CAMPUS

On Wednesday and Thursday, MUW hosted an Active-Shooter training course for area police officers. The course was offered through the Department of Homeland Security, and focused on training first responders in proper protocol and action in situations involving an active shooter (i.e., an individual actively firing a gun). The course will be taught by Chief of MUW Police Kennedy Meaders.

Criminal justice and security agencies from all over the state participated in the event, including the Mississippi Department of Corrections, the Lowndes County Sherriff’s Department, Tupelo County and Lee County school districts, the Starkville Police Department, the Mississippi State University Police Department, and MUW’s police department.  

The 16-hour course consisted of two eight-hour seminars, the first on Wednesday and the second on Thursday. In addition to the lecture-style portion of the course, participants also took part in a practical application portion. This “force-on-force” simulation, staged in Parkinson Hall, involved the enactment of several reality-based active-shooter scenarios. In the scenarios, “Some officers play bad guys. A dispatcher gets a call of shots fired, and that’s all they know,” said Meaders.

During the simulation, officers used their regular on-duty weapons. However, they used a specialized type of ammunition called simunition. Simunition is essentially a paintball-like ammunition which is non-lethal.

In light of the recent shooting at the Soldier Readiness Center in Fort Hood, TX, Meaders feels that the training exercises will be extremely beneficial to area police departments. “I think they need to realize that something may happen,” he said. Meaders also feels that the program gave a sense of empowerment and confidence to the participants. “It’s not hard to grasp. We all need to have the same training […] and know that other departments have the same training.”

MUW’s Community Living and Career Services are bringing students a new study break in the form of aqua massage in the W Room on Nov. 19.

Career Services has provided various sessions over the past four years, set aside to provide students a chance to relax and gather tips for getting through the last weeks before final exams.

This year sees W students being introduced to the aqua massage, a popular form of relaxation among people around the U.S. that has been used in a number of universities. The idea was brought to the W as a new method of helping students learn to prioritize while aiding relaxation of the body and mind.

A partnership between MUW’s Community Living and Career Services with Wal-Mart, the study session will be a way to help students to maintain sanity during the highly stressful time of the semester.

With a valid student ID, students can be treated to a massage by machine aqua massagers and facials courtesy of Mary Kay Cosmetics while learning study methods and better time management.

A break from the stress of finishing final projects and cramming for exams, students can enjoy four-to-six minute massages of the neck, back, hands and calf muscles.

It is also free and beneficial for students as they can view PowerPoint presentations during information sessions of effective study habits and ways to prevent an overload of work as well as tips for reducing anxiety by sustaining comfort and ease during exam week

Towanda Williams, assistant director for Career Services, encourages all students to take advantage of the study break. “Many students are going through final exams here for the first time. It can be stressful. We want to prepare them physically and mentally.”

Carol Frazier of Academic Support Services will also have students there to give handouts of information about academics and available tutorial sessions.

A number of students are planning to attend. Laura Gallop, a sophomore speech-pathology major, said, “I’m looking forward to learning how to study better. I’ve never attended a study break before, but I really want to do something different and try it out. The full body massages sound awesome as well.”

The session is open to W students only from 10a.m. to 2p.m. Door prizes will be provided by Wal-Mart and refreshments will be served.