Per the student announcement e-mail I received from Randall.Groesbeck@

notes.udayton.edu on Tuesday March 24, 2009, concerning the Spring Severe Weather Awareness Week.

"As we enter Spring and warmer weather returns, we must be aware of hazardous weather conditions that could occur in our area. In Ohio , the two most prevalent severe weather conditions are thunderstorms

and tornadoes. "

Severe weather, thunderstorms and tornadoes are prevalent in the Ohio area, a good reason to have an Awareness Week about what to do in these serious situations. For the majority of us on campus, we have been through these drills before, as storms and high winds are not unique to the Dayton area. We even had first- hand experience of this troubling weather recently causing the great blackout of '08. We have all learned that if you are driving, get under an overpass or in a ditch. At school, get to the most interior, lowest floor possible room with the strongest walls (I've been told bathrooms are good because of all that plumbing). At home, get to the basement, period. If you don't have a basement, strap yourself to some visible pipes with a leather belt and ride it out like in the movie "Twister." While I hope the Awareness Week clears up some of my misconceptions of what to do incase of a tornado when you do not have a basement, I do know that being in the basement is one of the safest places you can be. Yet the majority of the campus's basements are locked. I know the administration has its reasons, but I do not know how those reasons outweigh the risk students now take by not being allowed access to their basements during severe weather. I am one of the fortunate students that still have access to their basement, for now. So I am lending out a hand of hospitality

to my fellow students. If you have had your basement locked and severe

weather in on the forecast, you are welcome to ride the storm out with Sigma Nu located at 307 Stonemill Road.