“The intruder is now moving to the blue hall on the second floor.”

The classroom chatter stops for the announcement, but resumes once more after the sound of the intercom falters. Students share whispers and laugh with one another, huddled on the blue rug packed in by the bookcase.

I was in sixth grade in Mr. Maletta’s class and that was the last time I remember having a lockdown drill. At the time, Mr. Cohen was dressed as a cow to pose as an armed intruder, yet it was a complete joke. Students would peer out the skinny glass window of the door, searching for the “cow” – no one took the important practice into serious consideration. 

Five years later, so much has changed. Mass shootings occur on the daily in places many thought were safe havens: schools, supermarkets, places of worship. However, such a feeling of security couldn’t be farther from the truth. 

As I’m writing this, it marks the 104th day of 2023, but it also marks the 151st mass shooting – more mass shootings than there are days that have passed. Just earlier this week on Monday, 25-year-old Connor Sturgeon opened fire in a Louisville, Kentucky bank, killing five and wounding eight. It is truly heartbreaking and disgusting that incidents like these continue to happen on a daily basis, with practically no change, anywhere in sight. 

These bouts of gun violence have become the unfortunate new norm and yet as high schoolers, we are completely unprepared in the case that WHS undergoes a security threat. We are not trained on what to do and it’s concerning; administrators need to create more opportunities to learn safety procedures and practice drills in the case that an intruder ever enters our school because these days, it’s a terrifying reality. 

School should be a safe place where students aren’t afraid to come to everyday. Admin owes it to the students, teachers, faculty, and themselves to better prepare anyone for such appalling situations.