After months of anticipation, student identification cards have arrived at Sanderson. Yellow lanyards are worn  around the necks of all Sanderson students — well, maybe not all. The main goal of these I.D. cards is to promote school safety at Sanderson. The need for precautionary measures has become apparent in today’s world as school shootings going on around the country threaten our right to learn in a safe environment.

The lanyards and locked doors at Sanderson have already gotten strong push-back from students. With the doors locking at random times, getting to class on time is more difficult than ever before. The building is supposed to be unlocked during transitions, but that is not always the case. Students were told not to hold doors open for others or to let people in if someone is locked out, but this continues to happen. It also forces the locked out students to walk to the front of the building and be let in there. The time spent walking around the school is taking away from valuable learning time, and it may turn into a larger issue in the future with kids skipping class.

Another issue with the badges is actually getting students to wear them. Some students refuse to wear the lanyards because of the bright yellow color, while other students just don’t see the point of having them. Students will not truly see the benefit of these until an actual situation occurs, and the new system is used to stop someone dangerous in the building.

Wake County had good intentions when they decided to make I.D. badges, but it’s proving to be a hard transition. As time passes, Sanderson’s administration will need to decide if the benefits of these cards outweigh the negative effects.