What's up with these gates??
Jazmin Lopez-Cruz
Apr 7, 2024
Have you noticed something new? Like the menacing brand-new gates around the school. People are always asking, “Why now though?” Safety. Ensuring safety is a top priority for all parents, teachers, and students. From keeping children and pets secure to preventing unsanctioned access to places, the importance of gate safety cannot be overdone. Having gates at a big school like Seaside High offers several benefits. It controls access to the premises which helps prevent unauthorized individuals from entering. Gates can help manage the flow of students during busy times such as pickups and dropoffs. Seaside High School has been planning to put them up for a while but has just added them.
Over 2 years in the process, from getting permits, to creating budgets, and to making everyone aware, I sat down with Aaron Sanders, the principal of Seaside High, and Stephen Vasquez, Athletic Director at Seaside, to ask them questions to further our understanding (as students) of the new gates. Students have been wondering if there would be any changes with lates, drop-offs, and pickups. “It's going to work about the same, though the gates will only be accessible from the inside and all dropoffs and pick-ups will be at the front office. What it means is when students are late they will get their late pass then go to class, acting like a check-in point,” said Sanders. It will be a better and more efficient way for all to be safer when coming in late that way they get to the destination needed.
It has been a fast-paced project that many were shocked about including teachers. “Teachers were aware but at the time, we thought they would be going up around October. It took longer to get the permits and designs but they did go up pretty fast, even I was surprised. It got to the point where I had only gotten a couple of update posts like a ParentVue message sent,” said Sanders when asked.
Not only did I want the staff's opinions but the students too. I asked Patricia Cavero, a junior at Seaside High, about her thoughts on the gates. “I see all the benefits of this project though I do feel like it is going to be harder on student drivers when coming in to park and leave, especially ones with open periods. It's going to be a huge adjustment for everyone but eventually, I am sure it'll come together,” Cavero said. Carina Casissa, an English teacher at Seaside shared her input. She said, “I feel like students associate the fences with a prison and feel that it is less of a positive environment and free space to exist in. I feel like students see the fence as a threat instead of something to keep them safe. From my perspective though, I have a classroom with all windows, and if that fence doesn't exist my students are not safe if someone comes on campus.”
Ultimately, It has been a huge project in the making and while many carry concerns it's important to know all the positive impacts behind these gates.
