by Melissa Smith | co-Editor-in-Chief (Feature)

Mckenna Magnuson, junior, is standing in line at concessions with several of her peers waiting to buy some half-time snacks at the Friday night football game. Little did she know that her timing of hunger would help save a life.

“I was with a couple of other people and we were at the concession stand and we look back and [a man] was on the ground. He wasn’t breathing and he was turning blue,” Magnuson explained, “So we decided that we should call 911 and half of us went to go get help. But we called 911 and they came and then others came to help him and like eventually the people got the paramedic and took his shirt off and did whatever it took to save him.”

Instances like this happen all the time, with Principal John Melbrech recalling one when he was first starting out in the school system.

“I’ve been at different schools in the district and my first year as an administrator we had an issue where a guy talked to a girl, another guy didn’t like it (the ex -boyfriend) and reached into a car, slipped in the back seat and took out a razor blade. He cut him,” Melbrech points to the top of his shoulder, then proceeds, “And goes all the way from there down his arm where you had to hold his arm together, it flated. But then some administrators got involved and took him to the hospital to make sure he was okay. That was my first year as an administrator seeing that.”

In order to prevent serious injuries-or even death- students must be prepared to assist in these situations.

“I recommend to make sure that the student is comfortable [if you find yourself in that position where a peer needs help] and go get help by an adult immediately. The sooner you get an adult, the sooner we can get the nurse or administrator up in the room and take care of the person that is in distress,” Melbrech advises, “So the first thing you want to do is make sure the student is comfy and get an adult right away. If it’s right across the room, or the hall, you need to get an adult. They’ll buzz the office and get us real quick.”

Senior Melanie Roe knows what it’s like to be on the other side, after being clammered straight into her left eye by a softball.

“All I really remember is laying down there and screaming at Dodge [the Johnson trainer], ‘Am I going to be blind!?’. She calmed me down and made the situation a lot less terrifying,” Roe stated in an appreciative tone.

In Magnuson’s personal experience, the man needed more than just CPR, leaving her and her friends in a state of bewilderment.

“The man had hit his head too, so he was bleeding on the ground, it was really scary,” Magnuson remembers, “We were the first to notice him, he was right behind us so we turned around and he had fallen on the ground. No one was with him, so we were like ‘What do we do?’ so we got someone to help. He ended up being okay, so that was good. It was all pretty crazy.”

Magnuson says for people to take initiative when put in life threatening situations.

“First make sure that everything is okay and make sure that something serious is happening and not just assume everything is okay, then go get help but also put it upon yourself to take action and call 911. Don’t just let someone else do it or it could be too late,” Magnuson said.

Roe is glad that someone got her help right away.

“If it weren’t for the trainers help, maybe I would be blind,” Roe laughed, “But really, it did mean a lot for them to be there. It was a scary thing and they helped.”

Melbrech concludes that with a safe environment at Johnson, students are trustworthy to help each other.

“The incidents that I’ve seen and witnessed and heard about going on in these schools here,very proud the kids and how they handle the stuff. They are very professional, they do seem to understand what they need to do, and it helps save lives. They have saved lives. I think it’s great we have people on this campus that are able and willing to do that.”