UPIKE missions team safe after tragedy
0Written By Chris Figg
On Jan. 6, a great tragedy struck the nation. A gunman opened fire on an airport terminal in Fort Lauderdale. At the same time, the UPIKE mission team of 16 had just arrived at the airport as well. TSA agents came running telling everyone to get out of the airport and were trying to get people to safety. Everyone reacted differently to this threat. Alyssa Cowger, a student at UPIKE, said her first thought was to hide. It was almost an instinct to hide from the gunman. She ended up hiding in a closet with student life coordinator, Collan McCoy. “All I could think about was making sure the students were safe. That was the only priority,” said McCoy. The initial shock didn’t hit everyone at first. UPIKE students Wes Rose and Courtney Dixon said they simply didn’t realize it at first until they saw the crowd running their way to escape. Once out of shock they ran outside and debated if they should stick with the people seeing as they were putting them in front of the window. Dixon said she had considered hiding behind a wall to limit her chances of being shot. From the beginning all the students had been scattered and no one could find everyone. Once everyone found Rob Musick, the UPIKE chaplain did nothing but praise the students. “Almost everyone (students) were calm… They were worried more about the other people,” Musick said. He added on in a sad tone, “How many more times do have to see this news headline?” Thankfully no one on the UPIKE mission team was harmed. They were delayed two days returning home, driving instead of flying.