KUNR Youth Media

Damonte students and staff share fears and steps for school safety

KUNR Public Radio | By Skyler Martin, KUNR Youth Media

Published July 11, 2023 at 12:36 PM PDT

The front exterior of Damonte Ranch High School. — Students and staff weighed in on safety at Damonte after multiple outside threats to schools in Washoe County last school year.

Recent threats at schools in Washoe County have caused concern among community members. KUNR Youth Media looked into how people feel at Damonte Ranch High School in Reno.

In the United States, there have been 29 people killed or injured by gun violence this year in schools. With recent threats at schools in Washoe County, many are concerned for their safety. And now, schools are trying to take action to combat this issue.

Rylan Jensen, a student at Damonte, has been more worried about the school’s safety because of the threats it has been receiving. She feels that Damonte should be doing more, such as adding metal detectors or more school police.

“I feel safe most of the time, but sometimes I get worried just because of all the school shootings around the United States lately and because of some of the code reds we have been having,” Jensen said.

Other students have expressed that they feel the same way.

School police officer Vanessa Mustafa said that schools like Damonte have already taken that extra step for the school to be safer. As of this past school year, school police are present on campus every day.

“Myself as a police officer, I am prepared with 10 years of law enforcement experience and also with additional training and annual training with our agency. We prepare for the worst-case scenarios so that we can be here for you guys on your best days and worst days,” Mustafa said.

When you walk in the front doors of the school, you are greeted by an administrator who monitors who is going in and out of the building.

Staff at Damonte feel like they are prepared for violent incidents on campus. Steven Adkins, a teacher at Damonte, said he is ready to take on anything that could happen.

“I feel I’m very prepared between the drills and the access and the regular practice that we do at school and then my background as a veteran. I feel at any time something goes down I’m ready for it,” Adkins said.

Washoe County School District said it vows to investigate any threat, no matter the size. Local law enforcement agencies also encourage the community to report anything they see that might be suspicious.

Skyler Martin is a rising senior at Damonte and a participant in KUNR’s Youth Media program, a special partnership with the Washoe County School District to train the next generation of journalists.

Learn more about the KUNR Youth Media program

Each fall and spring semester, our dedicated program coordinator partners with the WCSD educator to mentor a select group of high school interns. The internship classes are typically from 2:15 to 4:15 p.m. at the high school, providing a structured environment where students receive comprehensive instruction.

The students are taught radio journalism, broadcast journalism, and media production, gaining real-world professional experience that helps them develop career skills. Students work with media professionals to produce creative audio stories and elevate voices from our region.

As part of the program, students are offered the opportunity to tour KUNR’s facilities and the Reynolds School of Journalism at the University of Nevada, Reno, where they will have the chance to record their broadcasts under the guidance of the WCSD educator and the program coordinator.

This semester-long project is designed to facilitate the airing of the students' stories on KUNR and the publication of their work on KUNR.org. Through this experiential learning approach, students gain valuable insights into public media and develop practical skills using industry-standard equipment.

The KUNR Youth Media Coordinator plays a crucial role in ensuring that students receive scholarly guidance on the standards and practices associated with audio journalism production.

Our program is committed to fostering a safe and constructive learning environment for all participants. KUNR is dedicated to nurturing the creative ideas of students in the program and, prior to publication, KUNR’s Managing Editor reviews all submitted work to ensure that it aligns with KUNR’s established media standards and expectations.

This program was formerly known as Reno Youth Radio.