If you’ve spent anytime living on campus, you know the pain of the fire alarms going off in the wee hours of the morning. This year it’s no different, and freshmen are beginning to lose it (if they ever had it to begin with). However, this plague has mainly been contained to Commons.
“It’s frustrating because I’m trying to get things done or fall asleep and then the alarm goes off,” Rachel Montesano said.
They also agree with freshman Maria Caponetti, who believes “They’re excessive and unnecessary.”
There have been seven fire alarms in three weeks. Now I say ‘fire alarm’ instead of ‘fire drill’ because only the most recent alarm was an actual drill. The people of Commons, myself included, received an email stating “misguided students” had caused “unscheduled alarms.”
Now what I would like to say to those charming individuals? OPEN YOUR EARS…They told us not to smoke or vape in the building for a reason, not just for giggles. Also, if you’re the one to set it off at 2 am, you get to live with the knowledge that, in that moment and probably for the next day, the entire dorm will hate you, especially those who were sleeping and those odd and unfortunate souls who were in the shower…
Commons isn’t the only freshmen dorm that has suffered. Mountainview has also had one fire alarm…one… supposedly because of burnt Ramen Noodles. How you mess that up, I do not know. YOU HAD ONE JOB: ADD WATER! Dana, Sahlin, and Irma have escaped unscathed…so far…; Ledges also lucked out, and hasn’t had one yet; to the residents of Ledges, I envy you. However, to those fortunate enough to live in those buildings don’t get too comfortable. According to a Public Safety official, the drills are coming, and the construction on the roof won’t affect the drills for Ledges…be prepared.
On another note, I have heard people say they plan to refuse to exit the building the next time a fire alarm goes off. Please, I beg of you, use your brains. You/your parents pay a lot of money so you can get a good education; let’s use some of that sense shall we? Take a moment and think this through, I know it’s difficult. If the building happens to be on fire and you refuse to leave because you think it’s a drill or somebody being stupid, you are now at an enormous risk. In other words, IF YOU VALUE YOUR LIFE YOU WILL LEAVE THE BUILDING WHEN THE ALARM GOES OFF. And if the building is not actually on fire, leave anyway. As I said, you/your parents pay money for you to come here. Show your appreciation for them and don’t make dumb choices because you’re too lazy to get out of bed. If you do not leave when the alarm goes off, then the QU handbook states you will go through the conduct process. You don’t want to risk getting in trouble over a fire alarm.
To sum up, if you do hear the alarm, leave the building in a calm and orderly fashion. Don’t sprint because if you’re as uncoordinated as me, you will fall and people will laugh…or step on you. And if you happen to live in Commons, pray it doesn’t happen in winter.
