The dehumanization of organization

Coming in as a Sophomore from Southwest, lanyards are something I had never worn before. I knew I would have to adapt to wearing a lanyard everyday. I really didn’t want to wear one.

According to Mr. Scott, they are “simply for identification purposes. We have to know everyone who walks into our building, it’s a safety thing. There are too many weirdos out there not to keep track.” -Scott. Students are allowed to change their laryard, as long as it’s navy. Also students are more than welcome to add buttons to it. Mr. Scott has said many companies have their employees wear ID’s or badges to work, and many schools also have their staff wear one. But only 7% of schools make their students wear lanyards, according to 2015 research.

The whole reason we wear lanyards is to know everyone belongs at Har-Ber. The principles want Har-Ber to feel like a family. If you don’t know who everyone is then you can’t be family.  Even if you don’t have the student in class, kids take the same route everyday so the same kids pass the same teachers everyday.

The administration believe wearing lanyards makes us safer, so how does wearing a small piece of ribbon around our necks with an ID make us safer? If the principles really believe someone wants to get in the building then they need a security guard at each door.

I know this school is large and knowing everyone might be difficult. But at some point you begin to recognize people. Someone could easily buy a navy lanyard, a sleeve, and make an ID.

I believe the punishment for the first time of not wearing your lanyard is extreme. Sometimes you just have one of those days where nothing goes right. No one wants to come to school on Saturday after already have a rough week.

Though Har-Ber has their reasons for the lanyards, it really doesn’t make the school any safer or feel like a second home. It feels like a work place, and like I’m being tagged like a farm animal.