The Smoke Signal

By Staff Writers Anisa Kundu & Karen Li

Shortly after the sixth period bell on Monday, September 18, smoke coming from a smoke bomb in the N-Wing boys’ bathroom set off a fire alarm, prompting a response from the fire department. Students and staff were uncertain what to do, raising concerns about the lack of awareness of emergency procedures after school hours.

About 10 minutes after school ended, a substitute teacher noticed smoke coming out of a trash can in the N-Wing boys’ bathroom and notified the office. A custodian took the trash can outside, doused it with water, and extinguished the fire.

Because this incident occurred after school hours, the majority of the MSJ student body and staff were not aware of how to effectively deal with the situation. Many students were on campus due to various events after school such as college visits, seventh period classes, and athletics, and failed to evacuate properly. After the incident, Assistant Principal Carli Kim said students should follow the standard emergency procedures for fire drills outside of school hours. Students must evacuate the campus and head toward the track area, where they are to line up with their respective third period classes and await instructions.

The administrators have resolved the situation and issued punishments to those responsible. Kim advises  students to learn from this occurrence and to notify administrators of potential threats to school safety before they materialize. Kim emphasized that if students raise personal concerns to the administration about peers’s behavior being a threat to school safety, their conversation can be kept confidential. She said, “We’re all responsible for one another. By being able to come forward … you’re not just helping that individual, you’re helping the school as a whole.”

If students have any concerns or questions about how to handle emergency situations, they should contact an administrator through Schoolloop or email.

Graphic by Graphics Editor Victor Zhou