Over the past few weeks, the words “doors,” “alarms,” and “intruders” have been echoing through the halls.  The loud ringing of newly installed door alarms is an all-too-common occurrence, much to the chagrin of teachers in the A and B wings.  Students must trudge around the school to the front doors longing for the days when they walked a mere fifty feet from their mom’s car on Ridge to the door next to the Foreign Language wing. Security at Schreiber is tighter than ever. Even so, an intruder still made it past the guards, through the front doors, and into the school cafeteria recently.

Some might argue that despite the ramped-up security, determined intruders will always be able to find their way into the school.  But in this post-9/11 generation, where national security and school shootings are constantly headline news, how can we afford to be lax about the security of our school and the safety of students?

It may be slightly more annoying to walk farther in chilly weather to get into school, but this does not negate the importance of implementing stricter security measures.

“Personally, I think that the safety regulations are overall beneficial for the entire school community,” said senior Sameer Nanda.  “While it may seem like a hassle at first glance, I think in the long run, when students are safe from intruders, it will be truly helpful and successful.  Furthermore, in this day and age there has been a dramatic increase in the amount of violent, hostile teenagers who are trying to break into schools for whatever reason; so by establishing and enforcing such stringent rules, students are actually guarded from such looming threats.”

The recent failure of the school’s security system to prevent an intruder from entering should not discourage future efforts to protect students or convince the student body that the increased security measures are “unnecessary” or “annoying.”  It should motivate the Schreiber faculty to more closely examine what failed to prevent the intruder from entering the school and to subsequently formulate a plan to thwart future intrusions.

“Though the school’s security may be ineffective at the moment, I appreciate the effort the school put in,” said sophomore Jordan Greenblatt.

If, at some point, when the door alarms or security guards prevent a bomber or serial killer from entering the school, Schreiber students and faculty will no doubt be thankful that the school had the foresight to anticipate such an intrusion.