Violent Tragedies and the Impact They Have on National Safety in Schools

According to the British newspaper, The Guardian, in the August of 1966, a student at the University of Texas, 25-year-old Charles Whitman, went on a rampage, killing 14 people and wounding 31 others from the observation deck of the university’s 32-story administrative building. This was the first mass school shooting in the United States, and unfortunately it has not been the last.

Since 1966, there have been numerous similar instances of violence not only in other countries, but in our own backyards, where Americans, as it would seem, would least expect it; most notably Columbine High School in Colorado in the April of 1999, Virginia Tech in the April of 2007, and most recently, Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.

With tragedies such as these come a great deal of change in the way the United States perceives our safety, especially in our schools. Mr. Brian Brewer, Dean of Students at Watertown High School, agrees with this domino-effect, stating, “The reason why we practice lockdowns, shelters-in-place, and evacuations in general are in relation to Columbine. When I was younger we used to worry about Russia bombing us, so we would practice drills in case of a bombing. It’s a different time now, and now we prepare for situations (school shootings) like these.”

50 years ago, there were no metal detectors, no mandatory SROs (School Resource Officers) and most certainly no surveillance cameras in the average school, whether elementary, middle, high school or university. However, these new approaches to public safety are now seemingly necessary measures.

Within our own community at Watertown High School (WHS), several precautions have been put in place to ensure our safety. Along with practice drills, and around-the-clock surveillance cameras placed within the building, all doors offering entry into the school remain locked throughout the day, with a buzzer and video camera at the main door to monitor those coming in and out of the school. Newer additions activated even just this year include staff walkie-talkies for quick and easy communication all about the campus, as well as the hiring of Mr. Pat Ferdinand, an Instructional Aide in the office, whose job includes patrolling the school, checking the doors and windows to make sure they are properly locked, and generally keeping an eye on the students and the school.

In previous years we have also had an SRO in the building. Officer Kelly remained in the school as an extra safety precaution during the school day. In her absence we have not had a replacement SRO; however, she is expected to return to WHS at the end of her maternity leave to continue her work in aiding in the protection of the students and staff of Watertown High School.

A school is no place for violence or bloodshed. A school is a place where students come to learn, make friends, make memories, and thrive. A school is a place where teachers come to be a part of the next generation, teaching them to be successful members of society, and where they too can create memories and thrive in a creative and ultimately safe environment.  For the most part, that is what school has been; however, recent events have shaken members of the WHS community. “I only ever feel unsafe when I hear about incidents on the news because it reminds me how vulnerable we really are,” shared Senior Class President, Brenna McDonald.

However, some do not feel entirely secure, especially now. Fear has a tendency to breed anger, and in anger comes drastic and outrageous notions. With this most recent tragedy in Connecticut and the loss of many lives that were hardly lived, old controversies arise with renewed passion in regards to the next step in protecting those in American schools.

According to Ed Pilkington in his article, NRA Chief Breaks Post-Newtown Silence to Call for Armed Guards at Schools, the National Rifle Association (NRA) has called for the United States, “armed security guards to be posted in every school in the country, [insisting] that the only solution to gun violence in the wake of the Newtown massacre is more guns.”

Only time will tell what the next step in school safety will be here at WHS, and with each passing year there is change. The hope is that things will in the end change for the better.