Safety First

Grace Chang

Safety strategies were never my interest until I experienced an eye-opening incident. Just like any average day, I walked into the library for my study hall. As soon as I entered, Mr. Brewster, with a hint of a mysterious smile, came up to me with an odd request. This unusual approach of Mr. Brewster’s brought an impending sense of danger. He asked if I was available and willing to help him out, and I replied, “yes”.

As if a secret agent, Mr. Brewster surreptitiously conveyed the mission and slipped a note to me that stated, “This is a drill”. He instructed me to act in a hypothetical situation and approach the safety team with the problem.

Without a warning, Mr. Brewster wanted to assess the team’s ability to respond and resolve the problem that was presented to them. To carry out my mission successfully, I followed the directions that Mr. Brewster provided. He wanted me to pretend that I was pregnant and took some pills because of stomach pain. First, I found Mrs. Steinkamp, the counselor. I told her I wasn’t feeling well and handed the slip. After reading the slip, she gave me a cheeky smile. Then she asked me why I wasn’t feeling well, and I responded that I took some pills. Little shocked by the statement, Mrs. Steinkamp invited me into her private room to further investigate my situation. She asked, “Why did you take the pills? What kind of pills did you take?”

After general interrogation about the pills, she walked me to the clinic. There, we handed the note to Aunt Jan and explained her my hypothetical situation. Aunt Jan diagnosed me with a possible drug overdose and requested immediate transport to the general hospital. Eventually, they discovered that I was “pregnant”. As the drill went along, Mr. Brewster tailed me to observe the responses of each safety team member. He critically analyzed their reactions and implemented additional “what if” situations, such as vomiting or a heart attack. According to various situations, the team responded differently. They went over the procedures step-by-step, from the financial details to guardianship matters. Since I was a dorm student, a dorm staff member, Uncle Brian, was summoned as a guardian. Mr. Steinkamp arrived to assist in carrying me by the backboard to the car. Experiencing and seeing the whole process being executed efficiently gave me an appreciation for the safety team and the Dalat community.

The extraordinary experience triggered my curiosity to explore safety. I interviewed the residence administrator, Aunt Valerie Weidemann, a former member of the child safety team. Her response to my first question, “What is child safety?” clarified how I felt after the drill.

“Child Safety at Dalat involves protecting students from harm, harassment, and abuse, as well as training parents how to talk to their children about personal safety and empowering students to protect themselves and one another.” Although it was a drill, I felt protected and cared for by the teachers who calmly assisted me in my situation.

Dalat and the safety team values students’ safety and strives to create a culture in which students are respected and cared for by staffs. They ensure that all students are provided with a safe and secure educational environment. With these resources available, students should utilize them when their moral, emotional, physical, or mental health is threatened. I believe that the team is prepared for any circumstance, even the ones that seem trivial.