On the morning of February 1st, students across Morton West High School rushed to open their lockers as the new policy clearly was being implemented. As some students entering their classrooms were stopped and told to put their coats in their lockers. Students that did not yield to the rules, were escorted by security to the Deans office or written up.

Following a weapon being recovered on campus in December, the school administrators sought to improve student safety by strengthening security measures such as metal detectors, random searches, and new locker regulations. Although this policy was created solely for the purpose of student safety, some students have differing opinions on this new policy. 

Sophomore Antonio Perez, shares his thoughts about the new policy,  “It doesn’t bother me that much, it’s not as serious as some people put it out to be.” Perez has been using his locker before the policy was applied, making it easier to get stuff in and out of his locker quickly. This allowed him to fit more stuff into his backpack, such as books or more folders without having a jacket fill up the backpack space.

However, this was not the same for all students. With Morton West having a mix of old lockers compared to new lockers, some students face some complications while trying to open their lockers. Senior Kimberly Arroyo opposes the locker idea.  “I don’t like it, because it is a waste of time to use a locker over a sweater, especially since you can just put it in your bag.” With Arroyo’s  locker located in the old side of the building, in the D-Hall donut, some of the locks are difficult to access due to some rust or problems with the lock turning.

As Morton West continues enhancing its security, how some students will react is uncertain. According to Karla Flores, a Spanish teacher, “With most of my students complaining, I don’t expect all to follow the policy, but as a teacher, it is still part of our job to enforce it.” Flores also adds, “In order for students to have a place to put their hoodies/jackets without having to carry them around.”