Catherine Hamilton

On Saturday, Meredith Gaston, the Auburn University Panhellenic President, was crowned Miss Homecoming 2008. For the week of November 3-7, the top 5 Miss Homecoming candidates campaigned around Auburn, promoting the importance of various issues on Auburn’s campus.

Gaston’s campaign, “eMEREgency”, highlighted the importance of safety on campus as well as the effectiveness of the AU Alert System.

“As a Miss Homecoming candidate, I am promoting the AU Alert System. This system was put in place last year by the University to inform the Auburn family of emergency situations and to enhance the feeling of safety on campus,” said Gaston in her platform.

After past events on Auburn’s campus, the AU Alert System has received a lot of attention, but Gaston feels that better participation could make the system even more effective.

“The AU Alert system has the potential to save lives but it is constantly in need of improvement. If a disaster ever strikes Auburn’s campus, AU Alert could make all the difference in saving lives, but without student use, it is not effective. I am encouraging students to sign up for AU Alert, but most importantly, I am asking them to voice their opinions about its use and effectiveness,” she continues.

After her victory, Gaston plans to encourage awareness of safety issues on campus and hopes to get every Auburn University students signed up for AU Alert.