Drilling into Fear

In the wake of the recent tragedy in Parkland, Florida, the sense of security and safety that students once felt while at school is quickly fleeting. Schools across the nation are evolving into hubs of fear and trepidation, losing their reputation as a place to seek refuge or protection. It appears that practices originally designed as mechanisms to shelter students from harm, like fire and earthquake drills, have transformed into lethal methods to kill, invoking terror in the hearts and minds of those being compelled to partake. For decades, school campuses were always a place where one didn’t need to worry about protecting their life. However, it is no secret that our current society is one full of fear, suspicion and violence. In the past 15 years the culture has shifted, causing students and teachers to alter their mindset as they walk on campus. Any change in the normal, monotonous daily school schedule could be a signal of danger, and it is key to be on constant high alert for peril. For many older teachers this is a foreign concept to grasp. Back when they were beginning their careers in education, society was a drastically different place to live in. Government teacher Jaime Jimenez has taught at Samo for 41 years, and has been an observant spectator to the cultural shift from leincicy to strictly enforced protocol.  “There has definitely been a change in the school’s culture, specifically in the past 20 to 30 years. I think one of the biggest changes we have seen has come with the introduction of technology, and the fear that has been attached to that. I know that the impact is certainly felt on campus, and after the Parkland shooting the fear factor has only increased,” Jimenez said.  It is not just teachers who are feeling the effects of the new culture surrounding school drills and fear. Students are becoming fearful of every action on campus that seems out of the ordinary, suddenly terrified of becoming the next school shooter’s victim. In the case of a fire drill, students are torn on what to do. Do they stay inside and risk burning in the flames of a fire, or do they exit the building as prompted, becoming vulnerable and exposed to any dangerous individual on school grounds? It is a near impossible choice to make, and both options can be fatal.  Samo senior Arielle Melamed (’18) experienced this same stressful decision only days after the Parkland shooting when a fire alarm went off during class. Her peers stood up and exited the building as they had been trained to, but she was conflicted. Melamed’s mind immediately went to the recent shooter who pulled the fire alarm prior to pulling the trigger, and she was stricken with fear, not wanting to leave the classroom. Every move she once made without any thought was now being second guessed in the wake of the recent casualties. For high school students like myself, it is incredibly frustrating to watch the society we are growing up in decay and deteriorate when it comes to safety and protection. It creates a universal feeling of hopelessness when we read headline after headline describing heartbreaking school shootings across the nation, because there is no personal action we can take to halt the fear it is causing or the deaths of the students who lay victim to the shooter. There is no doubt that something has to change in schools immediately.  Ohio Sheriff Richard Jones was very vocal about the issue, telling WCPO that “right now, we need to rethink the fire drills” and that it is not the time for school administers to turn a blind eye to the tragedies plaguing school campuses nationwide. If one shooter did it, it will undoubtedly happen again and schools must act now before their students are the next target.  While there is no way to completely erase the circulating fear regarding school drills, it is important to become educated in order to arm yourself with the accurate facts and knowledge. Often times fear and panic can stem from sensationalized rumors, so it is key to research and learn the truth for yourself. There is no way we can stop the tragedies now, but as we grow and become adults in the workforce, our voices will begin to carry weight and our words will be heard. It is time to make our world a place where children don’t have to fear for their lives every day when they leave the house. We need to create a world of peace, not a place full of violence, terror and despair.