ID Badges Are Here to Stay

This year at IKE, the staff and administration are trying something new to make sure students are safe. Every student at IKE has to wear ID Badges. Many students didn’t know how to feel about this since IKE tried doing this last year in the very last couple of months and just gave up since no one would wear them. Well, this year, they are mandated. Now, let’s discuss why this new rule is being pushed heavily. Sadly, we’ve had a few incidents regarding gun violence and other problems, so this way, we can make sure that every student who has an ID badge is a student here at Eisenhower. If something were to happen and everyone had an ID badge, it would be easier to identify any dangerous situations and potential intruders. If someone is not wearing an ID badge, they can be questioned. We’ve had a few incidents where IKE is finding different ways to try to avoid these types of situations, like hiring more security staff and making ID badges mandatory. 

There are a couple more reasons why staff are making ID badges mandatory, and one of them is because of the bathroom passes. Last year, we had to ask if we could go and then take a vest with us to the bathroom. The issue with that was that the vests were unsanitary, and most of the time they weren’t washed. The other issue with the vest being used as hall passes was that a student could just leave with a vest and be gone for a very long time, and other students that have to use the restroom have to wait for a long time until they come back. With the new 5-star app, we have our bathroom passes time-limited so we can make sure that the student comes back on time. Now, let's discuss how some students reacted to this new rule that is being pushed here at IKE. Many students were not a fan of it, and a lot of students would just ignore this rule and not wear their ID badge. A lot of the staff were tired of reminding students to put on their ID badges, so they started to remind us more and more, and it’s safe to say that now, a majority of the students at IKE wear their ID badges at school every day. Yes, some students are still not wanting to wear their badges at school, and staff are reminding them every day, but hopefully, as the year goes by, that changes. One of the other reasons why ID badges are now mandatory here at IKE is because of the tardiness. Last year, if you were tardy, you would have to go into the office to wait in line and wait for one of the office attendants to write you a pass to class, which just takes a lot of time and it can get crowded in the office when students arrive tardy. Now, with the new ID rule and the 5-star app, we can just scan our ID and go to class; that way, we don’t have to wait for one of the attendants to give us a pass. It also makes it easier for the attendants. One of the benefits of this new ID rule is that we have the 5-star app, which the teachers can give us 5-star points, and we can buy stuff here at school! 

There are a couple of questions regarding this new ID rule, and one of them is whether this rule will be permanent. Most likely, yes, if everyone at IKE likes the 5-star app and it benefits everyone, then most likely, it will stay. Now, let’s discuss why these ID badges are important. Not only does it make it easier for bathroom passes, tardy slips, and safety reasons, but it also makes it easier for teachers to remember names and recognize students! With this new year starting, some teachers have difficulties remembering names, and so with this badge rule, teachers can remember names and students. Now let’s discuss if students are gonna continue to follow this rule or if they're gonna ignore it as the year goes by. I feel like as time goes by, students will just wear it and not really pay much attention to it. I know a lot of students were a bit confused when they heard that this rule was being heavily pushed this year, considering the fact that it was also pushed last year, and then it was just forgotten about, so there were mixed reactions about it. 

There is 1 question that is being asked, and it is why IKE is the only high school that’s pushing the new ID rule. Here in the Yakima area, Eisenhower is the only school where a shooting incident has happened, so the administrators and staff want to take more precautions and safety. Now that we’ve discussed those topics regarding the ID rule, we can discuss how you won’t be allowed to get on the city bus if you don’t have your ID! Yes, we all know that if you're a student, you won’t have to pay to get on the bus; you just have to show the bus driver your ID, and they will let you on, but if you don’t have an ID or your ID doesn’t have a picture or if it’s an old ID, they will make you get off, or you will have to pay. I think that it makes it even more important to have your ID, especially if you have to take the transit every day! Lastly, I wanna talk about how we now have staff and administrators at the front door to make sure you’re wearing your ID. If not, you will get pulled to the side, and you will have to get one if you don’t have yours with you. I think that is a great idea, especially for our safety and to make sure that everyone entering the school is either a student or staff member!