A new school year has dawned, bringing a wave of new students and changes.  Some students are brand new to the building, while others have traversed it many times before; however, with the introduction of new technology and security protocols, Massapequa High School has been a new experience for all students, including seniors and faculty.

With continued security threats at schools across the nation, MHS has innovated its security protocols with intent of further securing its students.  Entrance into the building has been limited for students and other visitors.  According to MHS principal Dr. Barbara Williams, students will be required to enter through the center of the building after returning from lunch and out periods in order to better monitor the people in the building, while visitors will be asked to enter solely through the main entrance so they can be properly checked in. Students will also be told to exit through the gym or front entrances so they will not interfere with the students entering from the center lobby doors.

“Open campus is a lifestyle which we do not wish to change, so we do this to minimize risks,” Dr. Williams said.

Secondly, students have been given IDs which must be worn throughout the day, a change that will be hard for some students, especially juniors and seniors. “We know this may be a difficult change, so we will give students time to get acclimated,” Dr. Williams said.

With the students properly identified in conjunction with the badges for faculty and visitor passes, monitors and other faculty are able to pinpoint who is not checked in or who is not supposed to be in the building.

Some students, such as senior Brandon Gordon, have accepted the new wave of security protocols.  “It helps staff identify who belongs in the school and who doesn’t belong in the school,” Brandon said.

However, many students have not been well receptive to the lanyards and new school protocol.  Many students, such as senior Andrew Bernardi, understand its purpose but feel they are being unnecessarily overused.  “We shouldn’t have to wear them in the halls.  As long as all doors are being monitored, no uninvited people will be in the building,” Andrew said.

Students have also expressed their distaste of the lanyards through the Twitter account, MHS Lanyards.  This account is not only meant for some laughs;  it also retweets complaints from MHS students and alumni regarding these lanyards and expresses doubts about the security provided by the lanyard.  One picture posted on this account shows James Eagan Holmes, gunman in the Aurora Movie Theater Shooting in Colorado in 2012, with a Massapequa High School lanyard and a caption saying, “NAH HE’S GOT A LANYARD LET HIM IN,” which raises questions about the protection that the lanyards provide.

However as one looks at the new lanyards and IDs, he or she must understand that they are in an infantile stage and they are not fully developed. Dr. Williams has more ideas for the lanyards and IDs than for them to simply be security tools.  Each ID card has a barcode on them, which Dr. Williams hopes could be used as a convenience aspect for students.  These barcodes would be used to enter the building and even check out library books.  You could call it an all-access pass to what the school has to offer.

Aside from the new lanyards, Dr. Williams has explored new outlets of making information available.  Recently, Massapequa High School created a Twitter account along with Guidance Chairperson Mr. Paul Weber to make information easily accessible to the student body. “We try to adapt to the students,” Dr. Williams said.

Along with changes to the inner workings of the building, Massapequa High School will also soon be experiencing physical changes as well.  Science labs will be getting a facelift in the coming years as Dr. Williams hopes to bring the science labs to university levels and the 21st century.

The only things that seem to not be changing in the high school of tomorrow are the classes.  Even with a lower enrollment in the school district, Dr. Williams does not foresee a significant change in class size; instead, some classes may not be in session one year due to low enrollment, which is nothing new to classes like AP Computer Science A and SCALE Business Law, since both have had fluctuations in student enrollment over the years.

Even as Massapequa High School enters a new age of technology and security, it still will not be one hundred percent safe. Tomorrow will always bring forward a new today and Massapequa High School will undergo changes again and again as time goes on.  However, how the school adapts to these changes helps minimize risk, which is the goal of Dr. Williams and everyone involved at the high school.