School plans new safety measures

Parkland sparks consideration, protection

Photo+illustration+by+Maddie+Lund.

Malaika Bigirindavi

Photo illustration by Maddie Lund.

Annabella Strathman

Hearing of the recent Parkland shooting, history teacher Brad Brubaker said he can’t help but picture himself in that position.

“I don’t know that you’re ever going to really be prepared. I think most teachers, you think about your room and you think ‘OK what would I do,’” Brubaker said.

Junior Grace Adams-Maass said, despite recent events, she feels administration has promoted safety.

“I have still felt safe at our school. I think it also depends on the teacher and the classroom, because some teachers keep their doors locked during the day and others don’t,” Adams-Maass said.

According to Assistant Principal Charles Johnson-Nixon, Park recently shifted to the “Run, Hide, Fight” procedure.

Johnson-Nixon said the procedure involves determining which of the three action plans is most suitable in the situation.

“When something horrible does happen and you have a clear exit for a quick escape, you run,” Johnson-Nixon. “If you don’t know if it’s safe to escape, you hide and stay as quiet as possible. And if that doesn’t help and someone is going to try and come into the space you are, you fight for your life,” Johnson-Nixon said.

Brubaker said he noticed an increase in preventing student re-entry to the school following the Parkland shooting.

“After Florida, I saw administrators and GLCs removing pencils from doors,” Brubaker said. “They are unpropping it because students have propped it, to secure it again.”

Criminal Justice teacher Jeffrey Cohen said he feels discussing the issue of safety with students provides an important perspective.

“We all are here, and spend most of our time here in the school, and we deserve to feel safe, and I think the student’s feelings and input are important to discuss,” Cohen said. “We talked about one of the main topics that I always hear about: whether schools should have more armed adults, whether that be teachers or administrators, or more police.”