By Divya Rana ‘21 and
Armando Martinez ‘19

On February 14, a vicious gunman opened fire at a high school located in Parkland, Florida, leaving 17 dead and forcing other students to hide and run for their lives. Law enforcement officials found the suspect to be a former student at the high school who had been expelled, nineteen year old Nikolas Cruz.

Students that were hiding in closets and classrooms were left scarred and traumatized, worrying about their safety.
In 2018, 17 school shootings have occurred in the United States prior to the Parkland massacre. People worry that the situation might get worse if communities, schools, and the government do not do something to ensure their safety. Methods that are being brought up are gun control and safety precautions, school security, and mental health counseling for troubled teens.

Authorities also found indicators on social media about the shooting that led them to realize that some students were aware of the possible warning but chose to brush it off and ignore it. As students, it is important to do your part. If you see something, say something because schools cannot afford to have their students and staff to get harmed at the cost of an individual’s silence.

Passaic High School is notorious for its lengthy and erratic morning checks which consist of a casual bookbag check and a quick pass with a metal detecting wand. It has been a way of detecting anything strange and alerting the security guards early in the morning about anything that is out of place. Events like the shootings in the United States have led to the school staff members and administrators to warn students at PHS to keep their eyes and ears open during school hours for suspicious or out-of-place students.

Mr. Lungren, ninth grade assistant principal at PHS works with security staff everyday. When asked about his opinions on student safety, Lungren stated, “I believe in the same things I always felt, that is not going to change. You look at a test, see a 100 and a good student will find something to do better next time and someone who scored a 90 would also do the same. [My advice to the school is] to pay attention because nothing can go well if you aren’t safe. This high school has several security teams that review policies and work closely with the police on a daily basis to ensure that everyone feels safe.”

To ensure the safety of students does not only call for random morning checks, but to look out for any predators that roam the halls. It is important that Passaic High School addresses these situations with the student body, not only after the recent shootings that have occurred, but with other situations that have significantly impacted the school community.