Vol. 100. No. 8 - 09/26/2012

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Adventure pg. 8 Time Vol. 100 Issue 8

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September 26, 2012

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A St. Mar y’s University Publication Since 1925

S I M U L A T E D

SHOOTING IN GARNI HALL

University Police Department prepare for potential school shootings with national ALERRT program.

Richard Zepeda CONTRIBUTING WRITER

To protect students from various threats, such as the five school shootings which occurred around the country this year, the University Police Department has been training to handle situations where lives are in danger; this includes live, armed dress rehearsals in buildings across campus. There have been no shootings on campus, but the incidence of violence across the nation have caused police everywhere to prepare for similar threats, according to St.

Mary’s Chief of Police David Ott. “We have this thing called ALERRT. Probably a lot of people don’t know about it, but it’s really cool, and it really gets your blood going,” Ott said. ALERRT, Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training, was developed in 2002 by Texas State University along with area law enforcement departments. Their goal is to be prepared for any incident where first responders are needed to subdue an active shooter. According to ALERRT’s website, law enforcement officials across the country have adopted it’s curriculum in order to train their personnel. Their training can be used to help prevent incidents like what happened earlier this month when a 14-year-old fired a shot in his

Illinois high school classroom before a teacher wrestled him to the ground. While no one was hurt in the Illinois incident, at Oikos University in Oakland, Calif., seven people died and three were injured in another shooting April 2. ALERRT was developed after the tragic shooting at Columbine High School in 1999, where 12 students and one teacher were killed by two students. Ott remembers that incident well. “I’m just thinking to myself, ‘What are you guys doing? You got to get in there. I know you don’t have all your guys, but you got to stop the shooting,’” Ott said about the delayed response of S.W.A.T. members. The point of the training, according to Live Oak Police see ALERRT page 4

An officer moves through Garni Hall during a training exercise earlier this year. w Courtesy of University Police Department

Professor initiates an alternative on commuting to campus Arturo Osteguin Jr. FEATURES EDITOR

Driving to campus can be a chore for commuters with all the congestion on highways during the early parts of the day, but for Stephanie Ward, associate professor of management, biking to campus is an enjoyable alternative to fighting traffic. A while ago, Ward became concerned that her commute was taking almost an hour from her home to campus. Living by

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Fair Oaks ranch up Interstate 10 West, the commute had become longer than usual, most of which was in congestion. “I noticed that my commute (was getting) longer and longer by the day,” said Ward. “I knew I wanted to fit more exercise and time in the outdoors into my schedule.” That’s when she decided to put the two together. Ward had noticed a bike route that started from Loop 1604 and I-10 and ended near Ingram Center. The city had

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implemented greenways around town to accommodate bikers and runners, so Ward decided to take her mountain bike down the trail a few times a week.

“I noticed that my commute (was getting) longer and longer by the day. I knew I wanted to fit more exercise and time in the outdoors into my schedule.”

Stephanie Ward Associate Professor of Management

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“It cut down on expenses toward gas and sitting on the road. I first did it twice a week and gradually stepped it up to three times a week,” said Ward. “After arriving at the Ingram Center, I would then take a bus to campus.” The commute had taken her an hour and 15 minutes—only a 20-minute difference over the previous car ride.

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see COMMUTING page 4

www.stmurattlernews.com


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Vol. 100. No. 8 - 09/26/2012 by Rattler - Issuu