“Honestly just noticed these gates randomly popping up … no warning … I don’t understand the reasoning,” Soph. Kyler Comment said.
Gates have been installed but not yet activated at both ends of the drive that connects the North and South Buildings.
The real reason these gates were put in was for the safety of the students. Principal Kristie Jernigan said, ”The gates were ultimately my idea. As a mother, and a principal, I would like to be able to limit driving access between buildings while students are transferring between buildings. The gates will be open before and after school so that people can access the athletic parking lot and buses can move to and from freely.”
Protection of the walkway is beneficial to the students walking. The staff will not feel many changes. “I don’t see this affecting me too much as a teacher. I think it could benefit the school community by providing another layer of security,” Instructor Larry DeLeon said. As a teacher who doesn’t walk, there really won’t be an effect on him. “I could see an issue if the tech (cameras, swipe cards) breaks down. It shouldn’t affect students as much; it seems the gates are only active where students should not be driving anyway. I feel the more security measures we can take the better.”.
Seeing how the gate provides security helps with the understanding of addition.“The gates are an extra safety feature that allows our students to transfer between buildings without fear of a vehicle transiting through the student area,” security member Eli Paquette said. The addition to the gates will allow students to have peace of mind while walking between buildings keeping transitions smooth.
Creating a protected transition between classes helps the students yet will be helping the security on campus as well. “The gates are beneficial to West Ottawa security because they allow more security guards to not have to stay outside watching for cars and students walking. They can now patrol more inside the building, which is better for West Ottawa as a whole. My only concern with this is that it may become a hassle for buses because they will have to wait for the gates to be opened before leaving or coming in to drop the students off,” Jr. Claire Gibson said.
All changes have potential harms. “A con of the new gates getting put in between buildings is that they prevent students and teachers from exiting in emergencies. When I was being followed by a man on his bike I found myself running to my car to get away from him. These gates could have prevented me from safely exiting and could have led me into an unsafe situation. Boundaries are important for safety but barriers are dangerous and could ultimately lead to detrimental consequences during emergencies,” a West Ottawa student said.
Many of the finer details of these gates are undecided at current time. There still could be changes.
The gates will improve the safety for students, and everyone supports that goal.
