By Caroline McDaniel

Early Thursday morning November 20, 2014 at Florida State University, three students were wounded during yet another school shooting, with the gunman , Myron May a graduate student from FSU and currently studying Law at Texas Tech University, was shot down and killed by police.

One wounded student was treated at the scene as the bullet only grazed their leg, while the other two students were taken to the hospital, one remains in critical condition.  From the shootings, attacks, and every other conflict embedded into the history books; students, teachers, parents, and random bystanders have lost their lives in uncontrollable situations, from Virginia Tech to our very own Columbine High School and Aurora Theater shootings. Mandatory drills are performed monthly by all schools to make sure all teachers and students know what to do and where to be in case of a sudden emergency. Though Wheat Ridge High School’s recent lock down drill was cancelled, it has been rescheduled to a time supposedly only administrators know of. Teachers have admitted time and time again that the students know more about the drills than they do. Is this the lead to a future problem? Let’s sure hope not.  Teachers are the go-to heroes of an everyday classroom; how are students supposed to feel safe in environment where the adults know less than the students? Now this is not saying our teachers do not know anything, but that they can tell us few details while students can tell you time, what class, and the possible duration of the drill can present many problems. Students have shown very little seriousness in the most recent drills because they knew when they were happening and think it’s just an excuse to get out of class and fool around with friends. What most students do not understand is, if there ever were a real emergency, they wouldn’t know where to meet, how to act, or what to do because there’s a lack of seriousness. These monthly drills are required by the state and emergency departments to ensure the safety requirements are met. As a student body, it is necessary we follow the simple tasks being asked of us. These small tasks include: staying with our class and remaining calm. The foolishness of these recent drills have been unappreciated by many, not only teachers but even students. To remain safe in an emergency it takes the students’ and staffs’ cooperation to take the small steps in order to achieve the safety we need.