Many students were left with one question after hearing yesterday that Michael Chertoff was President Bush's pick for the new Homeland Security chief.

Who's that?

Tom Ridge, the outgoing chief and former Pennsylvania governor, had become a household name following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and his creation of the five-level, color-coded terrorist alert system.

But now Chertoff will get a crack at the limelight.

Chertoff, a former federal prosecutor and current 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals judge in Philadelphia, played a role in determining what the United States' early strategy would be on the war against terror. From 2001 to 2003, he headed the Justice Department's criminal division.

"I think his legal experience is only a small part of why Bush chose him," international relations professor Scott Bennett said. "He's dealt with terrorism cases before, and Bush thinks he'll be a good manager in dealing with the internals of all the agencies."

Bennett said getting additional funding for the department would be one of the biggest challenges for the new chief.

"We've been good at preventing other terrorist attacks in the last few years," Bennett said. "But we're still vulnerable and there is not much money available to spend."

College Republicans Chairman Andy Banducci said he knew about Chertoff, but added that he was not well-known. "He was a great choice, and is somebody with experience and who really could get the job done," Banducci said. "He's not someone who'll be political."

Several Democrats, including U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., expressed support for Chertoff.

Although most students did not know who Chertoff was, they had reservations about Ridge's terrorism alert system and would like to see the new chief make some changes. "It's good that there are certain levels," Mike Tirrell (junior-history) said. "From talking to friends and family, they've definitely seen an increase in security."

Tirrell said he has traveled by plane

frequently since Sept. 11, mostly within New York, and has seen the difference in security firsthand.

"The only difference is that more people are chosen at random to be searched, to have to take their shoes off or to wait longer in lines," Tirrell said.

Tirrell added that the current terrorism alert system is vague and that the meaning of the current system could be expanded on under the new Homeland Security chief.

According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Web site, the five levels of alert are green (low risk of terrorist attacks), blue (guarded risk of terrorist attacks), yellow (significant risk of terrorist attacks), orange (high risk of terrorist attacks) and red (severe risk of terrorist attacks).

Currently, the nationwide DHS warning level is yellow.

Roy Hampton (graduate-leisure studies) also agreed that the system could be clearer.

"They use it so blasé," Hampton said. "To some degree you have to keep people more alert, but then you don't want them to be scared."

Bennett said he thinks that the color alert system won't be at the top of Chertoff's agenda.

"Nobody's been able to come up with a better system," Bennett said. "A lot of people criticize it as being too vague, but the problem with making it more specific is that more secure intelligence will be made available."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.