Lock Down

Yesterday, my child's school was locked down with armed men in helmets and body armor swarming around the classrooms while blocks of traffic were shut off by squad cars. (Video here.)

A call had come in to a 911 system that there was a child with a gun at the school.

Given that I write about the discourses of emergency warning systems and risk communication, it was surprising that school administrators didn't have a better system for informing parents electronically, although the actual lockdown procedure was conducted with well-practiced efficiency.

There are some advantages, however, to having a child with bright red hair who is easy to spot in crowds. Our worst fears were calmed much sooner than most other parents.

I know that there will be more talk about the digital rhetoric surrounding campus shooters in the presentation of my colleague Jacqueline Rhodes at this week's DIY Texts: Students and the Future of Writing.