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Saying there is no horseplay allowed around the equipment because your hand could get torn off just like Lacy’s, middle school woodshop teacher Terrence Leonard is getting way too into one of his student dismemberment stories.
“Lacy Danielson was a student of mine a few years back,” said Leonard, his students listening with rapt attention. “She wore loose clothing and got yanked right into the band saw. The saw cut through her like a spoon through soup, and her mangled hand was thrown halfway across the shop.”
Distributing safety glasses, Leonard went on to explain that blood and flesh frosted the belt sander like a cherry cupcake and it all could have been avoided by following the woodshop safety instructions.
“Everyone was on their hands and knees looking for the missing fingers,” said Leonard, drifting off into a moment of blissful reverie as his 13-year-old students sat silently. “It was… It was all because of a careless mistake.”
Leonard added, “Poor Lacy Danielson said ‘sayonara’ to her basketball season, I’ll tell you that much.”
“Mr. Leonard is scaring us,” said student Greta Jarvis. “Is he just making this whole thing up? Why does he have that crazy look in his eye?”
Adding that the scene was straight out of a Halloween special, Leonard went on to imitate Danielson’s classmates searching for her appendages, two of which had wedged themselves behind the drill press.
“Learn from Lacy’s mistake,” said Leonard, returning to the front of the room out of breath. “Wear your hair up and keep your fingers away from the blades. I’m serious, woodshop safety is no joke.”
Starting to work on their bird houses, Leonard’s students confirmed that they were just going to horse around like seventh graders normally do.
