Universities across the United States have recently experienced shooting hoaxes, sparking uncertainty in students enrolled in college.
Even locally in Georgia, the University of Georgia (UGA), went through this exact situation in August. The university received an anonymous call indicating that there was an active shooter in the library, prompting an investigation. The incident was later confirmed to be a hoax after dozens of other hoaxes shocked the nation.
With GCSU students visiting UGA frequently, concerns have been present.
“It made me sad when I heard about it,” said Anna Schofill, junior Nursing major. “It causes unnecessary panic and misdirects the attention that should be on what we are here for: our education.”
Schofill’s feelings about the hoaxes reflect a broader conversation. Not only have schools had to halt instructional hours to shelter in place, the students and faculty also begin their days wondering if the next report will be real.
This shifts focus from investing time into a valuable education to worrying about one’s own safety. Luckily, GCSU has a variety of mental health outlets available to ease the effects of anxiety-inducing scenarios, such as shooting hoaxes.
The school has worked throughout the years to better its environment for the students by providing readily available mental health resources.
There is a 24/7 mental health support line, free and confidential counseling, online counseling and consultation services. This wide array of options establishes a healthy outlet for students to utilize in times of need.
“Every time I’ve emailed the counseling services to schedule an appointment, they get back to me with an eagerness to help,” said Sarah Waldron, junior Sociology major.
Waldron has an appreciation for the mental health services at GCSU and highlights their quick responsiveness. This resource gives students the opportunity to relieve their anxiety symptoms during these fearful events.
On top of its mental health focus, GCSU has a multitude of safety precautions in place. Some of those include; various active shooter training exercises with the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice, ensuring the availability of up-to-date equipment and maintaining a full staff to have top-notch manpower in the event of an emergency.
Despite these available resources, public safety still depends on the people themselves to prevent situations, such as school shootings, from happening.
“We depend on our community to be our eyes and our ears in places where we’re not,” said Chief Hardin, Director of Public Safety and Chief of Police at GCSU. “We depend on proactive, not reactive patrol to be out in places, because sometimes it’s just a presence that is a deterrent.”
Chief Hardin says the community should report what they see as a way to efficiently deter crime. By doing so, the students at GCSU can preserve its educational atmosphere that the hoaxes aim to weaken.
Though the shooting hoaxes have begun to die down, the threat is still relevant. GCSU has created an environment that prioritizes students and their needs, but it is imperative that students continue to stay informed, report suspicious activity and make use of the resources at hand.