Beyond the hill | Blowing smoke

Where there is smoke, there is not always fire.

Just ask the students at the University of Kentucky, where fire marshals filled dorm corridors with smoke during planned fire drills.

University officials there have used smoke in 12 dormitory fire drills this fall, without informing students of what was taking place.

Gail Hairston, UK communications manager, said that of the 55 students in the building during the drill, 53 walked through "killing smoke," which she said they would not have been able to survive if it were real smoke.

"People shouldn't even think about going through the smoke," said UK assistant fire marshal Greg Williamson. "The purpose is to find every way possible to get out of the building. Most kids did not even know there was more than one exit."

Students had mixed reactions to the drill.

"People were ticked off and felt like they were being tricked," said sophomore Daniel Root, a residence adviser on the fourth floor of UK's Keeneland Hall. Fire marshals organized a drill there Sept. 10.

"The smoke was pretty thick up there," said freshman Derek Miles, also a Keeneland resident. "We had no idea about it, but there weren't any problems."

Root said RAs were among the few who knew smoke would be used in the fire drills. He was required to be in the building during the drill, and RAs were assigned specific roles to help students.

He said he saw several people coming out of the smoke upset and irritated.

"One girl was saying she was glad she wasn't inside because she was worried her asthma might flare up," Root said.

"It would have been best if the hall directors or fire marshals told us, 'You might have a drill that will involve smoke,' or something along those lines," Root said when asked how his residents felt. "Some warning might have been beneficial."

Williamson said he noticed some students were anxious during the drill but said, "I have never received a complaint from students about the drills."

"At Kentucky, we have never had anyone even close to injured," Williamson said. "These drills are done under very safe conditions with fire personnel on hand."

Another concern, Root said, is that students may have been unprepared for the drill.

"A significant number of students did not have any idea about the drills," he said. "It looked like some were lost and some complained about not knowing where to go."

Fire officials in Lexington, Ky., did not return a phone call to comment.

UK fire marshal Williamson said similar smoke drills are used at the University of Miami and the University of Colorado.

Curt Warren, retired assistant fire chief of Lake Valley Fire District in Lake Tahoe, Calif., said his team often used smoke in fire drills for both offices and schools. The lack of warning is exactly what makes these types of drills so helpful.

"Most people have a lackadaisical attitude during fire drills, especially students. Seeing the smoke changes that. It adds gravity to the situation," Warren said. "It changes the environment you're in. It enhances all your senses and puts realism into the drill. It really is a wonderful tool."

Save the languages

The U.S. Senate is looking at legislation that includes appropriating $200,000 of taxpayer money to saving the languages of the world at the University of New Mexico. The bill has already passed in the House of Representatives.

Researchers at UNM are preparing to establish The American Indian Language Policy Research and Teacher Training Center. The center will host workshops and work with leaders of American Indian nations to develop teaching methods that will encourage the younger generations to embrace the dying languages.

Of the 7,000 languages of the world, one goes extinct every two weeks, linguists say.

The right to grow cannabis

North Dakota State University is backing a recent lawsuit by farmers who want the right to grow hemp, a form of a cannabis, for legal use in food and soap.

Currently, hemp can be grown in the state with a license and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration approval. The portions used for such products do not have the psychoactive THC compound found in marijuana.

The university has plans to grow and study hemp plants.