Following the recent school-shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida, where a former student killed 17 students and faculty, the internet has been ablaze with different arguments and opinions on how to end school-shootings from happening once and for all.

Whether it be President Donald Trump arming teachers with firearms or students and parents alike marching for complete gun-control, there is no shortage of “guarantees” being distributed online.

The problem is that there is never a guarantee on what will happen in the future.

One argument for gun-control is on how easy it is to obtain a gun regardless of age, thanks to private dealers who have been known to sell weapons to anyone with a couple hundred dollars.

The argument against gun control is just as easy to argue, with the Second Amendment, above other things, giving people in the United States the right to bear arms and defend themselves.

Whether you believe it is the gun or the person behind it, I think it is fair to ask ourselves this question: how can we keep our schools safe from dangerous weapons and people?

One thing that I believe makes the difference in an event like a school-shooting is how well the campus is secured and protected. Fortunately for students, El Camino College has its very own police department, as do many universities in the country.

According to the El Camino College website, the El Camino College Police Department is a State certified P.O.S.T. law enforcement agency that provides police and safety services to the El Camino College community, meaning each officer is sworn in to protect our campus.

Despite the campus having its own police force, we as students should always be prepared for the worst possible scenario.

One way to stay alert and informed is to sign up for Nixle, a messaging program that allows students to receive text messages from the ECC police department when a crime or emergency has happened on campus.

Another way to stay prepared for a shooting or emergency on campus is to know the exits and entrances of the buildings around campus, as well as the campus itself.

Making little changes now can have a great effect on our lives later, which will in turn help to keep our campus a safe place.

In an emergency, dial 9-1-1 from a landline phone, 310-660-3100 from a cell phone, or use a campus “Code Blue” emergency phone.