By Valerie Beingolea –

Turn on the news any given day and the world looks more insane every single day. Senseless violence is occurring around the world and even in this country on a daily basis. Set among the backdrop of widespread violence, the horror of an attack on PHS seems like a possibility.

In fact, there have been two threats at PHS, and the authorities must take every single threat seriously, for the protection of the staff and students of PHS.

The first false threat was an anonymous call to the school saying that there was going to be “guys” in school that were about to shoot. The second scare was when a note was found stating that there was a bomb hidden somewhere in the school. The note was found written on an extension cord.

The first priority of the administration is to keep the student body safe, but these threats have hindered instructional time. Students are complaining about the constant interruptions.

Juan Mendoza, a senior said, “It is just stupid how often this is happening.” Most other students agree that this has gone on long enough.

So there is a plan to prevent and limit these interruptions by having students sign in and out of classes, and always having a pass in the hallways, not to mention having only designated and secured bathrooms available to students.

We have a great deal of drills in this school, however they are all for a reason. Whether a fire drill, a lock down, code red, shelter in place, or evacuation, each of these drills serves a purpose. Students, frustrated as they are, should remember that these policies are in place to secure the safety of all students and staff at PHS. Remember this and each one will go just a little quicker.