School and Student Safety On Campus
In light of the horrific event that recently occurred in Florida, schools across the nation have taken the initiative to strengthen the protection of their campuses and ensure the safety of their students.
Students, parents and community members in many states are also stepping up, participating in walkouts and protests against gun violence and demanding better gun control laws.
In the Palos Verdes area, the threats of a school shooter are minimal compared to those in other districts. However, that does not guarantee that there will never be one. Peninsula has a lock-down drill once a year, briefly explaining what to do in case of an active shooter coming on campus.
The drills are held during class time, when students are under the control of their teachers. But what happens if this were to happen during lunch or a passing period?
Since we live in a community where students are not frequently exposed to dangerous situations, many cannot even imagine something like this happening. But, then again, the students in Florida did not see it coming either.
We walk around campus laughing with our friends, learning in the classrooms and participating in all our extracurriculars activities without giving our own safety a second thought because we know we are safe. We know that the teachers, staff and administrators have a plan that will be put into action when it comes down to it.
Parents drop off their children everyday and leave them there for eight hours and more because they know they are under the protection of everyone on the campus. We are blessed to be in an area where we take the necessary precautions to limit the danger that could potentially present itself on school campuses.
However, there’s no such thing as too much preparation. While all classrooms were issued black felt pieces that cover up the windows on the doors, there are huge gaping windows in the middle of the classroom with no blinds.
While there are drills for lock-downs, students do not take them as seriously as they should. In the eyes of students and the administrator alike, everything might seem trivial until something actually happens.
But it should not take someone to come onto campus and fire a shot for the school to implement a change. Not only does my heart go out to the people in Florida who were affected, but also to those students who had the courage to stand up and take charge; their voices echoing nationwide.
Nina Li is a junior at Peninsula High and Opinion Editor of the campus newspaper the Pen.
