MAY 10,1996
PAGE 3
VOS «N. ''■'\^
In a great tragedy our campus
proved that we could work together to
support each other through a tough time.
The caring and immediate response of
the NCSSM student body, SLIs, and
faculty was impressive. Unfortunately,
our administration was lacking such
compassion in han
dling a devastating
situation.
In forcing stu
dents to go to
classes the follow
ing day the admin-
of the building a few hours later, forc
ing crying students to remain and lis
ten, insulting the intelligence of Science
& Math students as regards to the phys
ics of electrical wiring, unwillingness to
listen to student concerns, and minimiz
ing how much of victims the students
were, were all highly
unprofessional as
Students were very much well as unjust
victims in the disaster and ac- ^ addition to what
tually ought to have been
commended for handling the
istration showed situation in such a way that
very poor judg- no lives were imperiled. It
ment. Just a few was very unprofessional for
hours before, many administration to try to
students had hope- ffse// by blaming stu-
everything they ^entsfor the fire.
owned went up in
flames. Nearly .ev
eryone had missed needed sleep. While
students realized that life would need to
go on, we feel that at least one day was
necessary to rest console each other,
clean up, and survey the damage. Fur
thermore, the academic day was a waste
as most students were unprepared and
far too upset and tired to concentrate.
Many female students who spent the
night on the gym floor had been unable
to sleep at all. Male students had stayed
up late into the night to help out the girls.
Giving all students one day off would
have a much more appropriate and car
ing response.
The administration was also cold
and even cruel in the way they handled
the all school assembly on Friday, April
26th. Director John Friedrick made
some very inappropriate comments
placing unjust blame on students, indi
rectly accusing members of First Beall
for endangering other students lives, and
blatantly not caring what the emotional
impact of his words was. The purpose
of Director Friedrick’s speech was to
introduce a new rule mandating the type
of extension cords students could use.
But his uncaring tone and harsh diction
alienated students to the point where
they missed the purpose of the assem
bly. Perhaps Dr. Friedrick did the best
he could in a tough situation; but per
haps someone more understanding
could have portrayed his message bet
ter. Comments about pulling bodies out
he did say. Dr.
Friedrick failed to
mention in his
speech that the offi
cial SBl report in
fact did not pinpoint
an extension cord as
the cause of the fire
and in no way hinted
that students were at
fault. Also, the
room where the fire
originated had previously been rid of a
frayed extension cord and a new, ap
proved one had been connected to the
lamp. Dr. Friedrick also incorrectly
stated that he had clearly told students
in December that only surge protector
type extension cords were permitted.
Students agreed that at the last fire as
sembly Dr. Friedrick had simply warned
students to check for old, frayed cords
and had recommended the surge pro
tector type as an alternative. It was
highly out of line for the administration
blame students for not obeying when no
clear rules were established previously.
Students were very much victims in the
disaster and actually ought to have been
commended for handling the situation
in such a way that no lives were imper
iled. It was very unprofessional for the
administration to try to clear itself by
blaming students for the fire.
Honestly, we students believe that
the administration had better intentions
for the April 26th assembly but Dr.
Friedrick was clearly not the right per
son to conduct it. For a tragedy which
touched everyone living on campus, it
would have been much more effective
for a person more in touch with the stu
dent body to address such a sensitive
issue. Then the students would not feel
under attack and would be much more
responsive to the true, important mes
sage: replacing extension cords.
As I sat at our first fire assembly
after the First Beall fire and listened
to Dr. Friedrick thank Wal-Mart and
Pizza Hut, I could not help but think
that there were some extremely
important people whose thanks
were left unsaid. Then, at the second
assembly. Dr. Friedrick thanked
these people. I would still like to
reiterate our thanks, however.
First, thank you to the guys.
Most of you were wonderful to the
girls, bringing your food, clothes,
and beds to the PEC and leaving
little for yourselves. I know that
many of you stayed up later than
we did, either worrying or since you
did not have anywhere to sleep. And
your unselfish contributions have
continued into the week following
the fire. We love you for it.
Also, thanks to Jeff Bray. Your
guitar playing took our minds off
the tragedy that we had just been a
part of. You gave us the chance to
sing and dance, to let our minds
wander with the music instead of
back over to Beall. We love you for
it.
Many, many thanks to Corey
Wilson, the Security Guard who
was sent to the hospital with smoke
inhalation. You heroically sacrificed
your own health for the safety of the
first Beall girls. We love you for it.
I would like to thank the faculty
and staff of NCSSM for your
incredible contributions to the girls of
first Beall. Sandy has washed the girls’
laundry, Jennifer Madriaga has
brought clothes and food, and Gail
Hudson has been on hand to talk when
they have needed her. Ken Jones has
helped at their hall meetings and kept
things organized. We love you for it.
Thank you to all of the girls who
have volunteered their clothes, their
rooms, and their lives toward making
the first Beall girls more comfortable.
We love you for it.
Finally, everyone on First Beall
deserves more thanks than I can give
them for being such fantastic
examples to us all. I have heard that if
they had not followed all safety
procedures and closed their doors as
they left the hall, all of the Beall
complex would have gone up in
flames. They have truly been heroines
in their grace, their strength, and their
positive attitudes. We love you for it.
I guess it's kind of difficult to
put in words the jumbled mess
which describes my recent life,
and maybe that's the point that
should be made. It's really hard
for some girls on hall, me
included, to label my reactions to
the fire, PEC slumber party,
adjusting to a new living space,
and academic stuff.
I think that a lot of us are just
trying to look for some sort of
stability, but it doesn't come
easily, especially when
physically, emotionally, and
mentally exhausted.
I find myself trying to figure
out how to get through the next
hour, while others seem to be
getting excited about next week's
plans. And that's what is
unsettling—it's uncomfortable to
realize how mixed-up things can
get. Many times during the day I'm
struck with a realization of how
much we've lost, and I don't know
how to respond.
I have no idea what message
I'm sending. It's definitely a
thanks to all of the people in this
school who have done so much.