Effects on Park

According to principal LaNisha Paddock, the newly enforced safety precautions are not only to ensure security, but also to make sure students are in the classroom. 

“We were struggling as adults in thinking about what a learning community looks like and (how) to really maximize instruction and the safety and security in the building,” Paddock said. “We have to be very careful in how we hold students to high expectations as far as maximizing instructional time and also who has access to our buildings.” 

For english teacher Lindsey Meyer, events such as the Uvalde shooting in Texas of 2022 have influenced the establishment of these security measures.  

“Last year — at various points of the year — especially what was happening in the world, and specifically I remember the shooting in Texas. It made us all look at the building and really want to make it secure for our students and for our staff,” Meyer said. “I’m feeling this year (that) there have been efforts made to make the building more secure.” 

For school resource officer Maurice Smith, the impact of security relates back to student’s holding one another accountable.

“For me, it’s having all hands on deck. As an example, if you’re a sophomore and juniors are (saying), ‘Hey, don’t do this, don’t do that,’ eventually, you’re going to be like, ‘Okay, if my peers are doing something the right way, I’ll end up following them,” Smith said. “Compared to adults constantly being like ‘Stop doing this, stop doing that. Coming from your peers, it’s different.”

Although Park has adapted in order to protect students, teacher Alexander Polk said that ultimately, gun control nationwide is a far more prevalent issue. 

“It concerns me that money is more important to lawmakers than student safety and well-being. It’s not necessarily anything from last year that has impacted me so much as the continued status quo and not taking things seriously,” Polk said.