The Comet - Special Edition

THECOMET

March 13, 2018 Volume 10, Issue 6 Chanute High School

SPECIAL EDITION

#neveragain Photo by Sophie Osborn

Dear future Victim By the time you realize this letter is for you it will be too late. Another tragedy will have happened, more lives will have been lost, more thoughts and prayers will be dedicated to you.

Many will pose the hardest question to answer: Why? Why didn’t someone prevent this specific tragedy? Why wasn’t there any prevention after the previous victims?

Why didn’t congress do something to stop this?

We will hold a memoriam for you, and the nation will mourn. Unfortunately, if history holds true, congress will inevitably stall on any sort of action taken to prevent future incidents like the one that took your life.

While Washington may not spring into action, we, the people, will. Millions of your peers from all across the country will rise up to protest your death and ensure your name is not forgotten. It will be too late for you, but it won’t be too late for the countless others whose lives could have been cut short.

Just know, your life was not lost in vain, and the generations that come after you will make sure this much is true.

I’m just sorry this change did not come in time to save you.

preface:

WHY THIS ISSUE? Columbine: 13 dead and 24 injured.

Virginia Tech: 33 dead and 23 injured.

Sandy Hook: 26 dead and two injured.

Marjory Stoneman Douglas: 17 dead and 14 injured.

The list goes on and on and, unfortunately, on.

According to Time Magazine writer Chris Wilson, there have been 63 school shootings since 2013.

Wilson uses the following definition of a school shooting: “at least one victim was injured or killed, either the shooter or at least one of the victims was a student or teacher, the attack occurred on school property, including the parking lot, though not necessarily during school hours and injuries are counted only if they resulted from gunfire, not the ensuing chaos.”

Using the same definition, there have been four school shootings in 2018.

This is not normal.

This is not acceptable.

With the recent school shooting in Parkland, Florida, citizens and elected officials alike, are trying to diagnose the sickness that has infected American schools—school shootings.

The public and the media blame the cause of these mass school shootings on many different factors: gun control, family dynamics, media influence, mental health, bullying, and school security.

We are taking a look at these

factors, proposed solutions, and the facts to educate ourselves and our readers.

These tragedies that too many teenagers, children, parents, teachers, and coaches have endured need to stop.

Clearly thoughts and prayers are not enough to stop the pain caused by these horrific events. Students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School are tired of the inaction of Congress after these tragedies and have started a movement.

The #NeverAgain movement has opened up a door for the voices of many teenagers who were never heard before. This platform has reached the national media and is finally influencing the nation into creating some action.

The Parkland students have teamed up with the non-profit, Everytown for Gun Safety, for the March For Our Lives on March 24.

Also planned is a National Walkout on March 14, a month after the tragedy in Florida.

The National Walkout, planned in part by the Women’s March organizers, calls for students across the nation leaving class for 17 minutes, one for each of the lives lost in Parkland. A similar walkout is planned for April 20, to mark 19 years since the Columbine massacre.

So what is the problem? What needs to change? The staff of The Comet has created this special issue to explore these questions, discover the facts, and try to answer these questions.

“We’ve had enough of thoughts and prayers...To every lawmaker out there:..

We are coming after every single one of you and demanding that you take action.”

DELANY TARR, MARJORY STONEMAN DOUGLAS HS SENIOR

“How many have to die before we will give up these dangerous toys?”

Gun Laws

It’s one of the most debated topics, but would gun reform really make a difference?

W

-Stephen King Renowned suspense fiction author

By The Numbers

11,961

Murders using firearms in 2016

1994

Year last major gun control law was passed

300

number of guns in million that are in America

67

Percent of homicides that involved a gun

71

Percent increase in handgun ownership since 1994

hen it comes to school shootings, gun laws, or the lack thereof depending on the person you are talking to, are among the top concerns.

As of 2017, 65 percent of Americans now support ing and for their job. increased gun control. Though this is the majority, The main gun protection argument given is that change has been slow coming. The argument is that in an active shooter situation, armed and trained guns, an instrument of death, should not be readily citizens will be able to stop the shooter more quickavailable to every citizen. ly than police intervention.

Some of the legislation that has growing support is A new idea is that training teachers to handle banning automatic or semi-automatic weapons, reweapons and allowing those weapons into schools quiring stricter mental health and criminal background would be a strong deterrent to school shooters. checks, and requiring a more in depth national weapon This theory is causing a lot of waves, currently registry. legislation has been introduced to make armed This side of the argument uses empirical evidence teachers legal in Michigan, and similar legislation from other countries enacting gun reform to prove has passed in one Kentucky that it would work. The school district. reason that this pro-reAside from protection, form movement has been “65 percent of Americans now people also want guns for growing in recent years is hunting and sport shooting, support increased gun control.” the sheer amount of gun as well as for their jobs in a violence in America. few cases. With nine guns The arguments that per 10 citizens, firearms this group brings forward are that a child’s safety in have become a large part of American culture. school is more important that a person’s right to pleaGoing hunting with family and friends or pracsure through hunting or sport shooting. According to the ticing target shooting are time honored traditions Scientific America, statistics show guns are not effective that do no harm when those handling the guns are for protection as they are linked to an increase in suiproperly trained. cide and homicide rates and only .9 percent of victims One essential argument given is that taking use guns for self defense away the guns used for sport would not stop those On the other side of the gun reform movement are who use illegally purchased guns for murder or those Americans who strongly support the rights given mass shootings. Those who believe in gun ownto them under the Second Amendment to own a gun. ership believe nothing is going to stop those who The top reasons given as to why gun ownership is imtruly wish to purchase a gun and use it for illegal portant are for protection, for sport shooting, for huntactivities, including school shootings.

400,000 Number of guns stolen in a year

Sources: www.gunviolencearchive.org/ www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/10/2/16399418/us-gunviolence-statistics-maps-charts www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-41488081?scrlybrkr=f02fd6d5

dylan segraves freshman

“Honestly, it would make kids want to shoot schools even more.”

jacob adams sophomore

“If we have gun control, it won’t help school security, it will just stay the same. ”

justin isle junior

“It would take school shootings down and there wouldn’t be as many.”

2nd

Amendment of the United State Constitution

“A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”

GUN CONTROL TIMELINE 1966

1968

UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS TOWER SHOOTING

GUN CONTROL ACT OF 1968

Charles Whitman kills 14, wounds 32 from the top of the UT watch tower

Institutes gun licensing, interstate tracking of ammunition and firearms

1993 1994 2004

BRADY ACT Institutes background checks and five-day waiting period.

FEDERAL ASSAULT WEAPONS BAN Makes sale of new AR-15 and high-capacity magazines illegal

FEDERAL ASSAULT WEAPONS BAN EXPIRATION Congress allows Federal Assault Weapons Ban to expire

Many countries have encountered issues with gun violence and met them with regulations on gun ownership.

Some of the countries with the lowest amount of gun violence have approximately the same regulations on guns.

One of the more important regulations is a ban on handguns and semiautomatic weapons. This is a regulation that has been put in place in many of the developed nations with the lowest gun crime rates.

Another regulation that is very common is the upkeep of national registries of what guns each person owns. This is done so the authorities not only know who may be armed, but so they can also know who may have had access to steal weapons.

GUNS around the globe

Americans own nearly half (48%) of the estimated 650 million civilian-owned guns worldwide.

Source: Congressional Research Service 2012

The US makes up less than 5% of the world’s population, but holds

31% of global mass shooters

HOW DEADLY IS

GUN

VIOLENCE

in the United States?

COUNTRIES WITH THE MOST MASS SHOOTINGS 1966-2012 According to the most recent figures from 2015 on the leading causes of death in America, homicide of all sorts isn’t among the top 10 for all age groups. But that’s because everyone eventually dies from something, and most often its diseases of old age. Homicide by firearm however is a leading cause of death for Americans in the prime of life, especially among teens and young adults, where it’s more unusual to die from disease.

5 Leading Causes of Injury Deaths for ages 15-24

senior

cindy audiss counselor

“In addition to other measures, [gun reform] would be a very good start.”

US

18

1. Unintentional Motor Vehicle Traffic Accident: Deaths 6,787 2. Homicide by Firearm: Deaths 4,140 3. Unintentional Poisoning: Deaths 3,920 4. Suicide by Firearm: Deaths 2,461 5. Suicide by Suffocation: Deaths 2,119

“...Teachers should be trained, and we should have more security in charley scholes the school .”

90

15

Philippines Russia

11

10

Yemen

France

Source: Lankford, University of Alabama, 2016

“I don’t think gun reform is the issue. It will only take guns out of the hands of the brian campbell innocent.”

future principal

Would gun reform have an effect on school shootings?

“How about working together to try to see what we can do to get more dads involved in the lives of the kids”

Rick Santorum

By The Numbers

300 Teenagers in single-parent families are 300 percent more likely to need psychological help

75

Percent of adolescent murders from fatherless homes

34

Percent of children do not live with their biological father

18

Percent of single parents that are men

2-3

Percent of children absent their biological father Sources: thefatherlessgeneration.wordpress and thespruce.com

FAMILY DYNAMICS Could the rise in father abandonment affect school shooting probability?

A

nother horrible shooting, another young shooter.

Such headlines seem to be turning into norms on today’s news stations. The stimulating debate about the cause of adolescent violence traces the tendencies back to family and home life of the children.

According to the Webster Dictionary, a broken home is a family in which the parents are divorced or separated. The debate is whether these broken homes lead to children with violent tendencies.

Multiple studies have found a correlation between family life and violence. For example, according to The Real Root Causes of Violent Crime: The Breakdown of Marriage, Family, and Community, in the past 30 years “the rise in violent crime parallels the rise in families abandoned by fathers”. olently towards other people.

“I think [shootings have] a lot [to do with home life] Teacher Lucia Ellis added, “... because of the lack of because people just build up so much anger and having guidance at home there’s this sense of entitlement, and gone through a family issue and anytime a kid doesn’t get what he or not having somebody to talk to, she wants then they take it out on those it can get really hard,” freshman around them.”

Timmen Goracke explained.

According to The Fatherless Gener“The stimulating The previously mentioned ation article: “Children who live absent debate... traces the tenarticle connected the rise in their biological fathers are, on average, dencies back to family.” number of children being raised at least 2 to 3 times more likely to be by a single parent to the perpoor, to use drugs, to experience… cent of juvenile crime. For a 10 emotional, and behavioral problems… percent increase of children being and to engage in criminal behavior raised solely by one parent, there was typically a 17 percent than their peers who live with married biological (or increase in the amount of juvenile crime on a state-by-state adoptive) parents.” basis.

It is also believed that 85 percent of all children The majority of the time, fathers are the ones who are who show behavior disorders come from fatherless not in their children’s lives, meaning the mother is raising homes. The amount of fathers that do not live with the children alone. their children is as high as 59 percent.

Another article- Missing fathers and America’s broken Ellis said, “... if you have a stable family boys- suggests a difference between girls and boys growing structure, you have somebody to talk to when things up, that girls growing up without fathers are more likely to aren’t going well, you have somebody as a role model self harm, while boys are impacted more by the lack of a to follow when you need to know how to behave in a father in the household. Thus they are more likely to act vi- certain situation.”

“I think it’s the people but also the fact that there’s ways students can Timmen Goracke find these guns.”

Freshman

Lucia Ellis Teacher

“I think that a lot of the problems start at home. I think we have a lack of family structure, a lack of faith.”

Ashlyn Eagle Sophomore

“The shootings happen because people get upset and angry and people can make those people angry, like family.”

the fatherless generation Teenagers in

85% of all children

single-parent families are

300 PERCENT

more likely to need psychological help

who show behavioral disorders come from

fatherless homes

23%

of children

under 18

live with a

single mother

≈50

4%

percent

of

children

do not live with any parent

of children will witness

their parents divorce

before 18

64.3 MILLION fathers nationwide of which 59 PERCENT do not live with There are

their biological children “ I think [family] does have some influence, because your background... could influence Austin Liudahl you.”

Senior

John Stanley Sophomore

“If you don’t have a good family… you don’t really know what is good… and then you do stupid things.”

Tyler Kueser Junior

“[This] can be combated with being close to people, having good friendships, really strong family...”

Do family dynamics affect school shootings?

“The media’s the most powerful entity on earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that’s power.

Because they can control the minds of the masses”

-Malcolm X

By The Numbers

1

America leads the Western Hemisphere in Gun Homicides per

90%

of all children in the US play videogames More than

400

studies revealed a link between violent media and aggressive behavior

Media Influence

Violent movies and videogames often come under fire after school shootings, what effect do they really have?

M

onkey see, monkey do-- or is that not necessarily true?

One of the first things that people think about when they hear ‘gun violence’ is the media. How does it change your opinions? How does it shape your world view? Does it affect the mind of a potential mass shooter? Now’a‘days, there are many different ways to receive information and news -- such as apps, newscasts, newspapers and word by mouth. Some would think that all of that media attention would alter some people’s perception of reality.

Parents, teachers, legislators and mental health professionals everywhere believe that what their children are consuming mentally via television, radio, and online can have terrible, long lasting effects on their minds. But the question still remains, is the claim that violent media and violent videogames cause today’s youth to become more violent true?

On one side of the table, you of whatever hardships they may be have those who believe that encountering at the time, serving the violent media causes violent be“Is the claim that vioultimate purpose of satisfaction. havior. Movies like “The HunAnother aspect of media is argulent media and violent ger Games” portray violence as ably: video games. Many dispute how a competition or even a game videogames cause toviolent video games corrupt the minds or pastime which is fine and of the youth, exposing them to violent day’s youth to become all, other than the fact that the tendencies which, apparently, makes directed audience is children and more violent true?” them more likely to become a mass teenagers. What does this movie shooter. At the same time, many argue in particular teach us? It teaches that there is in fact no correlation beus that the only way to survive tween violent video games and violent is to kill everyone you encounter and if you choose not to behavior, due to the fact that the same video games kill them then it’s lights out for you. Right? Is this what are available all around the world. So why are school we want the children of today to be exposed to so early in shootings still more prevalent in America. Weird, life or is this stance on the issue too far fetched? huh?

Others on the same topic argue that movies and vidSo the solution to this problem is simple, we need eogames have no correlation with potential mass shooters to create a rating system for videogames and movies and that the media is simply what it is, entertainment. so that you know who the content is appropriate for.

Movies and videogames are made to distract the masses Oh wait, there is.

Statistics suggest that serious violent crimes among youths have decreased since

1996 Sources: psmag.com

DAVID BROWN ASST. PRINCIPAL

“It is undetermined, no one’s provided hardcore evidence that it is a direct effect.”

NAKIA PALMER SENIOR

“It depends on the person because I think that most people, it doesn’t really affect them.”

MOLLY ROLLINS JUNIOR

“It would play a major role because I don’t think you’re born with those feelings.”

“These are quote-unquote video games, and they’re forced down our throats under the guise of protected speech, it’s garbage. It’s the same as pornography.

They have desensitized pepple to the value of human life, to the dignity of women, to the dignity of human decency.”

-Matt Bevin Kentucky Govenor

VIOLENT VIDEOGAMES

AN INTERNATIONAL TAKE ON

"The fact is that you are having movies come out, that are so violent, with the killing and everything else, that maybe that's another thing we need to discuss."

-Donald Trump United States President

"Speaking as a researcher who has studied violent video games for almost 15 years, I can state that there is no evidence to support these claims that violent media and real-world violence are connected."

-Dr. Christopher J. Ferguson Stetson University

Do you believe videogames encourage children to become more aggressive?

MORE

27%

NO DIFF.

42%

LESS

IDK

23%

8%

*Poll of 16-64 year olds in Sweden, Finland, France, Czech Republic, Netherlands, Norway, Belgium, Poland, Denmark, Germany, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, Great Britain, Spain and Portugal

In 2014,

59%

91%

of all videogames were rated

VIOLENT

of all kids ages 12-17

and that number continues to grow

play videogames

JOHN STANLEY SOPHOMORE

“I don’t really see how much of a big role they would have unless the person is just absolutely crazy.”

KELSEY GOODNER FRESHMAN

“I am a good student and play violent video games, so I don’t think it has any effect on people.”

Do you believe that violent videogames influence potential mass shooters?

“There is no health without mental health ... and mental health is everyone’s business.”

Vikram Patel, Co-Founder of the Centre for Global Mental Health

By The Numbers

1 out of 5 number of adults who will experience mental illness in their lives

1.4 million number of adults who made a nonfatal suicide attempt yearly

20%

percentage of youth aged 13-18 living with a mental health condition

$665 million proposed amount that the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration would lose under the Trump budget

Mental Health

Many don’t want to talk about it, but how big of a role does mental health play in school shootings?

T

hroughout the history of the United States, mental health has been hotly debated, whether it comes to funding, safety, or the state of the access to mental health treatment.

In the wake of a multitude of gun violence scares and school shootings, though, Americans are considering a wholly different question: what role does mental health play in school shootings?

Many make the argument that mental health has little to no correlation with school shootings. These people major aspect argue that painting the school shooter caricature as of school violence should not be swept under mentally ill has negative affects for those who do actuthe rug. ally suffer from mental illness and furthers the idea that In an analysis published by Everytown for Gun individuals with mental illnesses are volatile and should Safety, an American nonprofit organization dedicated be feared. to diminishing gun violence, there is a clear corBut what do the facts show? Jillian Peterson, assistant relation between rising mental health rates and gun professor of Criminology at Hamline University, is a violence. In forty two percent of cases, the shooter staunch advocate of this idea. had displayed instances of troubling “When we hear about crimes behavior. committed by people with menGrant Duwe, Director of Research “It’s possible for mass public tal illness, they tend to be big at Minnesota Department of shootings to be both a gun headline-making crimes so they Corrections, writes in an op-ed problem and a mental health get stuck in people’s heads,” Pefor the Los Angeles Times that “It’s terson writes. “The vast majority problem.” possible for mass public shootings to of people with mental illness are be both a gun problem and a mental not violent, not criminal and not health problem... at least 59 percent dangerous.” of the 185 public mass shootings that The argument is made frequently that mental health is took place in the United States from 1900 through used as a scapegoat to lessen the conversation around 2017 were carried out by people who had either been other components that may have influenced the shooter. diagnosed with a mental disorder or demonstrated Sarah Jones, author for The New Republic, writes signs of serious mental illness prior to the attack.” “...in reality, mental illness is rarely violent in an external sense. It tends to direct violence toward the self...” This These statistics and facts cannot be brushed aside. is worthy of speculation: while many are eager to point to When everything is taken into account, mental health, mental disturbance as a culprit for violence, others point just like any other health issue in the US, is just as to other aspects that are not taken into account. crucial a conversation as any other.

On the other hand, the argument that mental health is a

56%

percentage of mentally ill adults who do not recieve treatment Sources: National Alliance on Mental Illness, Anxiety and Depression Association of America, Mental Health America, Maine Public

Hunter Walker Junior

“I don’t think there are any issues with mental health here.”

Vittorio Kwek Sophomore

“Yes, I think there are some mental health issues at CHS, but no one likes to talk about it.”

Jackson McMahan Freshman

“I guess there are some mental health issues ...

I definitely think there are some spread around the school.”

What are the most frequently documented mental illnesses?

Anxiety Disorders- 18.1% Source: Anxiety and Depression Association of America

Eating Disorders- 10-15% Number of shooters showing prior signs of mental health issues since 1982:

Depressive Disorders- 6.5% PTSD- 3.5%

Number of shooters not showing prior signs/unconfirmed mental health issues since 1982:

Schizophrenia- 1.1%

52

41

OCD - 1.0%

Source: Mother Jones

COUNSELING CALAMITY:

Counsellor Cindy Audiss shares her thoughts on mental health here at Chanute High School Does CHS currently have (excused) mental health days?

We do not have a policy for mental health days, however, if a student is experiencing symptoms due to a mental health condition, any missed days are generally excused.

Do you think there is a psychological reason to these acts of school violence?

I do feel there is a psychological component to school shootings.

Based on your knowledge and experience, how have you seen mental health affect somebody when left untreated?

I work with students who have not sought treatment for one reason or the other.

They struggle every day to be able to function. It affects their schoolwork, relationships, and can lead to death.

Jonathan Niederbrach Senior

“I don’t know if it’s mental issues as much as it is just stress.”

Stacy Henson English Teacher

“I don’t know if it’s a stigma, I just don’t think teens understand these issues.”

Karen Graham Secretary

Do you think mental health should be taught in class?

Yes, I believe mental health issues should be taught in school.

What/How do you think mental health can be approved upon?

Again I believe education regarding mental health issues, recognizing the symptoms and reaching out/supporting those individuals is key.

“I think there’s a stigma about mental health everywhere.”

Is there a stigma around mental health at CHS?

“YOU CAN’T BE AGAINST BULLYING WITHOUT ACTUALLY DOING SOMETHING ABOUT IT.”

-Randi Weingarten President of the American Federation of Teachers

By The Numbers

49% of students grades 4-12 reported being bullied in 2017

4,600 Students that have been affected by bullying who consider violence

160,000 Students who don’t attend school daily due to bullying

bullying

People cite bullying as a root cause of school shootings, but does it truly matter?

B

ullying has always been a part of school life.

Bullying has always been a part of school life.

According to the United States Department of Education, 71% of high school students report that there is a bullying problem at their school.

With all of this bullying happening, it is leading to more and more violence throughout the country..

The headlines are rampant with stories about school shootings. The most recent case of which is the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida.

This shooting brings a lot of controversies on gun control, mental health awareness, school security, and arming teachers.

However, with a lot of new research coming out, more are thinking that bullying has an impact on these physically and a rumor. Other times however, it can be very hard to mentally unstable individuals. distinguish.

Nationally certified school psychologist Izzy Kalman For example, bullying can be as simple as making believes that there is a direct correlation between school a joke directed towards somebody. Everybody may shootings and bullying. think the joke is funny, but that being “The great majority of school said, the person that the joke was shootings are perpetrated by victims of “The great majority of directed toward might take a serious bullying,” Kalman said. blow. school shootings are As many people know, even at There are ways to prevent the CHS, it is very hard to deal with getperpetrated by victims after effects of bullying. Simply by ting bullied. You can try to hold it in of bullying” telling an adult when people are getas long as possible but everyone has a ting bullied, putting an end to bullybreaking point. For some, the breaking ing, and knowing the signs of mental point is deadly. diseases.

Even though bullying is a major problem, Bullying isn’t always just a fist fight; it can be a mean just one person can make a difference. With today’s remark, an online post or comment that is hurtful, or even society, bullying can be stopped.

30% of students bullied have brought weapons to school Sources: stopbullying.gov and American Society for Positive Care of Children

BRYAN AYALA FRESHMAN

“Being bullied can make you depressed, but it shouldn’t give you the motive to kill.”

“I think bullying makes them go over the edge on what they want to do.”

NOLAN WERNER SOPHOMORE

GAVIN MITCHNER JUNIOR

“I believe that [bullies] can get the person so mad.. that it would push them to that point.”

AVERAGE

abuse and mistreatment of someone vulnerable by someone stronger, more powerful, etc

BULLY

This year, more than

13 MILLION

American kids will be bullied at school, online, on the bus, at home, through their cell phones and on the streets of their towns, making it the

CAN START AS EARLY AS

MOST COMMON FORM OF VIOLENCE

AGE TWO

young people face in this country.

E S A C R I A T S O END G T N ools I h c s Y in

L L BU

ing

ully ing b

vent e r p s to

Tip

3 4

2

BULLYING FACTS

THE

bul•ly•ing

Source: thebullyproject.com

1

Don’t label people

Stand up against bullies

Commit to not bullying

Know your local and state anti-bullying laws Source: girlshealth.gov and U.S. Department of Education

MACKENZIE TABARES SENIOR

“Being bullied affects people psychologically, and it can make them feel isolated.”

“I think [bullying] can create [a school shooting]” WAYNE HATCHER TEACHER

ERIC FLATON ADMINISTRATOR

“It’s very much a part of it. Most people feel that they’ve been picked on in some way.”

Does being bullied affect school shootings?

“The safety of the people shall be the highest law.”

-Marcus Tullius Cicero

By The Numbers

43

percent of schools nationwide with a school security officer presence

0

amount of resource officers at Chanute High School

30-45

amount of security cameras at Chanute High School

99

percent of schools nationwide that require visitor sign-in

70

percent of schools nationwide that perform active shooter procedures

SCHOOL SECURITY

Recent events have led to nationwide debates of how to combat future shootings, but are we safe in our own school?

The United States is experiencing and suffering through an era riddled with school shootings. Citizens and elected officials alike, are trying to diagnose the sickness that has infected American schools: school shootings.

These school shootings have capitalized on securities that aren’t in place to keep the school as safe as possible. This was especially true on April 20, 1999 in Newton, Connecticut.

Since Columbine, schools have made considerable forward and positive progress in creating smart, effective protocol for responding to a school shooter, and other school security issues.

Gone are the days of hiding under tables and staying put, now are the days of expert-tested procedure of surviving and escaping the school.

USD 413, for example, has implemented ALICE protocols into all district schools, a reassuring and potentially with recommended school security measures that they life-saving gesture, but the question arises: Is it enough? believe schools should adopt.

One Indiana school seems to It cites a statistic from a case study have a working solution for this performed by Amanda B. Nickerson and countinous, rising problem.

“It is time to make Elizabeth J. Zhe that claimed, “existing Southwestern High School research suggests that drills implemented sure #NeverAgain in Shelby, Indiana has recently according to best practice can increase been deemed the “Safest School becomes reality.” students’ knowledge and skills of how to in America.” A spotlight segment respond in an emergency, without elevaton the Today Show explains how ing their anxiety or perceived safety.” the school spent $400,000 on This may seem like a blanket solution for school school security. shootings, but the guide also cites a study that claims The school has installed bulletproof doors, hallway camdrills like this “may be emotionally traumatic.” eras that are viewable by the police department and smoke As more schools implement some form of accannons that sense movement of the school shooter and tive-shooter training, some are questioning why bombard them with a wall of smoke.

This may seem over the top, but should there be too high schools even need to adopt these policies. Proponents for more gun control want to nip the problem in the of a price to keep students safe? bud, before schools even have to train students and Active-shooter drills are another one of the most widefaculty. spread solutions to the problem. The National Association It is time to make sure #NeverAgain becomes of School Psychologists, in coordination with the National reality.

Association of School Resource Officers, published a guide

88

percent of schools nationwide that have a written plan for an active shooter scenario Source: National Center for Education Statistics

HOPE KETCHERSIDE FRESHMAN

“...I think students could be a lot more prepared... We can work more on lockdown stuff...”

ZANE CLARK SOPHOMORE

“No, we aren’t prepared... Give us a general idea of what to do in the situation.”

DALTON MISENER JUNIOR

“I don’t think [we’re] ready... maybe if we implemented [drills] more... like we do fire drills.”

KNOW THE PROTOCOL. KNOW YOUR ROUTE.

USD 413 has laid out guidelines of how to react in a school shooter situation, and it’s important to know what to do, where to go and how to get to safety.

N

101

102

103

104

105

100 Hall

Counseling

Office

100

Commons

202 204

106

206

200 Hall

Main Gym

900 Hall

Auditorium

W

600 Hall

Cafeteria

200

201

303

305

208 501

Library

308

309

310

403

507

E

508 307 511

400 Hall

907

504

405

406

409

Small Gym

908 Weights 914

Wrestling

Cardio

706

306

304

906 900 Hall

707

207

300 Hall

Girls Boys

910

205

108 500 209

Courtyard

700 Hall

909

203

107

500 Hall

Main Entrance

S

A LERT LOCKDOWN I NFORM C OUNTER EVACUATE

new principal, new ideas?

Incoming principal Brian Campbell shares his thoughts on how the problem of school security can be solved.

Why don’t we have a resource officer anymore? Did having one help?

Funding and the contract ran out.

If used properly, an SRO can be very helpful.

How do you plan on preparing the school?

I am working with my fellow administrators and school board to ensure that each school is addressing school safety.

Are there any other changes you want to make?

Aside from physical changes to the building, I feel that we need to build a family of trust within the walls of the school. I feel that students need to feel comfortable enough to come to administration when a concern arises.

We have to encourage students to talk with us, as teachers or administration, and let them know those words will be heard. No concern is too small or unworthy of being shared, if you hear or see something that makes you feel uncomfortable, then you need to tell someone.

Will we be getting a new resource officer?

The school board announced...that they approve of getting an SRO for each building, but the logistics need to be ironed out with the school and the local law enforcement agencies.

“No, I don’t think we’re prepared... We should do more drills, talk about it more, don’t keep it hushed.”

KAITLYN HAYNES SENIOR

What’s your stance on arming teachers?

There are way too many variables at play here, and I do not feel that there is any situation in which this is the right choice.

BRIAN CAMPBELL INCOMING PRINCIPAL

“Truly, I do not feel that any school is adequately prepared ... Each incident is very unique so preparing adequately is almost impossible.”

Are we prepared for a potential school shooting?

staff editorial:

ACTION, CIVILITY AMONG KEYS TO SOLUTION Every single day a different journalist, stay-at-home blogging mom, and politician brandishes a law or change they believe is the master cure for the violent happenings of our country. They regard their solution as the be-all, end-all answer to stop mass shootings once and for all.

It is not that simple.

The Comet editorial staff knows that we do not have the entire solution either. This is not another blog post on Tumblr ranting about our tyrannical government.

And there is no single answer like many would lead you to assume. To fix this problem that our country is suffering from, we must make a combined effort across the entire breadth of this issue.

Our legislators need to listen to

the 65 percent of Americans who favor stricter gun laws, instead of caving to the pressure of the gun lobbies. They must also create laws for waiting periods on all purchases of firearms, from hunting rifles to handguns.

Our trusted journalists need to investigate the issue of destructive media influence, and to provide factual information to their readers and watchers.

Our legislators need to listen to the 77 percent of Americans who believe that these shootings could have been prevented with more effective mental health screening.

As students, we need to stand up for the lonely students, stop outcasting others and include more people in our day-to-day lives.

Parents must commit to being

a part of their child’s life. And they must be there to help their child get the assistance he or she needs when it comes to personal struggles, including mental health issues.

As Americans, we must contact our representatives and senators.

They need to know our opinions so they can create legislation in our favor and in the favor of safety.

We must also be more accepting of the fact that other people have different opinions than us, but that doesn’t make them wrong. Our opinion is just that: an opinion.

We must discuss these issues and find solutions civilly, without anger.

We can fix this problem, but only if we set aside our differences and work together diligently to ensure the latest school shooting is the last.