GS has always seemed to be a safe haven compared to other schools that make news headlines every day. Following the invasion of the cross-dresser, we began to distrust our false blanket of security that allowed us to let our guard down.

This sudden wake-up call is exactly what GS needed to jolt us back into the reality that this world is not a perfect place and that you have to be ready for anything. Nowadays, it is inconceivable to even think about leaving your front door unlocked. The same idea should apply to the “secure” environment of a high school.

Hearing the story of the intruder set off a stream of negative opinions of our high school through the community. Some students were scared; others were angered at the fact that this actually occurred. These emotions provide the incentive to be on our guard to ensure that something like this won’t happen again.

This responsibility, however, should not only fall at the feet of the administration. It is also the community’s responsibility to be aware of all its members and their pasts. We cannot walk around pretending that our society is void of those who would be potentially harmful to others. To believe this would make us naïve. This naïveté would lead to a blind trust of good always prevailing, which would leave us vulnerable to further disaster.

It was this trust that led to the first blow of danger. GS let its guard down and was hit with some unexpected danger. Thanks to the quick thinking of the custodial staff, no one was hurt and nothing too catastrophic happened.