Written by Alex Pham & Dylan Dam
Maintaining a safe campus environment is a joint effort between students and staff.
Officer James O’Sullivan supervises campus through enforcing the school’s safety procedures: a single entry point, school IDs, and mental health resources. Officer O’Sullivan watches with a keen eye “to keep anybody off campus to keep (students) safe,” including former students who may sneak onto campus for a photo.
“Probably four years ago a student (that had) gone here came in and snuck in for photo day,” Officer O’Sullivan said. “They hung out in the trunk of a car.”
One Way In
Faculty such as Campus Monitor Gerry Engstrom and school police supervise campus to ensure students are where they are supposed to be, and that unauthorized individuals do not trespass. As outlined by the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Act, schools are required to have some form of a police presence on campus.
Piano junior Sahil Bhandary: “I think the campus is pretty secure. I feel safe walking around during school hours, not during school hours, or in between classes. Maybe (it’s) just the community itself. There’s nothing to be intimidated about.”
English teacher Carmen Gallardo: “When we see what's happening at other high schools with safety (...) We're lucky here at Dreyfoos that communication trumps everything as far as when, where, or how we can communicate with administration.”
Chemistry teacher Marilynn Pedek-Howard: “I feel extremely safe on campus. We have our gates locked. We have guards at the doors. In terms of the perception, people perceive that it's a safe place to be, and that will help also for being safer.”
Digital media junior Brooke Cruz: “I feel a lot safer knowing that (school officers) are close by in case something were to happen. If someone has a serious problem, maybe someone steals something, they can quickly go to them.”
Among the Crowd
Students and staff are required to wear school IDs with lanyard colors that coordinate with grade levels. In previous years, students only needed to have their IDs in their backpacks or have a photo of them on their phones. This school year, stricter enforcement was made requiring students to visibly wear their lanyards around their neck at all times. This new enforcement of school identification has caused differing opinions among students and staff. regarding the effectiveness of IDs.
English teacher Peggy Mellon: “It's critical that students actually wear the lanyard around their neck without us having to constantly remind them, or else somebody could get here who wants to hurt them.”
Visual junior Katina Prine: “The neglect of the rule makes ID wearing negligible. It seems a bit rudimentary. I know they’re trying to help our safety, but I feel there’s a more effective way we can try and identify students around the school.”
Visual junior Chip Castro: “It doesn’t match with any of my clothing, especially with the lanyard, because it’s forced a color that we have to wear. Just let us wear whatever lanyards we want, please, so I can actually match it with my fit.”
Communications junior Tyler Wartmann: “Somebody not having one isn't a dead giveaway, but in the chance that there is somebody in school who's suspicious and they lack a school ID, that could save someone in a bad situation.”
Theatre junior Karma Carr: “Make the lanyards less itchy. I don’t like wearing it. I know myself and some of my friends who have sensory issues hate the feel of the lanyard.”
Principal Blake Bennett: “I know the badges and lanyards (are) not a popular thing. I’m very aware of it, but it is a piece of school safety and security (and that) has become number one now. You (have) to be safe in order to learn, right?”
In a casual survey conducted by The Muse, students were asked if they agree with the new school ID rule requiring students to wear their lanyards around their neck.
In a casual survey conducted by The Muse, students were asked if they agreed with the statement that school IDs kept people safe on campus.
See Something, Say Something
The Marjory Stoneman Douglas Public Safety Act requires an increase in monitoring students’ mental health and improvements made in providing students resources to report suspicious or dangerous activity on campus. Resources such as FortifyFL provide students with a way to report these situations anonymously. In addition to this, Alyssa’s Law, an act in memory of Majory Stoneman Douglas Victim Alyssa Alhadeff, requires a mobile panic alert system, Alyssa’s Alert, that is directly connected to emergency services.
History teacher Katie Sheridan: “I think (students) would feel more comfortable here saying something as opposed to other areas because (of) the general culture of being inclusive here.”
Theatre junior Karma Carr: “Paying more attention to the kids being bullied and paying more attention to the kids who treat others badly would help. It’s always ‘Oh, we never really knew,’ but it was never reported or it was never taken seriously until (it) ends up in violence.”
Officer James O’Sullivan: “You guys have an exceptional rapport with the staff, (and) with your art area teachers, so when you guys see something, you become aware that somebody’s a little sensitive or something’s bothering them. You guys are great at coming forward and getting help.”
Principal Blake Bennett: “(‘See Something, Say Something’) is so important, and then that's how normally information is found out and events are stopped. I'm really proud of our students; they do a good job, and I always tell people (that) nobody needs to know where the information came from. Nobody needs to know that you are the one who shared that. You're helping to stop something.”
Info:
In a casual survey conducted by The Muse, students were asked if they agreed with the statement that the student body upheld the “See Something, Say Something” motto.
National Suicide Prevention Hotline
1-800-273-8255
TTY Users dial 711 then the hotline number
Crisis Text Line
Text HOME to 741741
PBC Help
Call 211
School IDs have a sticker on the back of them that provide students mental health resources and hotlines such as the National Suicide Prevention Hotline.
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