More than 2,000 people have subscribed to the EIU Alert text-messaging notification system.

The system, instituted in March this year, will alert students who subscribe to the service of emergency situations on campus via their cell phones. The messages will be no longer than 160 characters long.

The university wants more students to subscribe to the system.

Eastern is preparing another media blitz to continue increasing subscriptions, said Dan Nadler, vice president for student affairs.

2,400 students and faculty have subscribed to the system so far, Nadler said. Students can subscribe by accessing Eastern’s homepage and clicking on the EIU Alert link. Students can then submit their cell phone number and E-number. A confirmation text is then sent that tells the students they are in the system.

EIU Alert is now a Facebook group, created by Jarrod Scherle, a sophomore pre-engineering major.

The group, called “Sign up for EIU Alert Text Messaging,” has 584 members.

Scherle is a student senate member and created the group after the senate meeting when Nadler announced Eastern had a text messaging alert system.

“I figured that by creating the group and including a link to the exact sign-up page, (it) would be an effective way to spread the word to students,” said Scherle.

Scherle said he received the text confirmation immediately and that he is glad he signed up.

“If something were to happen, I think these text alerts could really help keep students safe,” Scherle said.

Faculty members have also signed up for the text-messaging service.

Alison Mormino, director of philanthropy, signed up after seeing it advertised on the Eastern Web site and reading about it in The Daily Eastern News.

“I signed up the same day I read the article,” Mormino said.

Mormino said she has not experienced any problems with the service and received a test message immediately after signing up.

“I rely on my personal cell phone as my only phone,” Mormino said. “Since it is with me at all times, I thought it would be a good way to receive any important information related to campus safety.”

Andrew Witt, a senior marketing major, said he already felt safe on campus but still opted to subscribe.

“EIU is a smaller campus and I don’t feel students here feel as outcasted here as they would at a bigger campus,” Witt said. “Besides all that, you can’t live your life in fear because of a few nut jobs.”

He also joined the Facebook group for EIU Alert to help bring awareness to the new program.

“I think this is the best approach for this sort of situation. I always have my phone, but I don’t check my e-mail before every class,” Witt said.

Ashley Horton, a junior psychology major with a minor in criminology, said EIU Alert is something that was needed to make students feel safer.

“I feel EIU Alert is a good thing because there are people, if something ever happens, that either don’t check their e-mail or are not on campus at the time, so having another notification system is an excellent idea,” Horton said.

But she said the notification system doesn’t make her feel any safer on campus.

“It does not make me feel safer on campus unless I know exactly where the emergency is happening. Nothing can really make me feel safe from the things that could happen,” she said.

Nadler said the university depends on more than the text-messaging system to keep campus safe. Initiatives already in place include emergency sirens, e-mail and web page communications, public address equipment, emergency phones, security cameras and restricted access in residence halls.

“We are always exploring ways in which to enhance our campus safety and security initiatives,” Nadler said.

Ashley Mefford can be reached at 581-7942 or at almefford@eiu.edu.