reminder since Virginia Tech, which got this whole thing started, that there are crazy people that come onto college campuses and do bad things," said Robb.
Robb wants everyone to sign up, and after NIU, people listened. Faculty signup shot up 25 percent in both cell and text messages. Students signup jumped 22 percent and 64 percent, respectively.
Out of the entire campus community, less than one-third of faculty and staff, and 19 percent of students have signed up so far. MU hopes new freshman students will sign up when Summer Welcome starts.
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