The single, most frightening sound that a student can hear in the morning: the metal detectors going off. Bag check is something that every student has to go through regardless of whether they take the bus, carpool, drive, or even dual enrollment classes. With its method changing over time, bag check has always been a requirement within the district. The goal, however, has not. Bag check has served, and continues to serve, as a method of maintaining school security and a safe learning environment for North Atlanta students. Nevertheless, despite having a positive aim, students view it as a negative and cumbersome task in the mornings rather than an effective safety measure.
Two years ago, the bag check at North Atlanta got an upgrade. The Evolv metal detectors (the same system that Mercedes-Benz Stadium uses) were known to be more effective than the previous systems, picking up items that pose a threat rather than random objects that happen to have an ounce of metal in them. It was expected to move students through efficiently and make bag checks a less irritating morning task. Since the upgrade, lines have become straighter and the bag check process has become more organized. However, that does not dismiss the fact that students have still reported – on multiple occasions – that objects such as kiddy scissors, tin foil, and laptop chargers will set off the alarm, and will do so on an inconsistent basis. “One time someone had to stop me 10 times to find scissors in my bag,” said Junior Isabella Perez-Ortiz. “They were hard to find and they were kiddy scissors, something not dangerous and on the supply list for some classes.”
The freshmen class, still new to the school, have some additional opinions on the bag check system. With students starting at a new building, there is no doubt that there are going to be some differences. Sutton Middle School had one entrance for students to go through, regardless of how they came to school. At North Atlanta, there are two separate places for car riders and buses. While students did undergo bag checks at Sutton, they have noted that North Atlanta’s is very different. “Here, it takes a lot longer to get into the building,” said freshman Jean-Luc Kahyat. “Even with an advanced security system, it doesn’t make my mornings any more enjoyable.”
Principal Douglass, and other administrators, have come on the announcements several times to address the concerns that students, and even some teachers, have about it. They understand that it is frustrating and are trying to make the system more efficient. “We understand it is a lot of movement and the last thing that people want to do in the morning, but bag check is not going anywhere,” said Douglass.
Bag check is here to stay, but will it get better or worse throughout the year? Only time will tell.
