By Ronald Sitton

MONTICELLO, Ark. - Yesterday I walked around the campus of the University of Arkansas at Monticello with a bit of gallows humor following the Virginia Tech massacre. Monticello lies in forest country and half the student population disappears on the first day of hunting season. Uneasy, I joked with students through the day about not taking their grades too seriously as finals approach.

I couldn't have planned the discussions we had if I had tried. The Intro to Mass Communication course talked about video games, which of course led to discussions about Columbine and Jonesboro, Ark. I asked the students how many had played shooter games and over half the class responded affirmatively. Then I asked how many of them had shot someone; no hands went up, but everyone looked around.

This week I'm also discussing Crisis Communications in Intro to Public Relations. One of my former students, Zac Wright, works as Gov. Mike Beebe's press secretary and will be speaking to the class Thursday. I sent him an e-mail joking that it seems the topic came up at an appropriate time. Little did I know.

Last night at 4:58 p.m., the campus received the following e-mail from the chancellor.

"Based upon threatening remarks concerning campus safety, Mr. Paul Fong, a member of the UAM grounds maintenance staff, has been suspended from all UAM campuses and University controlled facilities. This individual will not be permitted on campus until further assurances of campus safety have been made. Any suspicious behavior by anyone at this time should be immediately reported to Campus Security at 460-1000."

I don't know Fong. There wasn't a picture nor any details that would let us know how to identify this person if he came on the school grounds. I'm also left to wonder, what's suspicious behavior on a college campus? The guy in a long duster smoking a cigarette next to the building? The girl who wears black and shaved her head? The dood with the spiked hair and chains hanging off his leather coat?

Luckily, I didn't get the message last night or I might have felt uncomfortable packing my apartment at married housing, just on the other side of the football field. When I came in this morning, I heard a rumor about yesterday's events, and other faculty called me asking if I knew anything. The only thing I can confirm at the moment is this maintenance guy was a former student who hadn't done so well in class and had decided to work for awhile. My calls to public safety have not been returned. Just as I noticed the campus hadn't received a follow-up e-mail, one appeared from the dean of students.

"The member of the UAM grounds maintenance staff that was suspended from the campus for making threatening remarks concerning campus safety was taken into custody yesterday. This individual will not be permitted on campus until further assurances of campus safety have been made. The individual was taken to Drew Memorial Hospital for medical evaluation before being transferred to the Drew County Detention Facility, where he is currently being held. All other questions concerning the disposition of this incident should be directed to the Drew County Sheriff’s Office or the UAM Office of Public Safety. Please do not hesitate to call 1000 from any campus phone to report any behavior you consider suspicious."

This left me to wonder, if the individual will not be permitted on campus until further assurances of campus safety have been made, will he be permitted on campus once they think it's safe? Another wave of nausea and concern. I replied to the e-mail asking if we'd be given a picture or more information. Haven't heard anything on that yet, but just received this e-mail from the chancellor to the campus:

"To the University of Arkansas at Monticello Family:

I know that we all share sympathy and concern for our fellow students and educators at Virginia Tech. I also know that the incident that occurred on our campus yesterday has created concern for campus safety. The openness of a university campus and the right of individuals to come and go throughout the campus causes us to be ever mindful of unusual behavior on campus. You should never hesitate to call 1000 from any campus phone or 460-1000 or 911 from a cell phone or off campus phone to report any behavior you consider suspicious.

I remind you of several characteristics of campus safety you should keep in mind:

-- Campus Security officers are always on patrol. We have 24/7 coverage and all officers are commissioned law enforcement officers. We also have regular patrols of the campus provided by the City of Monticello Police and the Drew County Sheriff’s Office. Our two College of Technology campuses have the same support from local and county officials.

-- Residence Hall Directors and Resident Assistants, as well as campus security officers, are present in the residence halls every day.

-- There are surveillance cameras and recorders in Bankston, Royer, and Maxwell Halls and in the Gibson University Center.

-- Our resident directors in the residence halls are expertly trained in safety procedures and are well experienced in communicating quickly and effectively with residents in a time of emergency.

-- The living areas of our residence halls are secure 24 hours a day and students who live in each hall gain access using only university issued keys.

-- Ten Emergency Blue Light Phones are placed at strategic locations throughout the campus. These phones are direct lines to the Public Safety Department.

-- Our Public Safety Department regularly reviews and practices scenarios involving armed subjects and they are fully supported by city, county, state and federal law enforcement agencies.

-- We have the support of a full time University Nurse and Counseling Center that provides services to students, faculty and staff.

In response to some questions I have received, let me assure you that UAM has the capacity of sending emergency mass e-mails to all faculty, staff and students. We also have mass telephone messaging for all campus phones. Our Director of Media Services works closely with local media to announce all campus emergency information.

Please feel free to contact my office or any member of the Executive Council if you should have any questions about emergency procedures."

Now that helps. It still doesn't tell me what this guy looks like or provide a picture, but at least I know more about what can be done if something crazy happens. Like the Internet, the great thing about college campus is the openness to thoughts, ideas, experiences, life; the worst thing about college campus is the openness to thoughts, ideas, experiences, life.

But isn't life that way anyway?