New measures are taking place at Lafayette to keep students safe, however they are being met with questions about their parameters and effectiveness.

Along with the new initiative against hats and hoods (which could conceal identity), two new hall monitors have been placed in the rotunda and bus foyer; substitutes who have been hired full-time. They hope it’s for the rest of the year, although the administration is still determining if they’ll keep them.

Their job is security: to monitor doors, keep them locked, and make sure the right people are coming and going. This was in response to a new initiative put in place by the superintendent, sparked by the numerous school shootings this year, the deadly Parkland Florida shooting in particular.

The new monitors have been met with mixed criticism. Some students are indifferent or like the monitors, either personally, or for the role they play. Others don’t trust the ability of a substitute to do much in the case of an emergency– after all, they’ve been educated to teach, not trained to enforce safety.

This poses further questions about school safety that will be addressed during the school walkout on March 14th. How much security is too much, how much is not enough, and where do these problems come from? Are metal detectors too far, are hall monitors enough, and how can we compromise on gun laws that uphold the second amendment while also keeping guns out of the wrong hands?