A highly conversed-about topic in the past few years as a result of the abundance of school shootings in the U.S. is the general safety of students. LHS has taken steps to provide a more secure learning environment in an effort to be proactive and prevent tragedy before it has a chance to strike.

Some of the steps taken include locking the side doors, announcing the coat ban and a couple of other more minor changes. Although the effectiveness of these measures has been debated, most people can agree that checking identification cards is a necessary action to allow students into the building during normal school hours. However, how effective or necessary is ID checking if faculty members simply glance at it before moving on to the next student? It seems to defeat the purpose of checking IDs, considering an individual could easily find a lost one in the parking lot, and then use it to enter the building. As an avid collector of lost school IDs, I decided to test my theory.

With my plethora of LHS IDs that even date back to the 2013-2014 school year, I chose the ID that looked the least like me. The one I ultimately chose belonged to a former sophomore from the 2015-2016 school year. The original owner is male, short haired and his skin tone was on the opposite end of the spectrum from mine. There’s no way that anybody could assume that I had a fresh haircut in the first picture, or contoured my face differently on the day the photo was taken. I was unmistakingly a completely different person. Nehemiah, if you see this, I’m not giving you your school ID back. Sorry buddy.

Although I had a backup plan in case the ID checker noticed that I’m not the person on the ID, I never had to use it: “Oh, I’m so sorry, wrong one. This is my twin’s ID.” “Fraternal, of course.”

As always, I received the golden nod of approval as I held up the ID, receiving nothing to the effect of even a brow furrowed in confusion.

In spite of the fact that I avoided what could have resulted in an awkward confrontation, I can’t help but feel somewhat concerned with the security that the school district promises.  It seems a bit unfair and contradicting that the side doors being unlocked during the lunch periods and before school is considered a security threat, yet ID checking is relatively insecure and a waste of time. All you need to enter the building is an object that resembles a school ID.

Arguably, all safety measures are in place to provide an illusion of security. The truth is, if an individual is sadistic enough to come into a school and harm students, keeping the side doors locked before school and during open lunch won’t hold them back, they’ll find other ways in… such as finding a misplaced school ID.