ID Badges: Do Students Approve?

By ​Ava Aschettino 

​Since the implementation of mandatory ID badges as a part of OBHS’s latest security
measures, students have had A LOT to say about the cards worn around their necks. Although
most students remember to wear their lanyards, some either forget their badges at home or do not
make an effort to wear them at all. So, what do students really think about identification cards
being mandatory this year?

Throughout grades 7-12, the opinions of students were relatively similar. Some students
understood the reasoning behind the new safety protocol, but others... well... they didn’t. Earlier
in the year, some students were more hesitant to accept the idea than they are now.
In September, sophomore Elizabeth Figueroa said, “It doesn’t bother me anymore
because I hide my name tag.”
An anonymous student admitted, “I don’t wear my ID badge, and only once has someone
bothered me about it. So, I wore my friend’s badge for a day and no one noticed.”
Ignoring the new safety requirement has become increasingly difficult for students,
though. Administrators have been waiting outside before school starts in an effort to ensure
every student has his or her ID badge. Students without badges have also been called down to
Dr. Rufa and Mrs. Gonzalez. As a result, fewer students have forgotten or lost their ID badges.
The underclassmen have been more open to the ID badges than the upperclassmen.
Eighth grade student Sophia Dean had a more generous opinion, saying, “The badges don’t
really bother me anymore, but sometimes they can be distracting during class. A big problem
with wearing the badges in eighth grade is that the teachers can’t really see them when we are
walking in the hallway because our books are blocking them. To me, it seems pretty pointless if
the teachers and staff can’t even see them.”
Many students who have not worn their ID badges have also used the excuse that they
disliked their ID pictures. A professional photographer took these photographs during PE classes
last year. One student stated, “This is the worst picture ever taken of me.”
Multiple students said that they would be less opposed to the badges if they had a say in
their ID photos. Students suggested that they should be able to choose their own photos, or they
should be allowed to take retakes.
Despite any inconvenience the ID badges might cause, students must consider the reason
for their implementation. Ms. Lasher, principal of OBHS, stressed the importance of the badges,
stating, “ID cards allow security and building administration to carefully monitor who is in our
building at all times. They help us identify those that should be here and the possibility of those
who should not. Soon, we hope to incorporate a swipe system to give us additional information
on the arrival and departure of all students.”
Overall, students have voiced their complaints over the ID badges, but they understand
the importance of the security precaution. Yes, wearing these badges can be an inconvenience to
some students, but with the current state of gun violence across the country, these badges may
save the lives of many students here at the tiny school of OBHS.