In the wake of the Virginia Tech tragedy, SMU has increased the university’s security measures. One of these new tools is the sending of campus-wide mass messages to students. In a preliminary test, students received an e-mail and text message from the SMU Emergency Notification System on Friday. Students who provided their cell phone numbers on Access received the text message, which stated that the notification was only a test. The mass messaging has been implemented to warn students of danger in case of emergency. Aside from e-mails and text messages, the new system includes using voice messages, city sirens, bullhorns, walkie-talkies and word of mouth runners to reach the majority of students on campus. Students are urged to provide their cell phone numbers on Access as soon as possible in order to receive the text message alerts. For more information on the university’s current status, call the emergency call-in phone line at 214-768-INFO (4636). – Russ Aaron