Out of the nine editors on our team, more than half have experienced the fear and chaos caused by active shooters. Both at school and in the streets, we have been on the wrong side of the barrel.
It’s hard to remember when anywhere felt safe. Even longer when schools felt safe to attended.
School should be a place where we are excited to see our friends and the only threat is a bad grade on a test.
Now, all we can think about is locating the nearest exit when our lives are at stake.
This feeling isn’t just fear; it’s frustration that this could happen on any given day.
Things were already scary enough when the ones most likely to be a danger were those sitting in the same class. However, within the past five months, two faculty members have openly made threats against the campus.
Thankfully, nothing came from either of these threats, but it is starting to show a dangerous trend.
Having to deal with potential school shootings and bomb threats is too much already, but having faculty like Ed Madec and Richard Fine accused of making threats against students adds to the turmoil and frustration.
What doesn’t help these feelings is a flawed line of communication between the school and its students. Vital information is delayed sometimes hours after a situation occurs, causing confusion across campus. In an interview on Oct. 31, 2022, Omar Gutierrez acknowledged the issues of trying to contact people on campus.
But it doesn’t look like changes have been effectively implemented.
Emails like the one regarding Ed Madec, who allegedly made threats to students and faculty earlier in the semester, were sent out in waves. Some received the warning immediately, while others didn’t get the message until hours later.
State Center Community College District (SCCCD) lists what to do when you hear of an active shooter on campus. This list includes things like stay-in-place, turning off the lights, locking the doors, closing the blinds, and calling campus police and 911.
FCC needs to do more to promote these practices to students. The only place to find them is on the SCCCD website.
Those who have experienced constant drills and been told what to do don’t feel they are effective. They only serve to desensitize us to the fact that this is our reality.
Going to school shouldn’t be an everyday gamble and fear; it should be a fundamental right of every person in this country.
While writing this editorial, we find ourselves frustrated with the lack of answers or solutions to situations like these.
We, as students, should not be worrying about choosing to go to our college graduation or a peer’s funeral.
