By Emily Khaykin
In the upcoming weeks, the junior and senior classes will have their chance to view the Columbine re-enactment video along with the A.L.I.C.E. (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evaluate) video in their Rugby class meeting. In the dean meeting last Friday, Head of Security Jim Crawford discussed coordinating a date when the juniors and seniors will view the video.
Because of the reaction and widespread debate among the student body concerning the content of the Columbine video, a rumor had spread throughout the school that the juniors and seniors would not be able to view the video for themselves. Many sophomores were upset by the video.
“With the sophomores, we didnât fully explain what the video actually was and that caused some of the reaction,” said Crawford. “The security team would especially like to make sure the seniors watch it now before they go away to college,” Crawford said.
The Columbine video is a re-enactment filmed by two students based on the real school shooting that happened in Columbine High School in 1999, whereas the A.L.I.C.E. video was filmed by the prefects and serves as an example to students on how to respond if something like Columbine were to happen. Head of Upper School Harry Salamandra said in an e-mail to Director of Student Affairs Jordan Church that he hopes for the juniors and seniors to go through the same training program that the sophomores went through.
Crawford says that the video will only be shown to the sophomores, juniors and seniors because it is “not appropriate for the Middle School.”
“Weâve cut down a lot of the dead time in the video where nothing is happening, but all the important stuff is still there,” Crawford said.
“We just want to be able to get students to the point where they know that if this happens, they do this,” Crawford said.
In the coming weeks, Crawford says that students will be asked to give up one of their free periods to undergo the A.L.I.C.E. training.
“With the training, weâre trying to interfere with studentâs academics as little as possible,” Crawford said.
“Weâre going to finish up the sophomores, and then move on to the juniors and seniors,” Crawford said. “We should be finished with everyone by the beginning of next year.
“Students have to keep in mind that we arenât trying to scare them, and the Columbine video has a direct correlation with what weâre trying to teach,” Crawford said.
