All posts by Katherine Hailson, Correspondent

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Teaching safety

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What does active shooter training entail and is it effective?

With mass shootings seemingly becoming more and more common, many schools and workplaces have been holding active shooter training in order to better prepare employees and students  in the event that the unthinkable occurs. But do these trainings really work, are they doing more harm than good, and what do these trainings actually look like?

The Department of Homeland Security states “In many cases, there is no pattern or method to the selection of victims by an active shooter, and these situations are, by their very nature, unpredictable and evolve quickly.Resources such as posters and pocket guides raise awareness of the indicators of an active shooter incident and how to respond.”

Ashley Credit a student here at NECC says she attended part one of a two part active shooter training at the daycare where she is employed.  She stated “It was disturbing and I was terrified.” Credit reported that the instructor showed them two videos of actual mass shootings. These videos included the Columbine shooting in 1999 and the mosque shooting in New Zealand earlier this year. “Watching people’s lives end so brutally was horrific.”, she stated in regards to the videos. Credit chose not to attend the second part of this training which included instructors firing rubber bullets at teachers and staff members in order to simulate a real active shooter situation. She stated that the first part was so traumatizing she felt she would not be able to get through part two.

According to the South Florida Sun Sentinel in their Pulitzer Prize winning series on the Parkland shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, 34 people were shot however no one was shot on the second floor which begs the question, what did the students and staff on this floor do right?

The Sun Sentinel stated, “In Viswanathan’s second-floor class, the door knob rattled as teacher and students huddled tightly in a taped off corner, lights out…She had locked the door before class that day. Weeks before, she had taped off part of the classroom next to the door to serve a “safe space” or “hard corner” for students to hide.” The Sun Sentinel noted she had little training but her instincts were what saved lives.

NECC liberal arts: writing major and Observer Features Editor Mariella Mendez has attended multiple active shooter training awareness courses throughout her time in high school and more recently for her job at a local middle school. Mendez stated, “ I think the new algorithm and process they have for active shooter training is helpful and personally it made me feel prepared at the time, however no one is really ever prepared for that kind of situation and sometimes the rules of active shooter training may go out the window.”

Mendez reported that she practiced what is commonly known as The A.L.I.C.E. drill which in an acronym for, Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate. Mendez stated that part of the training she attended included, “A faculty or staff member /police officer would walk around with a fake gun…they made it seem as real as possible.” Mendez works with kids grades K-8 and says they’ve all done ALICE training at least once.

She stated, “ I do think active shooter training should be done. Yes, instructors will have to change their language and approach depending on different age groups but I think it’s essential because these tragedies are happening more and more frequently.”

However, many people are not so keen on teaching young children these drills fearing it may be too scary and anxiety inducing. Kenneth Trump, President of the National School Safety and Security Services, a Cleveland-based national consulting firm specializing in school security and emergency preparedness training, stated that schools shouldn’t train young children in ALICE response when school shootings, typically the focus of such drills, are statistically rare. He also stated that ALICE “preys on the emotions of today’s active shooter frenzy that is spreading across the nation.

Erin Earley a student here at NECC and former teacher said she also experienced active shooter training. “They came in and we were told to go into our building, hide and  lockdown and when the alarm went off you had to find your way out without getting caught. Some attempted to escape others chose to stay.” She also stated that there wasn’t and helpful instructions on how to get out of the building.

“There weren’t any guidelines given we had to figure it out for ourselves but for the most part people stayed calm,” Earley reported,  “it was helpful in terms of being aware our surrounding but it was difficult getting the kids out and keeping them same. They didn’t go over a waiting spot or what our policy should be or any final details.”

Active shooter training is becoming increasingly popular but almost no studies on its effectiveness have been carried out.

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MBTA to hike fares

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The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) has recently proposed a fare increase by an average of 6.3% by July 1, 2019. The state allows the MBTA to increase fares every two years by a max of 7%. The MBTA has stated that a fare increase “is necessary for the Authority to continue making system investments to improve service.” However, many state representatives have spoken out against the proposed 6.3% hike. Haverhill State Rep. Andy Vargas stated via Facebook, “ In 2012, the monthly commuter rail pass from Haverhill to Boston was $291/month. The proposed fare hike would bring the monthly rate to $360/month. Average wages are not increasing as fast and neither is the speed of the commuter rail.” Since the fare hike in 2016, monthly commuter rail passes ranged from $74.50- $388.25. If the proposed fare increase passes, monthly passes will range from $90.00- $406.00.

Currently, a monthly commuter pass from Haverhill to North Station in Boston is $326.50. A monthly pass from Lawrence to Boston is currently $308. The MBTA does offer student discounts, but not for college students. Only middle school and high school students are eligible. According to State House News Service, MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak defends the proposed increase saying, “Fare hikes are an unpleasant bit of this business, but they are an important part of the MBTA’s funding stream.” However, Boston City Council Woman Michelle Wu has a different idea entirely, stating via Twitter that, “We should take every step to move towards fare-free transit, not increase burden on those who can least afford it & who do the most to reduce traffic/help air quality.”

NECC student Sarah Regan-Kelley said she was unaware of the current prices for a monthly MBTA pass. She stated, “I think it should be less expensive.” When informed of the MBTA’s position on the matter, Regan-Kelley said, “I feel like they should find money elsewhere because some people need to get into Boston for their jobs. If they keep raising the prices then it’s going to become less accessible to people that need this mode of transportation.” Although Regan- Kelley does think the prices should be lower, she did not agree with Boston City Council Woman Michelle Wu and her view that we should move towards fare-free transit.

Second semester student Alyssa DiTomaso, says she never uses the MBTA as a mode of transportation she says, “I have friends that go to school in Boston and I knew it’s really convenient for them, a lot easier than driving into Boston. I think right know it is a hefty price and i think an increase is absurd, especially considering a lot of these people are college students or people just going in for work. DiTomaso said she agrees with Wu’s argument of fare- free transit saying that, “Making it free would make so much more sense because a lot of these people have to go into the city.” However, she does point out that she understands the downside of making it free as well, such as keeping up with maintenance.

News

Should 16-year-olds be allowed to vote?

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Empower Act would allow cities and towns to lower voting age to 16 or 17

Just last month a bill was entered into Massachusetts state legislation that would lower the local voting age to 16 years old (currently 18 years old). The bill, known as the Empower Act would give cities and towns the right to lower the local voting age to 16 or 17. Presently, if a city or town wants to do so they have to gain approval through the state Legislature, using a process called “the home rule petition process.”

The Empower Act would do away with this process and make it easier for cities and towns to lower the voting age if they wish to do so. This has been noted as a fairly controversial bill with strong opinions coming from both sides. Alyssa Ditamaso, 19, and second semester student here at Northern Essex gives her opinion on the bill: “I don’t think that’s super wise because I don’t think young people are really informed. If they taught politics from a younger age that would keep people informed.”

A common question raised about lowering the voting age is how it would affect the outcome of these elections, to which Ditamaso said, “I don’t think enough people would vote.” A similar opinion came from student Danikza Carrasquillo who simply  said, “It’s a terrible idea.” However, Mariella Mendez a liberal arts: writing major at NECC sees the bill a little differently.

She says, “ I think it might be a good thing. I think it might force them to be more aware of what’s happening. At 16 or 17 I didn’t take the initiative to understand what was happening with the elections because I wasn’t forced to know what was happening. It wasn’t until my senior year of high school that I decided to get involved with politics. I think elections will affect that age range just as much as they would affect a 21 year old. I think letting them vote might be an okay thing.”

Haverhill State Representative Andy Vargas is in favor of the Empower Act. He reported via Facebook that the Eagle- Tribune newspaper in North Andover has  endorsed the bill as of January 2019, saying, “Thanks to the the Eagle-Tribune for endorsing the #EMPOWERAct, as we seek to boost civic engagement and civil discourse.”