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Burris Laboratory School joins the “Great Shakeout” movement

MUNCIE, Ind.(NewsLink) - Thursday at 10:17a.m., Burris Laboratory School joined the worldwide earthquake drill that takes place on October 17th each year. Students practiced the technique of “Drop, Cover, and Hold On” in the classrooms. 

Burris Laboratory even took the event a step further and practiced an evacuation that acted as a fire drill. When asked why the school believes it is important to regularly go over these drills, Assistant Principal Vince Edwards, replied that once the students practice the drills multiple times it becomes “muscle memory” and it will be easier for them to know what to do in case of an emergency. 

“Instead of thinking ‘Oh wait! What happens now? Where do I go? What’s supposed to occur?’ they will be ready,” said Edwards. 

The Muncie Burris students were not the only ones practicing, though. Over 300,000 K-12 schools in Indiana participated in the event along with 130,000 colleges and universities in the state. In the U.S. total, there were approximately 20.6 million drills and approximately 24 million drills worldwide. 

This was the second year in a row that the Burris Laboratory School participated in the worldwide practice. They will continue to be a part of the movement in the coming years, along with many other schools and universities. 

For any comments or concerns about this story, contact the author at mmsurface@bsu.edu.