While the versatility of duct tape is no secret, Americans under the advice of Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge have taken that wisdom too far in recent days. In a news conference last Monday, Ridge told Americans to stock up on plastic sheeting, duct tape and various emergency supplies. But, his assertion that the first two should be used to seal rooms in case of biological or chemical attack has spurred national mania as Americans rushed to hardware stores in a paranoid frenzy, recalling the Cold War anxieties of our parents' generation.Unspecified threats combined with ambiguous, color-coded terror alerts make for a confused American public. We are being told to report "suspicious" activities, but this term is problematic, as it may imply racial or ethnic profiling. But, just as we can see recent paranoia mirrored in the folly of hiding under one's desk during a nuclear strike, so should we recall other historical blunders committed during wartime. Keeping Japanese-American internment camps in mind, we need to be vigilant of our own biases and not let history repeat itself by the marginalization of any ethnic group or the persecution of innocent people.

President Jehuda Reinharz has emphasized such sensitivity. Furthermore, the University as a whole has demonstrated a well-balanced approach to the terror threat. This University has monitored our safety in appropriate recognition of government warnings, but at the same time has consciously upheld individual rights and has not succumbed to the mania and paranoia evident elsewhere.

It is noteworthy that this wise approach, with Reinharz consistently at the helm, is characteristic of this University. Brandeis demonstrated remarkable foresight following the September 11th attacks with a policy that avoided marginalizing community members and guests, but also kept safety at the forefront of the University's concerns. A multi-faith vigil that day set the tone for Brandeis' approach to the terror threat by reinforcing the plurality of Brandeis and the acceptance on which this community prides itself.

Safety, of course, cannot be ignored and we cannot pretend that the University is exempt from security threats. We should recognize that as a University closely connected to the Jewish community, Brandeis may be more likely a target than peer institutions. Addressing the heightened terror alert in campus-wide e-mails last week, Reinharz and Executive Vice President Peter French advised the community of Brandeis' newest security measures. At the end of his e-mail, Reinharz acknowledged that "possible, yet unspecified, terrorist threats increases everyone's anxiety level," yet once again emphasized the importance of individual freedoms and participation in normal, daily activities.

Closing an extraneous entrance, monitoring who enters campus and implementing an emergency evacuation plan -- while inconvenient -- are reasonable measures. The example the University has set in balancing its security measures to ensure students' rights are protected should also be a source of pride for our community. Along these lines, the University should seek further security innovations in addition to those already taken to keep students and faculty safe on campus.