First tornado drill lacks seriousness

Published: September 26, 2008

The classroom sits still with quiet anticipation. Students mutter quietly, a boy in the back of the room says “When are they going to do it?”

Suddenly the air is ripped open with a loud “beep, beep, beep.” The students begin to chatter, making their way through the door and into the hall. During 2nd hour on Sept. 26, Howell North had its first tornado drill of the year.

“I think it went pretty good considering it was the first one of the year,” junior Kaitlyn Schikore said. “But nobody really knew what to do.”

Drills are a regular part of the school’s safety routine, readying students and staff in case of a real emergency. Although some students followed directions, others took it upon themselves to use the time to socialize.

“I think that there were many student not taking it seriously,” teacher Scott Beck said. “If we do too many of these not taking them seriously, it becomes a waste of time instead of a safety measure.”

Although the drill accomplished its goal of familiarizing the North community with the procedure of a tornado drill, Beck feels that more can be done to prepare for the future.

“Instead of calling it a tornado drill, call it a tornado walkthrough. It should be about getting a procedure in place that could save somebody’s life someday,” Beck said. “It needs to be approached as a change in school culture; it has to come from the top down for students to take it seriously.”

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