Campus security focus of Footbridge Forum
By Kaylee Porter
J-School Web reporter           

How safe are you on campus? The question has been in the back of the minds of college students’ for the last year, since deadly shootings occurred at Northern Illinois University and Virginia Tech.  On the University of Montana campus journalism students involved in the “Footbridge Forum” are amplifying the question, looking to make the answer: Safer than we used to be.

 “In Case of Emergency -- How Safe Are You on Campus?” is the topic of the spring call-in radio program. The show asks what is being done at UM to safeguard students, faculty, staff and visitors from violent acts, big and small.

Footbridge Forum is a radio show produced and executed by UM broadcast students. It airs every other Wednesday through April on UM’s student-run radio station, KBGA, 98.9 fm.
The Footbridge Forum “wants to know what steps are being taken, what’s in the works and what else should be done to protect UM’s citizens,” according to the show’s Web site.

This is the fifth year Footbridge Forum has explored topics that affect UM and the Missoula community as a whole.  The goal of the forum, said Program Director Denise Dowling, a broadcast professor in the School of Journalism, is to bring people together to deliberate important topics, to form solutions and suggest ideas for improvement.

At the end of the show participants “come up with a list of what can be done and send letters to people that can change things,” Dowling said.
           
Past forums have brought about significant change on campus and in the surrounding community.  The Fall 2004 segment entitled, “Cocktail Culture,” discussed alcohol related problems facing UM students. That program prompted the Curry Heath Center to rework its curriculum for incoming freshman. 

A program called “Developing South Campus: Finding the Fairway,” which aired Spring 2006 revealed that the general public felt left out of plans to develop UM’s South Campus.  Subsequently, the board of regents canceled the plans.  They started over recently, relying more on public input.
Executive producer Lauren Pedrick said she is excited to be part of a program with such a prestigious history.

“It’s daunting to take on this show as an executive producer, but I feel I learned a lot the last few years working as an AP (Assistant Producer,) and it’ll be cool to take on more responsibility. I want to make this show awesome.”
           
The show will air live on 89.9 KGBA on March 19, April 9 and April 23 starting at 7 pm.  Students and members of the community are invited to call in to (406) 243-6226 and speak out. E-mail comments are accepted any time Email may be sent to footbridgeforum@gmail.com.

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