Southwestern College Collegian

Issue date: 3/26/08 Section: Collegian Front Page

Rumor has it that if there is a brisk North wind in Kansas, three days later there will be rain. And an old Native American tale states that a tornado will not strike between two rivers or in a valley. Winfield is located in the Walnut River Valley and was rated 56th in the 1993 edition of "The 100 Best Small Towns in America." It might have been ranked higher on the list if it weren't smack dab in the thick of tornado country, though research has yielded no record of a tornado hitting within the city limits. The tornado activity for the Winfield area on the other hand is slightly higher than the state average and 143 percent greater than the country's average according to city-data.com. Spring is here and gearing up to full steam. With it comes severe weather season. "The spring is the best time of the year for tornadoes being associated with severe weather," said Matt Webb, communication junior. Webb is the weather reporter for 100.3 KSWC the Jinx. "March came in like a lion with one confirmed small tornado near the Caldwell area two weeks before Spring Break on a Sunday I believe." There are eight dorm room facilities on campus housing 400 students. Each is equipped with an emergency plan in case severe weather takes place and it is posted near the entry way of each building. Sarah Hallinan, director of resident life, said, "Each building on campus has a plan. Most of the time it's either the basement if the building has one, or the lower floor in an interior hallway." A flyer has been made to help direct occupants of each building across campus, not just dorm rooms, find the right place to go in case of emergency. Students in dorms such as Broadhurst, Sutton, and Wallingford would take refuge in the lowest level hallway. As for dorms that do not have lower level hallways, if time allows during a tornado, occupants are to seek shelter in a nearby building Nicole Pierce, secondary education senior, has lived in multiple dorms on campus. "I remember in Cole we had evacuation plans posted. But when I lived Shriwise I don't think we had them," said Pierce. "I live in Warren now and I wouldn't know what to do if a tornado hit. I guess I could grab a pillow and take shelter in the downstairs bathroom for safety." Shriwise and Honors Apartments both have plans that involve relocating to the basement of Mossman. Warren residents are to go to White P.E. if there is enough time. If there is no time to move to another building, residents in all three of those dorms are advised to take shelter in the smallest room on the lowest level, just as Pierce said she would do. The Indians may have been onto something, but the campus has no intention on testing the theory. Luck favors the prepared and the Security and Resident Life staffs have plans in place in case disaster strikes. Copies of the evacuation plan flyer will be posted in dorms by resident life staff members soon. Nate Jones is a junior majoring in communication. You may e-mail him at nate.jones@sckans.edu.

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