Ohio is on the eastern edge of what is referred to as “tornado alley.” The peak tornado season runs from April-July, but tornadoes can occur in any month of the year. In light of the heightened threat of tornadoes in Ohio, schools and most other commercial and public buildings have standard plans of action stating what to do in the event of a tornado. These plans are posted throughout the buildings.
The problem with the postings is that most people simply do not read them. Since most people do not read them, most people also do not know the where they need to go to protect themselves. This was the case in Olscamp Tuesday when the severe weather warning system was activated.
Most students quickly figured out that the siren meant they should move to a safe area of the building. However, since most students didn’t know where the safe areas were, they turned to the person most likely to have the answer: the professors. This is where the real question arises: Why didn’t the professors know what to do?
In elementary schools and high schools, it would be rare to find a teacher who couldn’t tell you where to go in case of a severe weather event. Now, we know that elementary and high school teachers are dealing with minors and have more of a responsibility to keep them safe. However, this doesn’t mean once a person is 18 years of age and in college they should turn to an every-man-for-himself attitude.
We are not blaming professors in the least since they seemed to be as lost as the students. The blame should go to the department heads. It is their responsibility to properly educate professors on the emergency procedures of the building to which they are assigned for the semester.
This might seem unfair, but whether they like it or not, professors are the leaders of classrooms and with that title comes the power to persuade the students. In an emergency situation, it is very common for a person to look for someone who knows what to do: a leader.
The professors need to know the emergency procedures so that they can relay the information when it is necessary. The other solution would be to require every student to learn the policy, but that just isn’t going to happen.
The severe weather Tuesday was brief and caused little damage. However, in a situation where the weather is damaging enough to knock down trees, throw debris or destroy buildings, the situation at Olscamp could have been a terrible tragedy.