Course scheduling errors, broken classroom clocks, bathroom hygiene, blocked educational websites, the palpable frustration over low teachers’ salaries—these are some oh so familiar aspects of the archetypal IHS experience. They never seem to go away.
Arguably one of the most widespread nuisances on campus is the old-fashioned check-in system in the library. The library acts as an all-purpose room where many students go to work on homework, discuss class notes with a friend, or check out a book. But what would otherwise be a nearly faultless space—staffed by the exceptional librarians—is spoiled by the dawdling process of manually keeping track of who’s coming in and ensuring nobody’s skipping class.
Back in 2013, a group of students had actually developed a functional system to address this issue for an EDD project. They even proposed their plan to implement this system at IHS to the Board of Education. The Board determined that the proposal was viable, but disappointingly, it was rejected due to budget constraints.
As a result, anyone trying to enter the library continues to stand in a line that sometimes takes nearly ten minutes, especially during lunch periods, as the librarians check everyone’s schedules and make them log their names onto a sign-in sheet. When all of us must carry our student IDs to school anyway, and when our IDs are connected to the attendance system, why couldn’t we invest in a swipe system to replace this inefficient process?
Another well-intentioned yet poorly executed policy is building security. After multiple shootings at schools nationwide, IHS administrators have taken steps to maintain a safe environment while not creating an armed camp. Most doors around campus are locked. Some entrance doors now have signs directing students not to let people in from the outside during school hours and directing visitors to the main office. Although a small barrier for a potential intruder, these measures don’t hurt the sense of open community in our school.
But these policies are inappropriate for the school’s building structure. In our spread out, California-style campus, students should be allowed to routinely travel outdoors between classes and enter through doors scattered throughout campus. Meanwhile, we see students scurry across the quad every day between periods only to be greeted by locked doors. The narrow hallway between the library, cafeteria, and G-building often overflows with students, especially now that a lot of us know the doors must remain locked. Students should be allowed to use their own discretion to open doors for other students between periods. Then hallways would be less crowded and getting to our next classes would be made easier. Class transitions are currently even more challenging if you’re on crutches or in a wheelchair.
Campus safety is at the top of the administrator’s’ priorities as it should be. But let’s face it—certain well-intentioned rules become an inconvenience that eventually accumulates to stress for everyone when we don’t pay attention to how certain policies affect the campus experience. Going forward, as the district considers several security upgrades at school buildings, such as the installation of surveillance cameras and swipe-card doors for school employees, the psychological effects they may have on students’ should not be overlooked.
For one student, one such nuisance on one day is minute against the backdrop of the greater issues that the school deals with. But IHS holds a close-knit network of 1,400 students for whom the small things can add up to a big difference. When repeated many times, these day-to-day irritations accumulate. School policies should ensure a smooth operation while serving their practical purposes.