Trey Farley
tlf001@marietta.edu
By now, most people are aware of the attacks that occurred at Ohio State University on Monday Nov. 28. This event was only one of a string of school shootings that have occurred at institutions of higher learning in the past few years.
The Ohio State campus police and the Columbus city police, along with other first responders, were praised for their effectiveness in dealing with the situation.
Harrison Ellis, a sophomore at Ohio State was one of many students who had never experienced a situation like this before Ellis said he was amazed at the response of emergency services.
“As a student of OSU that was on campus during the tragic event and a former classmate of the attacker, I find that the actions of the university were immediate and just” Ellis said.
Ellis recalls his reaction to the situation and felt grateful for the safety procedures on OSU’s campus.
“Although afterwards we learned that the attack and response were handled within minutes, during the time after the initial alerts went out I felt sick to my stomach” Ellis Continued. “From it all I must commend OSU, its students, staff for their quick response, immediate alerts, and everyone’s collective ability to remain calm and handle the situation accordingly”.
While this incident took place two hours away, it still sent ripples through the Marietta community and raised questions as to what the policies were here at Marietta College.
In an email sent to the entire campus by President Ruud, there were several links provided that outlined the protocol for active shooter emergencies at Marietta College:
- The five OUTS: Get OUT of the facility if it is safe to do so, Call OUT to emergency services and provide as much information as possible, Keep OUT the perpetrator by barricading doors, Hide OUT, and Take OUT the individual if it is your last resort
- The Pioneer alert system will send a text, an email, and even call you if an emergency is reported on campus.
- Students are also reminded of the ALICE training that all students were taught during their first year on campus
Students can review policies on active shooter emergencies as well as other emergencies at http://www.marietta.edu/safety-well-being-campus
