<p>Visited my alma mater this last weekend, squeezed in between visits to my son's top choices being big state schools. Haven't been back since '87. Campus looked incredible. New buildings around that I only read about before...flower baskets downtown, new restaurants.. But - blue lights? Big obtrusive blue lights for emergencies? Are these modern 911 boxes something that parents clammored for or the result of a huge increase in crime? I was just surprised, maybe there aren't so many but I just kept seeing them.</p>
<p>The “blue light” emergency system is one that is standardized these days on college campuses throughout the country. Aesthetically it may not be the most beautiful, but it is an effective tool that college students all over the U.S. recognize.</p>
<p>Just because everyone’s doing it, doesn’t make it right. Brings new meaning to the tag line “fearless.”</p>
<p>I think they’re federally mandated. At least, I think you have to report whether you have such a system in place in federally-mandated crime/safety reports.</p>
<p>Thanks Dave, that makes more sense to me than that they were needed.</p>