_Maggie Doheny is a sophomore journalism major at MU. She is an opinion columnist who writes about women’s rights._

Gun violence in schools has become more normalized over the past few years. Although active shooter drills and lockdown drills have been practiced in schools since the Columbine High School shooting in 1999, they are more important than ever in society’s current climate. That being said, are these drills really the most efficient way to ensure the safety of the majority of students?

From kindergarten to senior year of high school, I endured the same drills for active shooters. The drill never changed once. In fact, I can recite the routine.

First, the message comes from the speaker, saying there is an active shooter in the building. Sometimes, a coded message that only the teachers know is used instead. This indicates for the entire school to go on lockdown. The teacher locks the door, the students cram into the corner of the room that cannot be seen through the door, the teacher closes the blinds and everyone stays silent until they hear otherwise.

When I was young, I never questioned this routine. When I got to high school I realized an issue: why doesn’t the drill have a greater emphasis on getting out of the situation?

One day, my mom addressed her specific issue with the active shooter drill. As a third grade teacher on the first floor of the building, she wondered why she couldn’t quietly guide the children through the window in order to protect them. For a long time, there was a concern that active shooter threats could have more than one shooter waiting on the outside, but data has shown that it is typically one person.

Teachers want to be more proactive in the situation.

Homeland Security’s active shooter advice is “run, hide, fight.” However, some experts now say that the strategy should only be “run, fight.” In at least 13 active shootings, it was proven that over 90% of the fatalities were due to the victims hiding. If this is the case, now is the time to emphasize the importance of finding a way out. Being passive and hiding should only be a last resort, while the focus should be to escape.

Therefore, getting the students out of the building might just be the most proactive way to save them. Sitting quietly in the corner isn’t fooling anyone at this point. The lockdown and active shooter drills need to get students and teachers out. As of September 24, 2019, there have been 334 mass shootings in 2019. Due to the frequency of mass shootings in this time period, there needs to be more attention to detail when it comes to the safety of this country’s future. This country’s future lies in the hands of all students and should not be taken lightly.

_Edited by Roshae Hemmings | rhemmings@themaneater.com_