After Spring Break this year, Bethpage High School distributed photo IDs and lanyards to all students. The purpose of these IDs is to protect the safety of each individual by making sure every person present in the building belongs in it. Due to the high rate of school shootings, these IDs are enforced in order to prevent a tragedy like that at Bethpage. A handful of students and teachers love the idea of the IDs, and feel reassured when stepping foot into the building, but others don’t believe wearing a lanyard makes much more of a difference. Are these plastic IDs really protecting us from a potential shooting? I went around the school asking different students about their thoughts on the IDs, and this is what they had to say:

A good friend of mine, Allie Mossner, feels, “The school IDs are pointless and don’t protect us. Just because someone is wearing it doesn’t mean they don’t have a gun on them.”

Another student said, “I appreciate the idea and effort in enforcing these IDs, but they don’t make me feel any safer.” Are these IDs going to make a difference?

According to some BHS staff members, next school year they are going to enforce the IDs even more by installing scanners. I think that would be a better idea than having security guards and hall monitors quickly glancing to see if students are wearing a lanyard. As the weeks have gone by, they have been getting stricter about the IDs. Students who forget them are now being punished with detention, and some security guards won’t even allow students to step foot into the school if they’re not wearing their lanyard.

Hopefully BHS enforces stricter rules in the 2018-2019 school year. School shootings have become such a common occurrence in today’s society, and we hope our school never has to become the next victim. Stronger actions will lead to a better result, so we’ll see what the upcoming school year has in store.