Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts | 501 S. Sapodilla Ave, WPB, FL 33401

THE MUSE

Happening Now
  • March 27No School because of Good Friday on 3/29/24
  • March 27No School on 3/25/24
  • March 27Asian Cultural Society Holi Holiday on 3/28/24 at 11:19 a.m. at the Blue Tables Outside Cafeteria
  • March 27Scholarship Night on 3/27/24 at 6 p.m. in Meyer Hall
  • March 27Dual Enrollment Meeting on 3/27/24 at 11:19 a.m. in the Cafeteria
Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts | 501 S. Sapodilla Ave, WPB, FL 33401

THE MUSE

Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts | 501 S. Sapodilla Ave, WPB, FL 33401

THE MUSE

Hola, Nihao, Hello, Shalom
Hola, Nihao, Hello, Shalom
March 16, 2024
Lining the bleachers in the gymnasium, sophomores cheer on performers during the Battle of the Bands competition.
Battle of the Genres
March 14, 2024
Vocal sophomore Levi Cowen plays the drums during the sophomores’ Battle of the Bands rehearsal. The sophomores had to perform songs from the techno genre.
Jamming to Win
March 14, 2024

Tornado watch brings Dreyfoos to a standstill

Navigate Left
Navigate Right
  • Communications freshman Michael Bole plays games with friends as they wait for the end of a tornado warning on Jan. 15.

  • Students sat against the walls of Dreyfoos for an hour and a half during West Palm Beach’s tornado watch on Friday, Jan. 15.

  • (L-R) Theatre junior Keshin Martin meditates by the vending machine in building 1 during the tornado drill on Friday, Jan. 15. Students were in drill position for a total of an hour and a half.

  • (L-R) Communications sophomore Ariel Gordon lets communications freshman Lindsay Spruce take a nap on her shoulder during the tornado watch on Friday, Jan. 15.

Navigate Left
Navigate Right

South Florida is known for terrible weather. On Friday, Jan. 15, under the landscape of heavy rains, Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, and Collier Counties remained under tornado watch throughout the day until 5 p.m. on Jan. 15.

Around 1:20 p.m. a tornado watch was issued for Palm Beach County. Dreyfoos locked down for nearly an hour and a half as students and faculty braced the severe weather in the event a tornado did strike.

“We’ve been under a tornado watch all day and we just have to keep our ears open all day. When they say we are in a tornado warning that means the weather is so precise they know a tornado is going to form so everyone just hunkers down,” Assistant Principal Leo Barrett said. “The closest tornado sighting now was in Riviera Beach which is not that far away from West Palm Beach [and Dreyfoos].”

In fall of 2015, Dreyfoos conducted a tornado drill in order to prepare in the event of a catastrophe. Palm Beach County schools are required to conduct 10 fire drills, two code red drills, two tornado drills, one code yellow drill, one code blue drill, and one code yellow drill every year.

“The purpose [of these practice drills] are to keep people’s minds fresh on what to do so that if any [danger strikes] we are able to [respond] as quickly and as safely as possible,” Mr. Barrett said. “Today was real. Today was not a drill.”

Students missed large portions of both fourth and sixth periods. Throughout the county transportation ran behind as many schools did not dismiss students until the tornado warning was lifted at around 2:40 p.m. Students were not allowed to leave shelter and some had difficulties finding bathrooms as they were not allowed into areas deemed unsafe.

“I have never used the boys’ bathroom before so it was a different experience,” communications junior Stephanie Hartman said. “I wasn’t sure what to expect, but when I walked into the bathroom it hit me.”

Leave a Comment
Donate to THE MUSE
$450
$10000
Contributed
Our Goal

Your donation will support the student journalists of Dreyfoos School of the Arts. Your contribution will allow us to purchase equipment and cover our annual website hosting costs.

About the Contributor
Jack Yan, News Editor
Communications senior Jack Yan is a third-year staffer and the News Editor on The Muse. He not only writes the news but has an unhealthy obsession with reading it; but he aspires in life to do more than read or write the news, he wants to be in the news. He is actively involved in his school and his community. For example, Yan is the current Co-President of the Dreyfoos SGA, interns at Harrington Law Associates, an international law firm based in South Florida, and serves on the West Palm Beach Education Advisory Committee for the Mayor of West Palm. In addition, he is Co-Captain of the Speech and Debate team where he has won local, state, and national awards. Most importantly, however, Yan loves puppies, kittens, colorful socks, dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets, and pancakes.
Donate to THE MUSE
$450
$10000
Contributed
Our Goal

Comments (0)

Posting under a pseudonym is not permitted. Online comments that are found in violation of the editorial policy will be removed as quickly as possible.
All THE MUSE Picks Reader Picks Sort: Newest

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *