Students concerned over lockdown policy

The threat of campus shootings has become more and more prevalent in the minds of students over the last decade. Though seemingly few and far between, shootings are terrifyingly unique in nature: at least one death is almost always guaranteed.

Because there is no "gunman alarm" to give students forewarning as there is with fires and tornados, all a student can do is trust that their campus is secured and prepared, no matter how unlikely the situation.

Augustana student Dirk Tedmon learned a fact he found alarming during a lecture on crisis communication: The majority of doors in the Augustana Humanities building can only be locked from, and open to, the hallway. This means it is difficult to barricade the doors to classrooms in the instance of a shooter.

After further research, it became clear that this is true of most doors in the academic buildings on campus.

"It's a big deal," says Tedmon. "While I don't believe the Augustana campus is in any immediate danger, there doesn't appear to be a plan."

Director of Campus Safety Rick Tupper says, "The Augustana campus is not any less prepared than any other school." Right now, Augustana's policy is one of minimizing damage.

"The shooter knows that as soon as the first shot goes off, he has limited time," says Tupper. "The shooter will be looking for a room full of people, an easy target."

Because of this, students and professors are instructed to shut off the lights and sit quietly in the corner.

"So far, every case of a school shooting in the United States has ended with the shooter taking their own life when confronted with an armed response."

The plan, then, is to stall the shooter until the Sioux Falls police can arrive, a response that would hopefully take no longer than five minutes.

Tupper admits that the situation is not ideal, but the cost of replacing all of the doors on campus is more than Augustana can currently afford.

"The majority of campuses across America are designed the same way. They weren't created with shootings in mind," says Tupper. "We have to work with what we have, but it is a concern that will be kept in mind as buildings are redesigned."

For now, Tupper's main concern is getting professors to focus on their role should a shooting occur.

"They need to think about the what-ifs," says Tupper. "Too often we don't think about it until it's too late."

Students have mixed responses to Augustana's plan.

"It's very similar to the plan my high school had," says senior Aimee Knutson. "So long as the lock isn't a dead bolt, all the professor has to do is stick their hand out to lock the door from the outside, and then shut everyone in. In all honesty, I feel far safer knowing this than I did last year when I learned Stavig had no sprinklers."

Junior Keanna Casanova states that it is similar to her high school's drills as well, but adds, "A lot of people can die in five minutes. It's concerning that, as a student, I don't know the plan. What if a shooter should enter the dorms? The students haven't been drilled."

The Department of Campus Safety has generated a community response checklist in case a shooting should occur, which details not only how to secure an area but also how to safely un-secure it and what to report.

However, there is a discrepancy between what students are told to do and what they are able. The very first step on the checklist is to lock and barricade the doors.