Volume110issuee012

Page 1

dePARTMenT PRoFile

NEWS FLU SHOTS, PAGE 2 UPGRADE PARAMORE, PAGE 7

Anthropology Digs Up Adventure, page 3

SPORTS FALL RECRUITING, PAGE 10

AWA R D-W INNING CENTR A LR ECOR DER .COM Central Connecticut State University

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Emergency Situation Training For Faculty In The Works acadia otlowski the Recorder

Following the Nov. 4 lockdown, questions of how teachers reacted towards the emergency have been raised throughout campus, specifically of whether or not professors are trained on how to handle a crisis situation. According to faculty on campus, there has been no actual training sessions for professors and other members of the faculty for being an authority figure in an emergency. In the guidelines for dealing with an active shooter situation, it states, "There are three basic options; RUN, HIDE, or FIGHT. Quickly determine the most reasonable way to protect your own life." There are also guidelines for calling 911 and how to react when an individual gets an alert from the system. None of these give faculty guidelines on how to behave in a classroom setting. Little new information has been given to faculty members. "As a chair, I got a brief outline at a chairs' meeting last year. Some info was forwarded by email once, which I forwarded to my faculty members," said Barry Westcott, chair of the Chemistry department, in an email. "[There has been] nothing since that time." Westcott noted the failings of the emergency alert system. "One interesting thing is that CCSU expects everyone to find out via the emergency alert; however, most faculty (especially in lab classes) have students turn off phones, "said Westcott. "Additionally, we cannot hear the EA system in Copernicus, or in Kaiser, which is where I was during the lockdown--I was in the pool and only found out when I tried to leave the building." He explained that there are no general guidelines for faculty members to alert others, that responsibility is left to the university. "We as faculty are told to lock ourselves in our offices, not to go notify other colleagues or students in classrooms, even though they may not otherwise know," said Westcott. The emergency preparedness plan includes telling others in the "STAY" part of its policy, but does not instruct individuals to go out of their way to do so. Another faculty member recounted his actions during the lockdown. "I did not have a class at the time. I was in my office, where I lowered all the shades and closed them, preventing anyone outside from

F������ T�������| PAGE 2

Volume 110 No. 12

To Tweet, Or Not To Tweet? aundRea muRRaY

added to the all of the pandemonium. Tweets from the student body, especially those incorrectly hashtagged , caused many people to wonder what had gone wrong in Connecticut, again. Students who were stationed in classrooms and other parts of the campus depended greatly on Twitter for news updates. That is where Janice Palmer came in. Some of her duties include regulating of the university’s twitter page. She admitted that the fauxshootout truly tested her skills as a former journalist.

because other staff members were in classes with kids. We were able to relay a lot of unknown information”, The "CCSU Lockdown" panel Magnoli said. held last week discussed some of “I know from my internship that the chaos caused by the hashtag you have to be so careful about how #CCSUlockdown. The panel gave you word all of your tweets”, Magnoli faculty and students an opportunity stated. to learn about the importance of While loads of people were capable miscommunication via social media. of watching the news on television Professor academic advisor, and to be filled in on the events, students NBC meteorology reporter Darren (Magnoli included) were stranded on Sweeney hosted the panel inviting campus in the midst of the mayhem. all faculty, students and staff to listen Her integrity as a writer seemingly in on the reactions of many and the strengthened and she found it most decisions that were made important to keep the people by the panelists during the who were actually involved campus lockdown on Nov 4. the most informed of them Janice Palmer, Central's all. She explained on the Media Relations officer panel that her position was sat beside Skyler Magnoli, to clarify the many rumors student reporter and assistant that were being relayed news editor of The Recorder, online. Magnoli said that with the company of Steve both she and The Recorder Busemeyer, breaking news staff wanted to provide a reporter for The Hartford dependable news source Courant. for their peers and faculty Sweeney gave the swelling members. Palmer and her crowd an informative recap marketing staff wanted to do of November’s events. Not the same. many could forget the eerie “People’s safety is at the silence that engulfed the top of our lists,” Palmer campus after a suspicious added. “gunman” was reported to Reporter Steve Busemeyer have entered a campus hall. explained the ins and outs Sweeney immediately of reporting on breaking explained how risqué it was news as well as how crucial for students to have tweeted it is to have legitimacy to all their own forms of news. statements publicly made. “That (gunman) is a Dozens of students and bold statement. What. Is. their parents felt misguided eRin o'donnell | the RecoRdeR Your. Source?” Sweeney through the lockdown and responded to a misinformed Darren Sweeney hosts #CCSULockdown, A Panel Discussion About Media Usage and Breaking Busemeyer helped clarify tweet the day of the incident. News. why things may have worked “My intention was to get out the way that they did. people to think before they retweet or “Our responsibility is to get the magnitude of her words as a reporter “One thing that has not really tweet”. word out to our campus community.. and the impact her tweets had on the changed in journalism, ever, is good Though the situation caused and to share with them as much hundreds reading them. sources,” Busemeyer explained. “You tension and fear from a majority of information as possible,” Palmer “Though it was a disadvantage have to be right with what you print, campus, it was the reactions from explained. being stuck in our office [during publish and tweet. Twitter is not a other people across the country that CCSU’s staff learned a hard lesson the lockdown]..it was an advantage source; write that down.” the Recorder

on breaking news reporting. As much as the school wanted to keep students and anyone else that was tuned in informed on what was going on around them, it was more important that Palmer and her co-workers had facts straight before hitting the enter key and sending out a tweet. She also stressed the significance in realizing the crowd you are speaking out to as a reporter. “I’m always debating with myself with what we can say and how much we can say”, said Palmer. Magnoli also learned about the

New Britain Seeks Reimbursement For Lockdown From Suspect's Family amanda websteR the Recorder

The family of the man responsible for Central's lockdown earlier this month is being asked for compensation by the city of New Britain. According to NBC, New Britain Police Chief Jim Wardell has contacted the family's attorney about payment for police response the day of the lockdown. A total of 62 New Britain police officers responded to the campus threat on Nov. 4, costing the city more than

$13,000. According to NBC, David Kyem's family is being asked for $13,000. Kyem, the 21-year-old who prompted the campus-wide lockdown, is scheduled to be arraigned in New Britain Superior Court next month. Kyem was arrested on Nov. 4 after his Halloween costume that included a face mask, knee pads, BB gun and plastic sword caused alarm on campus, causing a police search and campus lockdown. He was originally charged with a second degree breach of peace, and was released

on a $1,000 bond by his father, who is a geography professor at the university. Kyem was arrested a second time on Nov. 5, on charges of first degree criminal trespassing. Kyem was instructed not to return to campus before meeting with officials from the student conduct office. According to CCSU officials, the 21-year-old is no longer a student at the university. Neither Kyem or his father could be reached for comment. The arraignment is scheduled for Dec. 11 at 10 a.m.

Follow Us On Twitter: @TheRecorder

David Kyem.

photo | ccsu police


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.