Recently, residents of Schneider Hall were forced to deal with two very inappropriately timed drills.

If one were to make a schedule of polite times for a fire drill, 2 a.m. or 4 a.m. in January would not be listed for several reasons.

One: Some people have morning classes. Unfortunately we can’t all have schedules that give us time to sleep in.

Some people must wake up at 7 a.m. to walk from Schneider Hall to the Mass Communications building.

For these people, fire drills at 2 a.m. are especially unpleasant and make them lose all motivation to attend that first class.

Windburn is not a good way to start a day, and the lack of sleep on top of that does not inspire a person to get out of bed.

Two: It is three degrees outside. If it were August, and the fire alarm sounded without an actual fire, I would be displeased.

However, it would be warm so I would get over it. This is inopportune weather to shove people onto the street.

Some of these people wore pajamas, allowing body heat to escape quickly, and some yelled obscenities because they are cold.

When they yell these obscenities, policemen walk around with canisters of mace.

Three: It is about common decency.

We cannot control time or temperature, but we can control ourselves. During drills, students crowd around outside the towers. Mae Smith, Neely and Schneider residents find huddles of friends and try to stay warm.

As students talk in their huddles, they speculate about the rumor that the drill was a prank. If the rumor is true, whoever is responsible should think about their actions.

They not only caused many people to lose needed sleep, but they have also shown common courtesy is a dying art.

People should be more considerate in a place where everyone is stressed and potentially overwhelmed. College is a time that challenges you more than you ever thought possible.

It drains you on a daily basis, but it rewards you at the same time.

Every college student knows relying on others helps relieve stress, so be someone people can rely on. Don’t do immature things such as defecating in an end lounge. Don’t speed while driving over a crosswalk. Finally, don’t pull a fire alarm at 2 a.m..

If these drills were pranks, whoever is responsible should do the tower-dwellers a favor and leave, because he or she is unprepared to attend an institute of higher education.

Adie Applegate can be reached at [email protected], on Twitter @addisonapple, or 536-3311 ext. 254.