With the recent bomb threats on college campuses throughout the country over the last couple of weeks, students nationwide are on high alert and questioning whether or not they may be affected.  
Over the past few weeks, the campuses of University of Texas at Austin, North Dakota State University, Hiram College in northeast Ohio and Louisiana State University had been evacuated for threats of bombings on campus.
With a threat hitting so close to home in Baton Rouge, students at Nicholls may have begun to worry.
Although we think that students should always be on alert and never throw the possibility of it happening to you out of the window, our campus remains safe, thanks in part to efforts made by University Police.
We have a continuing presence of our University Police officers, all of whom strive to make sure that our campus is kept as safe as possible.  They have created policies, which protect us in any given situation that may arise.  
Students at Nicholls should feel safe and be reassured that our leaders on campus have prepared for situations, and in the case of an emergency, will be able to adequately handle keeping all of us safe.  
The University has installed several different kinds of technological equipment that
can be used in a state of emergency.  From alarms to a text message system, students, faculty and staff will always be in the know when safety comes into play
Here at Nicholls, historically, there have been bomb threats as often as weekly, to avoid tests students did not want to take.  
Past students would walk outside of Peltier Hall and see those from the building waiting in the Quad to be let back in.  
Since Sept. 11, 2001, however, everyone has taken things much more seriously.
Penalties have been decided upon, and in recent years, the severity of most has increased.  Bomb threats are considered a felony and one who is charged with this crime can receive up to 20 years in prison.
So the next time you see a campus police officer or an administrator, thank them for working hard to be prepared for any state of emergency that may happen to our college campus, and for keeping the safety of all of us in mind.