Central Michigan Life

Issue date: 1/14/08 Section: Voices

I am concerned about Central Michigan University's failure to ensure the safety of students during the tornado warning and blackout. I was attending class on the second floor of Grawn Hall when the storm hit. The tornado warning siren was so faint, we were unsure if what we were hearing was the siren or the storm.

When class was finally dismissed by the professor, many students went to the lounge on the first floor to watch weather reports on the television. CMU did not make an emergency broadcast until five minutes before the expiration of the tornado warning. During all of the confusion, CMU staff members were nowhere to be found.

When the power went out, students were left completely on their own, feeling their way out of the building with the meager light of cell phones. While the degree of darkness wasn't as severe as inside the building, it was still so dark that I could not see the person I was standing next to. After three or four minutes, I found myself completely alone (at least I think I was) waiting for my ride.

My biggest concern is the complete absence of CMU faculty and their failure to ensure the safety of students.

Valerie Pearsall

Clarkston junior

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