Do you feel safe at Central? Our school recently received a new security system, and the Central Digest has mixed opinions about it. With events such as the shooting this past summer, we can understand why the county wants to be extra cautious when it comes to the safety of its students.

“Safety is a top priority at Central. The administration should always be cautious and prepared for anything, but [we] shouldn’t be living in fear,” shared junior class president Jared Eddy.

The new system is supposed to help monitor who enters the building with an automatic lock on each outside door along with new cameras around the school. Throughout the first couple of weeks, the Digest found many frustrated students and faculty locked outside the front door in the mornings and in between class changes. Although it does keep strangers out, once the bell rings and the doors lock shut, students are also stranded outside unless they have a special hall pass from a teacher. This new system is meant to encourage students to not be tardy to their classes, but it appears to be creating more problems rather than solving them.

Unfortunately, the portables around the main building have not acquired the update.

“I think it is great that student safety is such a high priority here [at Central], but it would benefit the students to have keypads on the doors of the portables,” stated Evelyn Anderson, a math teacher at Central located in Portable 4.

Some students believe that this new addition was a waste of money because there are many large windows around the school that intruders could easily break into.

“I don’t think it was a great way to spend money on our school,” stated senior Nicole Long.

The Digest is sad and ashamed that we live in a world where even schools full of children are practically forced to these extreme measures to protect those inside. On the other hand, we are grateful that the county provided the funds needed to try to make our school a safer place for everyone in the building.