My teacher in the lock down was Mrs. Moore. We had been left in the care of Ms. Ducks. We went to our classrooms when the bell rang like normal. When the principal told us we were to go into lockdown mode we didn’t know what was going on. As the time passed we eventually figured out what was going on. We were all crammed in the back room of the science department. Luckily I was by my friends. We were barely able to sit down.

We sat there for a long time then we were allowed to return to the classroom where most of us took the whiteboard markers to write on the “witeboard tables,” which occupied us for the last hour we had to sit and wait to be evacuated. Once we were evacuated we went to the Civic Center where we sat down and immeadiately were told it was all a hoax and that we might have an extra day of school because of it. After that we were allowed to leave by the letter of the area we were in. My friends and I were sitting in letter F. When we got out side it was a battle just to get to the edge of the street. When you finally got to the street you could either cross and get your car and things from the school (if you were the lucky ones with a car) or you could start walking up the street to find your parents. I went to find my parents.

- Elizabeth

Last Tuesday, we had to stay in the English Room for three whole hours. At first, I thought it was a drill, but it actually turned out to be real. Yea, it did turn out to be really nerve-racking for us. We had to get out of the building swiftly, across the street, and into the civic center. It was another surprise that Principal Jones stated that the statement
appeared to have been phony. Now we had to make up another day of school, which is reasonably a shame. I am not angry with the kid responsible with the incident, but I am really ashamed that he turned out to pull an acting job on the personnel, i.e. crying, while reporting. I do believe it turned out to be ironic. However, I am glad that it did not involve anything brutal or violent, but just a false statement. That meant that our school was more alert, and that it gave all it can to keep us safe.

Even though there was a three-hour lockdown with no bread or restroom breaks, our class was still safe. Yea, it did scare me that we were going through a very cautious state, and that the man would come barging into our classroom, but I pulled together, along with everyone else. And yes, I did not appreciate much of the loud noise that our whole class
was making. I am glad we were able to do something during the three hours of hiding, though. I am glad that Mr. Jones was able to inform us and tell us the right instructions in order to vacate the school quickly without any struggle. I am glad that Mr. Jones stated that it was actually false. I feel sorry for the kid who pulled it off, because I know this is going to be even tougher for him, as what it actually was for us. I just want to thank Mr. Jones and all the other people who helped us get to the Civic Center safely. I praise He who was able to salvage us into a safer place, and that we are still on our feet today.

- Ian

I think the person who started the whole hoax is a complete idiot. It was the worst joke ever, I didn’t think it was funny, well I think it’s funny now that he’s in jail. During the hoax I was in the art department , I went by the window, looked out and saw men carrying really big guns it was pretty frightening. I think my art teacher did a real good job she kept us quiet, or at least tried to.

When we were informed we had to go to the civic center everyone got really serious, I thought it was pretty funny, just seeing the class clowns acting serious. When we all got to the civic center I guess we were pretty relieved even though we had to wait another hour just to get home. At the Civic Center everyone went to the bathroom, got some water, but there wasn’t any food. I was starving – no lunch just killed me.

When Mr. Jones announced what was going on I think everyone had the same reaction, anger, relief, disbelief, and joy. When Mr. Jones announced that we would be leaving early everyone cheered, but when he announced we would have to make it up at the end of the day everyone boo’d – I thought it was hilarious. When we got out there were parents everywhere, people crying, people answering questions about what they thought, news cameras, field reporters. It was just pandemonium. Overall I think this was a pretty positive experience, now we know that we are completely prepared just in case this kind of crisis really occurs.

- Eric

I heard that people needed to use the bathroom really bad, that they couldn’t see anything because the lights were off, and that they couldn’t talk.  I, however, was in probably the best place you could have been.  I was in the gym.

We were put into the locker room.  The only bad thing was the smell.  But we had almost everything we could need.  We had bathrooms, water fountains, and they were even selling Gatorade.  Since there was a whole gym between us and the locked door, we did not need to turn the lights off or be quiet.  We had to keep it down a little bit, mind you, but we could still talk.

I also heard that some teachers didn’t let their students use their cell phones, not even for texting.  We had full access to ours.  But it was used for uncomfortable, serious talks with our parents.

To top all of this off, we were the first to be dismissed to the Civic Center.  But this whole ordeal was still perhaps one of the weirdest combination of excitement and boredom I have ever experienced.  I can’t help but feel bad for the other students whom didn’t have our luxuries and I have a new respect for all of them.

- Zach

Well, hmmm… It all started at about 9:35am during the passing period from 1^st to 2^nd block. I had forestry class and just as I was walking in the room I heard a kid talking about the whole Virginia Tech thing and that it is probably going to happen to our school. Just a little while after the bell had rung; Mr. Jones our principle came over the intercom and told us to go in to lock down status. No one took it serious: “Ohh they are just practicing this now because of what happened yesterday, how stupid”.

We happened to have a sub that day and we all went over into the computer lab, then the teachers had to check their e-mail, that’s when we started being quiet and wondering what was going on. What was going on??? That was the worst feeling, we had no idea what was going on. Then one administrator came over the intercom and said that someone had spotted a man with a hand gun in the school and to stay in lockdown.

That’s when some of my class mates freaked. ”Ohh my God, I don’t want to die” and other stuff. The teacher told us to come and sit in her office (hint: Her office was only 8ft by 10ft) and there were about 25 of us. By that time everyone had pulled out their cell phones and was calling their parents.

Then they said that they are evacuating the building and taking everyone to the Civic Center. I was like “What?” I did not want to go anywhere; I just wanted to stay where I was at. There was so many rumors by then, what he looked like, that there was more that one, that there were gun shots, and that he is still in the building, and way more, none of them were good.

We were at the opposite end if the school that they were starting to evacuate so we had to wait for probably 2 hours. During this time there was lots of commotion and scary conversations. I was scared. The sub kept getting up and looking around and we are like jezz just sit down even the other teacher had to tell her to get down and that this is very serious.

Also one kid, that poor kid, had to go pee really, really bad. He was going to pee his pants so he had to go in the corner and pee in a bottle. Eww – but I guess if you have to go you have to go.

Then came the scariest part for me, It was when the SWAT team came into our room. We were already pretty shook up by then, then we hear banging on the door and then it opened. There were 3 guys all dressed out; they had helmets, bullet vest, boots, and a big machine gun with a flashlight on the end of it. All of the classes met in the hall and were ordered to go one by one down the big hall with your hands on the shoulders of the person in front of you. No one was smiling everyone was serious. You wouldn’t think that all the kids would be so cooperative and so quiet, but when it comes down to it they will. We were walking fast but it seemed like it took forever, and the whole time I was thinking, “Why are they taking us out side?” I really didn’t understand he could be out there. We walked by rows and rows of cops, all of them we decked out.

We make it over to the civic center, and find out that it was a big fake, yeah a phony. Everyone had mixed thoughts and emotions: some mad, some sad, some happy, just all kinds. I was mad how could some stupid kid do this, there could have been way more important thing that those cops could have been doing, but no. We walked out of the Civic Center and there were tons of parents, it was kind of nice to know that they really cared. I went and saw my mom and talked with her, then I went home and talked with my dad and family. In the end I think it was kind of good for the community, I think it brought us together, and now we know that the schools are protected pretty well and the cops will be there in a snap.

- Presli

During the lock down I was in the World Language department. My sister kept txt messaging me and her friend kept calling me and asking if I was okay and where I was.

The only really bad thing about being in lock down is that everyone has to use the restroom and my teacher kept telling us to forget about it and we would be okay. So we sat in the classroom and watch the news about what was going on outside and how worried everyone was and it was all really sad. Everyone was on their cell phone and talking to parents and friends in different parts of the building to see who had been evacuated ( we were one of the last ones to be evacuated ).

So in the end we were in that little room for about 4 hours. When we finally were evacuated I was laughing not because anything was funny but because I was nervous and scared and a little happy about not being in the room anymore. I think that the school and everyone reacted in a very fast manner; it was good to know that no matter what really happens they’ll make sure everyone is safe.

I would like to thank Albertsons for being so kind to the parents while they were waiting to know what was happening with their kids it was really amazing to know what Rapid City will do with a crisis like this.

- Jordan