The message appearing on the daily B-Line last Friday morning wasn’t your typical cheery e-mail to students: “Two Binghamton University students, though innocent bystanders, were recently injured by gunfire in an off-campus incident, which remains under investigation. This serious incident prompts the University to remind students to avoid high-risk venues and take all necessary precautions to remain safe.”
The warning reflects the beginning of the University’s new measures to keep students safe, both on campus and off, in response to the shooting on Oct. 19 at Ra’Nelles Night Club and Restaurant on Court Street that left two BU students and three others with minor injuries.
“It’s a message we’re trying to get out to the students,” said Rodger Summers, vice president for Student Affairs. Summers, who urges all BU students to be more aware of their surroundings when they venture off campus, hopes students will “try to be a little more judicious” in the places they choose to patronize.
“If five people were shot, I personally would be a little more hesitant in where I go,” he said.
Along with general reminders to students, the University is considering more proactive steps to assist students in that goal.
Summers plans to send a letter out to students that names the places the University considers “not good places to visit.”
Transportation from and around campus might be addressed as well as changing bus schedules and pick-up locations to accommodate students more safely.
Off Campus College plans to distribute information packs for students who host parties off campus. They’re called “party packs,” and they’re designed to inform students on “how to throw a good party” while remaining safe.
Summers said the recent events, including the shootings at a downtown club, should serve as a reminder to students to monitor themselves if they choose to drink or use drugs and to remain aware of decisions they make during a night out. The Alcohol.Edu online alcohol “classroom” is one of the steps used by universities across the nation, including BU, that aims to educate students about alcohol.
“We want to give students more information they can use to stay safe,” Summers said of the program, which became mandatory this year for freshmen.
Summers said he’s not trying to prevent students from going out. But he said he hopes students care enough about their own safety to educate themselves about the rules and the surrounding area, as well as the risks involved in using alcohol — especially in light of the downtown violence.
“Don’t put yourself in that situation,” Summers said.