Many students will hear the analogy comparing school to prison in their high school existence. This can be seen in the new rollout of security officers patrolling the cafeteria parameters during the one “free” period students are given. The administration argues in previous Bear Facts issues that it is for the safety of the student body, but just where exactly can the line be drawn between the safety and well-being of students and a feeling of entrapment in an environment that should promote otherwise?

One of the biggest windows of opportunity for students to escape the watchful eyes of administrative staff is during lunches. Recently, school safety and security assistants have been assigned to various posts surrounding the cafeteria, including right by the concession stand and in front of the courtyard doors. If a student attempts to even leave the cafeteria simply to access their locker adjacent to the cafeteria doors, they will instantly be called out and told to return with a pass. Even though the student is in view of the safety and security assistant for the entire duration of their locker usage, a pass is still required from an administrator stationed at the front of the cafeteria. It is as if common sense exits the cafeteria along with the student. According to the statistic published by the Chicago Post Tribune from September 2009 to August 2010, for every eight speeding offenses, only one is actually ticketed. Some police officers offer leeway in incidents where the motorist is not going dangerously fast but still going slightly over the limit. Why does this not exist at our school, where the “offenses” are not anywhere as severe as speeding on a highway?

The doors to the courtyard are frequently locked from the inside to prevent students from re-entering the school from the courtyard during lunch, yet the doors leading out of the courtyard are always unlocked. It is illogical that not allowing a student to leave the cafeteria should be prioritized over letting a student leave the school building itself. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 88.2 percent of public schools have controlled access (locked doors) to the building during school hours.

Several students use their lunch period to their learning advantage by visiting teachers during that time. That simple process has been made more difficult by having multiple hoops for students to jump through in order to be proactive in their learning. Getting a note from a teacher and cafeteria administrator as well as inevitably being stopped in the hallway regardless of these permissions uses up valuable time that the student could be using to get help from their teachers. Students leaving the cafeteria with the typical pink styrofoam trays given in the lunch lines seem to be a red flag for administrators.

A student stopped in the hallway from the cafeteria might not always be met with the common courtesy required of administration. Inquiries from administrative staff at times can be sarcastic and even rude. According to the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Department website, police officers are not allowed to have their personal feelings or personal relationships with others affect their conduct while on duty. This does not seem to be the case with the security assistants and administrative staff as their treatment of students reflect their blunt attitudes.
The balance between safety and logic seems to be tipped in the wrong direction There is such a thing as excessive security, and here at LB, that term takes on a whole new meaning.