This past summer I remember browsing the Binghamton University Web site to make myself more acquainted with everything Binghamton had to offer. I came across this campus security text message service, called Rave. It’s a service that alerts college students to any safety concerns that may arise on their college campus. Binghamton University and numerous other colleges and universities have joined the Rave service throughout the past few years, hoping that it will provide comfort to their students as they complete their studies.

On July 15, I signed up for the service, hoping that it would alert me of any security issues on campus once I got to Binghamton. If any dangerous situation arose on campus, I felt as if I would be notified immediately and would be able to adjust accordingly. It also seemed like a useful tool that would allow parents to stay calm, knowing that their son or daughter would be safe and informed, should anything ever happen.

Yet on Aug. 27, I checked my Binghamton Webmail and saw that there was yet again another B-Line message. Scrolling down I came across the words, “Bear sightings on campus.” Interesting. I read on. “During the past week, several people on campus have reported seeing a bear and a bear cub in the area of the Nature Preserve.” Shouldn’t I have been notified of this through the Rave service?

I felt as if this would be something reported to me through this text message security service. Or was I just being paranoid about a harmless bear and bear cub? I understand that generally bears won’t intentionally attack harmless and frightened college students, but I still felt as if this was a big concern. The bears were just spotted in the Nature Preserve area, but what if I had been near the woods around the time of the sighting?

Perhaps I am overlooking the purpose of this service. Maybe Rave only covers dangerous college campus shootings. Over the past couple of years it seems as if we hear about it more and more on college campuses. It isn’t, however, something that can really be avoided, since colleges can’t control the thoughts and actions of each and every student. It’s a rising issue, but what can be done to suppress such grave acts? I think Rave is a great service in that sense, but where does one draw the line about what’s dangerous and what isn’t? Are college shootings the only dangerous events that can occur on a campus?

Nonetheless, here at Binghamton University, I feel completely safe. Despite the bear sightings, flooding from water main breaks and talk of rape occurrences, I feel as if everything has gone smoothly in my first two weeks. At night I see blue lights and University police patrolling around the Brain, and I genuinely feel safe. I hope to have it stay that way.

I also hope that if any dangerous situation were to arise, that Rave or campus security would have my back.