Lisa Lac

The site of the fallen pipe and new safety netting. Photo by Lisa Lac.

On March 22, a group of Oakland High students standing outside of the JROTC class were almost hit by a fallen pipe that came from the unfinished building.

The boys were spending lunchtime next to the building under construction.

“A pipe from the fence almost hit me when it fell,” said sophomore Vincent Chen. “The pipe was pretty heavy too.”

The other boys were also shaken by the fallen pipe. Senior Kyle Edwards said “I was standing next to Vincent and the pipe that holds the fence suddenly fell off.”

His friend who was also accompanying them, junior Earnest Blackmond, said “I feel like it’s dangerous to be so close around the construction.”

The student walkway between the unfinished building and the classes next to it, like the JROTC class and shops, is about ten feet wide.

“I think the building that’s under construction is too close to our classrooms,” said another student who was with them, said junior Chris Gilmore. “I think the pipe fell because the equipment wasn’t properly set up.”

This incident in front of JROTC class got the attention of JROTC instructor SFC Reginald Humdy. He insisted that the construction workers put up a safety net on the fence so this incident wouldn’t happen again.

Two weeks later the safety net was put up.

“The construction workers should have been more responsible” said SFC Ronald Harper, who also teaches JROTC.