Normalcy returning after high school bomb threats |
| April 24, 2013 |
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By High School Reporter Sally Balcaen Things have slowly trickled back to normal at Bonners Ferry High School following the rash of bomb threats that occurred from the first through third quarter of this school year. The week the students returned from Spring Break, the school administration removed closed campus, once again allowing all students to walk or drive away for their lunch break. A week after this first step, bathroom monitors no longer had to be placed in front of the bathrooms to routinely check the bathrooms. All three of the bathrooms were opened, instead of only two. The sign-in sheets were also removed from the bathroom entrance, now allowing students to freely enter the bathrooms during passing periods. However, the administration is still requiring that students to sign in and out during class time and include the time upon leaving and returning to class. Also, the locker rooms now remain locked and are only unlocked when classes enter to change for P.E. classes. However, while students still find this a slight annoyance, most students feel that it is “not too big a deal” and “it’s become a normal thing," considering the other measures that used to be in place. All students, however, are overjoyed that the bathroom monitors and sign-in sheets are gone, thus giving students more privacy. Not all traces of the many bomb threat occurrences have disappeared, though. Students still reflexively cringe when the loudspeaker goes on suddenly in the middle of class. Or if it happens to be in the middle of a passing period, the halls will get suddenly quiet. If there is too long of a pause when the loudspeaker turns on, students begin to eye each other nervously. “It’s kind of funny when it happens, but hopefully the effect will wear off soon,” says one student. |