A Fresh Perspective: Fire burning

Even though we come from different places and different walks of life, something all Luther students have in common is that we like to have fun. It’s no secret that this fun can come in all forms and varying degrees of intensity, and it’s usually spontaneous and unexpected. However, when it comes in the form of an early morning fire alarm, this fun is not well received.

To my knowledge, freshman dorms have been subject to approximately six fire alarms already this year. Five of those have occurred in Brandt alone, and of these, four have taken place in the last three weeks. Although fire alarms are an understandable precautionary measure, this does not lessen the fact that they are just plain frustrating in the wee hours of the morning.

Perhaps the most memorable fire alarm thus far occurred Wednesday, Nov. 4. Around 2:30 a.m., the occupants of Brandt were startled awake by that infamous siren and authoritative male voice commanding our attention. Of course, it had been chilly lately, so next everyone was faced with the dilemma of what clothes to throw on and dash outside. It may not seem like a big deal, but when you’ve been snapped out of a deep sleep, it’s hard to decide which way is up. The common choice appeared to be a coat, sweatpants and a form of shoes, but some of the more disoriented sported a variety of apparel: comforters, furry boots, Snuggies or just the shorts they’d happened to wear to bed. One thing’s for sure: most of our outfits looked like we haven’t yet learned the concept of dressing ourselves.

While making our exit, voices could be heard everywhere. “You have to be kidding me,” “I can’t believe this is happening right now,” and some choice four-letter words seemed to be the only conversation filling the bustling hallways. Once outside, the rumors began to flow. All possibilities are considered—except that of an actual fire. Burned popcorn, pranksters from Ylvi and Olson, kicked-in windows and random drunks were some of the most plausible assumptions.

Someone mentioned how tired we were going to be in the morning, and soon the discussion shifted from discovering the identity of the culprit to how he or she should be punished. Some suggested fines and punches in the face, while others thought much harsher measures should be taken. Judging by the number of angry Facebook statuses in the morning, I’d advise whoever did it to lay low and stay away from the fire alarms—for at least the next four years.