I participated in a symposium on the BP oil spill in 2011 that sought to bridge the divide between entities after a disaster, be they universities, corporations, small businesses or individuals. Now, similarly, I am learning about how academia is researching and trying to solve a problem, while admitting boots-on-the-ground experience is necessary.
When I heard the alarm sound at a New Haven school where I was subbing in April, I froze. The principal then began talking on the PA very calmly: students and faculty could go into the halls but only en route to another class. We were then supposed to loc
k our doors and stay put till further notice. It turned out to be a "partial lockdown" in that there was still some movement allowed, but this did not lessen the terror. Indeterminate gunfire had been detected in the area -- then a few hours later, we got the all clear. A teacher told me quietly, "That's if it is the truth." This particular school had had to have a paralegal arrested for bringing a firearm to school. She said she felt threatened by some of the students.
When my
lockdown experience occurred, it was assignment 37 for New Haven Schools. (Most schools have pretty good security, but others are lacking. A student at High School in the Community laughed when I praised their security guard. High schools here tend to also have metal detectors.) I had been pushing the District for better guidance on lockdown procedures. The former superintendent, Dr. Iline Tracey, had told me to check with each school when I arrived -- which is fine advice but only to a point. I got in touch with Rich Fontana, director of emergency operations for the City, and ultimately was told he recommended subs be trained like other City workers. He said he would recommend our watching training videos biannually.
On Oct. 18, SciLine presented several academics to speak to media online about how to curb school gun violence. Dr. Sonali Rajan, Associate Professor of Health Education with Columbia University, said gun violence is the leading cause of U.S. children's deaths. This scourge disproportionately impacts children of color, particularly Blacks, and has even more so due to Covid. "Black children disproportionately experience 4.4 times more neighborhood firearm violence exposure than White children," she wrote on her Powerpoint slide.
Indeed, growing up White and suburban in the 70s, was gun violence even on our radar? Once, my coworker at a hot dog restaurant in Livermore, California was held up at gunpoint. I will never forget that moment because afterwards, Linda was as stoic as I was fearful of a recurrence. But tell that story to a teen at one of New Haven's high schools and she will laugh, his cousin or uncle was killed just last month.
Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons Images, Fibonacci Blue, Minn., Feb 2018
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