On April 23, the new Door Entry Control System was activated. The security system consists of buzzers on the main entrance and the jock lobby.

Doors are locked at 7:20 a.m., after school begins, students must buzz in to enter the building. Students who arrive late or leave the campus during school hours must be buzzed in to reenter the building, then report to the attendance office to sign in.

Many students dislike the new security system because it is used are usually used in elementary and middle schools and they feel that once they begin high school they have built enough trust to access the building without a teacher or adult with them.

Some students who have classes located in the modulars or trailers are annoyed that they are locked out during their period. Doors are unlocked in between classes.

“The new school security system is really arbitrary,” junior Alan Vargas said. “If I’m late, the process of going through the main office and wasting time getting the pass, especially since both my morning classes are in the opposite side of the building, demotivates me to even show up for class at all.”

Many students do not like the new rules that have been enforced this year. For example, students must leave the building by 2:45 p.m. if they do not have a pass or are with a teacher.

Safety and security in public places such as schools is becoming a huge issue since the rise of school shootings in the past decade. Ever since the Sandy Hook shooting, schools across the nation have been increasing their safety measures.

A few students are not bothered with the installation of the security system. Some feel safer with the knowledge that unauthorized people do not have access inside the building.

“It’s not really affecting me, but I heard it’s affecting my friends because they’re late to school and it’s really annoying because they have to go to the main office,”  sophomore Rida Fatima said. “I think it’s good; it prevents people from skipping school.”

Some students are questioning how secure the school really is with the new security system.

“I don’t really notice it because I am always here early and it does not really affect me. I don’t feel any more safe because if a person intends to do something bad, they’ll be able to get inside anyways,” junior Victoria Park said.

AHS has not encountered any big problems with the new security system.

“It seems to be running pretty smoothly, just getting used to the new system,” Principal Vincent Randazzo said. “We had to do a repair on door number six last week, but that was taken care of really quick, and basically it’s just getting used to the new system.”

The new buzzers are here to stay and students just have to get familiar with the new system.

“I am sure that it’s pretty tough on kids to have to come in entrance one if they are late for school; that’s something kids are going to have to get used to,” Randazzo said.

No complaints about the new system have been reported.

“So far its been in for a week and a half now, and we haven’t had any incidents.”