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McLean High School held its second lockdown drill of the school year on Feb. 5, giving students and staff another chance to practice emergency procedures as school shootings remain a national concern.
Senior Marina Lopez said her teacher switched off the classroom lights before students quietly took cover beneath their desks. She described the exercise as easy and orderly, but questioned whether desks would provide effective concealment during a real emergency.
“I don’t think sitting under the desks is the best way to go about a lockdown drill, since it is pretty obvious,” Lopez said. “But there really is no other way to hide twenty or thirty students.”
Students’ sense of security varied depending on the rooms they occupied. Senior Zoe Adams-Christian was in an art classroom with a darkroom in the back and access to an exit, a setup she said would make her feel relatively safe if an intruder entered the school.
Teachers also practiced bringing students in from the hallways. Math teacher Steven Walker said he immediately checked outside his classroom after the drill was announced to ensure no students had been left without shelter.
Although lockdown drills are not always treated seriously, Adams-Christian said everyone in the building needs to understand the procedures.
“Hopefully this will never become a reality, but you can never be too prepared,” she said.