On top of the frenzy of schedule changes, new teachers, and renovated spaces, the introduction of the school year has come with numerous new safety precautions. From stricter guidelines emphasizing the necessity of IDs to enter the building to the keycard scanners located by every bathroom door, students couldn’t help but notice the drastic changes made to the safety measures as they walked in on the first few days of school. Yet despite the school’s additional and persistent efforts to promote safety — which also included installing an abundance of new security cameras and interior doors — students at PHS have a history of skirting these rules and regulations. Some have failed and been repealed, such as the visibly worn lanyards, but others adamantly remain despite frequent infractions, such as opening the PAC doors to people outside. But despite the back and forth from the school administration and students on which measures are necessary and which are just inconvenient, ensuring the safety of the school and those in it is a two way process that requires both following and revising.

PHS has a uniquely flexible and lenient tolerance for student freedom — more so than most, if not all, other schools in the area. But staff and administration should communicate this privilege and comparative standard to the student body to ensure the understanding that these policies aren’t unusual or overly precautionary. Conversely, administration should further listen to student voices when designing these policies. The rules may be created with good intentions, but students are the ones who experience their impact on a daily basis. Constant keycard scanning and restrictions may feel intrusive or excessive, but involving students in the conversation can lead to more effective policies that are not only followed but respected, especially as students internalize the rationale behind them.

Students should follow these guidelines, however tedious they may seem, because they’re ultimately designed to protect us from outside threats, especially as the nation experiences an increase in gun threats around school areas. In the aftermath of such an event, those who are fortunate to survive often describe a lingering fear, an urge to notice the closest exit, to get away from open windows, and a consuming paranoia. It’s easy to dismiss these rules as inconvenient when there’s no immediate threat, but safety measures are often most effective when they prevent a crisis before it occurs.

Too often, it isn’t until after an act of violence or a significant breach in security that schools reconsider their protocols. After all, no one wants their school to be remembered for what could have been avoided.