I’m not trying to kick up an alarmist sandstorm here, but if you’re one of the 6,137 undergrads who were notified that their social security numbers and/or other personal information may have been stolen as part of the heist of an external hard drive from the Office of Student Affairs, it’s probably worth trying to protect yourself. Though Georgetown’s campus-wide e-mail said no credit card information was stolen, your information could be used to take out lines of credit in your name (such as loans).

The first step is to put a 90-day fraud alert out with the 3 major credit bureaus; this will prevent new lines of credit from being taken out in your name without your first confirming them by phone. Call Equifax at 1-800-525-6285 to begin the alert; they’ll contact Experian and TransUnion (the other 2 bureaus) to make it universal.

Second, Visa’s fraud center told me that identity thieves and other bad guys will use your information to pose as you, call in, and find out your credit card info. Call your credit card company to place a password on your account, which is more secure than the typical “mother’s maiden name” question used to verify by default. Credit card companies are already diligent fraud monitors, so they’ll probably call anyway if a strange-looking charge appears on your account.

I don’t know the chances of your info being used to nefarious ends (who’s to say what they really are, anyway?), but there’s no harm in protecting yourself. It should only take 20 minutes or so (based on past experience), and will be a lot less painful than trying to deal with the repercussions should your info actually be used.

Senator Ted Kennedy announced his endorsement for Democratic presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama at a packed arena at American University on Monday, saying he sensed a “kind of yearning today…[a] kind of hunger to move on and move America forward.” Over 100 journalists were turned away, the American Prospect reports, but intrepid Voice reporter/photographer Yamini Kalidindi was able to find her way inside. By the looks of their (excellent) photo slideshow, it seems the GW Hatchet was among the publications turned away. An update with Yamini’s full report of the event will follow.

Update: Here’s Yamini’s report:

Following his significant victory in South Carolina, Senator Barack Obama received the endorsement of Senator Edward Kennedy, his son, Rep. Patrick Kennedy, and niece Caroline Kennedy at a rally held today at American University. Sen. Kennedy voiced his commitment to Obama, saying he supports “a president who appeals to the hopes of those who still believe in the American Dream, and those around the world who still believe in the American ideal.”

Thousands waited on line to attend this event, some arriving at Bender Arena as early as eight in the morning for an event set to begin at 12:30. While the crowd consisted of a significant number of college students, people of all ages were present. Parents arrived with children 3, 4 years of age riding on their shoulders, while elderly people joined the throngs of youth waiting in the cold.

Despite the difference in age among the audience, the atmosphere remained consistent. From the time doors opened at 10:30, the arena rang with chants of “Obama! Obama! Obama!” closely followed by shouts of, “Can we do it?! Yes, we can!” Edward Kennedy summed up the feelings coursing through the crowd as they waited for Obama to take the podium, stating, he sensed a “kind of yearning today…[a] kind of hunger to move on and move America forward.”

When Obama finally took the stage, he thanked the Kennedys for their support. “If you stand with me in the days to come…if you stand for change,” he told the crowd, “we will change the course of history.”

Photos by Yamini Kalidindi