# Stage Collapse during HS performance **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 24, 2015, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stage-collapse-during-hs-performance/718413 "2015-04-24T04:01:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Spud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spud/32/347_2.png) [@Spud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spud)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2015, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stage-collapse-during-hs-performance/718413/1 "2015-04-24T04:01:15Z")
We started hearing sirens a few hours ago… and there kept being more and more. Turns out a high school about 3-4 miles from my house was having a big annual musical performance of American Pie and during the grand finale the stage over the orchestra pit collapsed dropping 30 some HS kids six or some feet without warning. Word on social media (so take that for what it is worth) is that three kids are in critical condition and two others are serious, and many many less major injuries. I have several friends with kids at this school so hopefully they are all ok. > **[Student on Westfield stage collapse: 'It was pretty scary'](https://www.indystar.com/story/news/2015/04/23/stage-collapse-reported-at-westfield-high-school/26212371/)** > > Last victim has left hospital, as local and state officials try to learn why stage at Westfield High fell while students were performing in a musical. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2015, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stage-collapse-during-hs-performance/718413/2 "2015-04-24T14:46:29Z")
What did you do when you heard about it? Did you hop in a Chevy & go check out the levee? Was there any water in the levee or was it dry? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Spud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spud/32/347_2.png) [@Spud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spud)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2015, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stage-collapse-during-hs-performance/718413/3 "2015-04-24T16:31:10Z")
> [@Spiderman](#): > > What did you do when you heard about it? Did you hop in a Chevy & go check out the levee? Was there any water in the levee or was it dry? 😛 No, nothing like that… but this one time… at band camp… Actually like most big news events I watched the local news team show the same footage over and over and over again as they continued to update/get wrong/correct the facts. This and my kids coming down to tell me what was being tweeted or whatever (apparently it was trending on twitter this morning). Most recent news is that only one girl is still in the hospital. Still in critical but said to be doing well. Lots of more minor injuries though. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2015, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stage-collapse-during-hs-performance/718413/4 "2015-04-24T18:30:59Z")
It’s showing up in [web-based](http://abcnews.go.com/US/stage-collapses-indiana-high-school-students-injured/story?id=30546439) [news](http://www.wthr.com/story/28886818/critical-injuries-reported-in-stage-collapse-at-westfield-high-school-auditorium) now. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2015, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stage-collapse-during-hs-performance/718413/5 "2015-04-24T18:43:08Z")
So, did anyone break a leg? ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2015, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stage-collapse-during-hs-performance/718413/6 "2015-04-24T22:19:39Z")
I read the first article about it in the Indy Star. There was a video clip, from a phone I think, and it was pretty scary. What I didn’t like, and had made the mistake of reading, were the comments on the article. It sure made me appreciate the SDMB’s moderation. People were making ugly jokes. One complained that folks were sending good thoughts and prayers to the students, but not to people shot by police. I gave up in disgust. ---
**Author:** ![JoseB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/joseb/32/1530_2.png) [@JoseB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoseB)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2015, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stage-collapse-during-hs-performance/718413/7 "2015-04-24T22:43:26Z")
> [@Baker](#): > > I read the first article about it in the Indy Star. There was a video clip, from a phone I think, and it was pretty scary. > > What I didn’t like, and had made the mistake of reading, were the comments on the article. It sure made me appreciate the SDMB’s moderation. People were making ugly jokes. One complained that folks were sending good thoughts and prayers to the students, but not to people shot by police. I gave up in disgust. And that is why I refuse to read internet comments, usually. The G.I.F.T. shows up there in all its “glory”. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2015, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stage-collapse-during-hs-performance/718413/8 "2015-04-24T22:48:36Z")
My spouse’s comment was “wow, we sure have a problem with stage collapses in this state, don’t we?” Yes, we actually do. The high school one was a bit different than the one at the state fair awhile back, but I do think this is more common around here than we’d like. ---
**Author:** ![Last\_Glacial\_Maximum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bc79bd/32.png) [@Last\_Glacial\_Maximum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Last_Glacial_Maximum)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2015, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stage-collapse-during-hs-performance/718413/9 "2015-04-24T23:44:26Z")
I watched the video on CNN this morning. It was an unfortunate accident, but it does not qualify for national exposure on CNN. Watching the CNN anchors with their fake expressions of concern over the collapse made me change the channel. . ---
**Author:** ![Spud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spud/32/347_2.png) [@Spud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spud)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2015, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stage-collapse-during-hs-performance/718413/10 "2015-04-25T13:34:38Z")
I will pass your warm concerns on to the families of the victims. I can’t believe CNN actually had coverage of an earthquake in Nepal. I don’t know anyone there and it isn’t even our nation so why is it national news? They should only report things that affect everyone in our nation and nothing else. ---
**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2015, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stage-collapse-during-hs-performance/718413/11 "2015-04-25T13:58:03Z")
See this is why you include the green M&M’s in the rider Declan ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2015, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stage-collapse-during-hs-performance/718413/12 "2015-04-25T14:37:19Z")
The story I saw said that school officials are looking into why the stage collapsed. My guess is: exceeded floor loading and the harmonic wave set up by a large crowd of people jumping up and down in unison. I’ll expect a check in the mail. ---
**Author:** ![Spud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spud/32/347_2.png) [@Spud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spud)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2015, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stage-collapse-during-hs-performance/718413/13 "2015-04-25T16:32:42Z")
It sounds like you nailed it. They are saying that it normally supports that many people with no problem but with the jumping in unison it doubled the weight. They are also saying some repairs (but no detail) were done a few months ago and that it was due to be inspected in June. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2015, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stage-collapse-during-hs-performance/718413/14 "2015-04-25T17:02:40Z")
that kind of harmonic jumping has brought down other stages, platforms and bleachers. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2015, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stage-collapse-during-hs-performance/718413/15 "2015-04-25T17:44:28Z")
I would think threy would have planned for such jumping (perhaps as part of a dance performance) when designing and building a stage. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2015, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stage-collapse-during-hs-performance/718413/16 "2015-04-25T17:56:52Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > My spouse’s comment was “wow, we sure have a problem with stage collapses in this state, don’t we?” > > Yes, we actually do. The high school one was a bit different than the one at the state fair awhile back, but I do think this is more common around here than we’d like. Stage collapses and megabus crashes should be the official hazards of Indiana. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2015, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stage-collapse-during-hs-performance/718413/17 "2015-04-25T18:36:15Z")
> [@JoseB](#): > > And that is why I refuse to read internet comments, usually. The G.I.F.T. shows up there in all its “glory”. G.I.F.T.? ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2015, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stage-collapse-during-hs-performance/718413/18 "2015-04-25T19:09:35Z")
> [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](#): > > G.I.F.T.? [Greater Internet Fuckwad Theory](http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/greater-internet-fuckwad-theory)