Traditionally, this space has been reserved for kicking the University between the eyes for their constant, miserable failings. Those of you who are unfamiliar with this campus may not know that the administration is infamous for dropping the proverbial ball on issues that matter to students, and generally being aloof from their concerns.

But it’s a new year, and along with the fresh tar and tiling, the administration appears to be paving over past precedent.

Within days of April’s Virginia Tech shootings, Binghamton preempted even the SUNY system’s early measures to assess the emergency response on campus. The current system, put in place before freshmen had even unpacked their bed risers, is a multifaceted and comprehensive consortium of warnings (see page one). The procedure comprises several mediums of communication, from television screens in dining halls to text messages on cell phones, that are designed to reach every student at BU in the event of an emergency.

In its early preview, the system is impressive. Granted, it has yet to be tested, and hopefully we will never have to see it in action, but the University appears to have taken the unfortunate shortcomings of Virginia Tech’s early responses to heart.

A report on that university’s actions on April 16 was released yesterday, revealing that though a campus lock-down would have been impractical, earlier and more thorough alerts might have kept the death toll from being so high.

In this respect, BU’s efforts so far seem to reflect the findings of this report and perhaps quells the reservations incoming students might have felt about coming to school, especially considering the immediacy of Virginia.

While skepticism is usually the flavor of choice these days, it seems imprudent to balk at these proactive measures ‘ and believe us when we tell you that we considered the Big Brother implications of being surrounded by a relatively invasive network of near-constant communication.

The sheer expanse of campus makes any effort on this scale a lofty undertaking, but the administration’s timely response in perhaps the most basic of its responsibilities ‘ providing for the safety of its students ‘ is admirable.