With the start of a new school year, also comes the beginning of new sets of rules, regulations, and an attempt to enforce them. This cycle is seen year after year, and Chapin High School is no exception.

The ID policy is the most enforced rule at Chapin High School.  Students are required to have an ID on from 8:25 am-3:45 pm. After all, most discipline referrals and detentions have something to do with ID referrals.

A common observation can be made year after year on the ID policy. It is tightly enforced at the beginning of the year, then slacks off significantly as the year progresses. Occasionally, there is a renewed attempt to start enforcing this again, but after four years of witnessing it, no change has been made.

One of the privileges most students take for granted is a safe campus. However, not every student said they feel safe or welcome at Chapin High School.

Luke Meetze, a Senior at Chapin High School said, “I am one of the many students who has been given detention for IDs. But I see all the time underclassmen throwing food at lunch, writing rude gestures with chalk outside, and teachers on duty care more about enforcing things insignificant compared to other problems that are rampant at the time.”

Maya Brown, a Sophomore at Chapin said, “They(students) throw boxes of food, trays, and anything they can get their hands on at us. No teachers intervene because they are too busy caring about IDs. IDs are important, but not over our safety.”

Such safety concerns may still be unknown among administration.  “I was unaware of the safety concerns taking place at school. I can understand students think of IDs as a lesser offence, and the other things need to be addressed, but not necessarily above IDs,” said Roger Mize, a teacher at Chapin. “Additionally, is administration even aware of these problems?”

Some students say there is inconsistency with teachers and administrators not enforcing severe problems and safety concerns, and caring more about busting students for IDs. 

“It seems that teachers and administrators do focus on issues that are minor and either ignore or don’t see the more major problems,” said Micah Bagley, a Senior at Chapin.

Major studies show the an increase of power and authority could also be a reason that some people are being written up for ID violations.  “But studies also show that once people assume positions of power, they’re likely to act more selfishly, impulsively, and aggressively,” said Dacher Keltner, Ph.d, in a study about power and authority. “They have a harder time seeing the world from other people’s points of view.”

Luke Meetze went on to say, “I have been hit with milk at lunch, and I don’t even feel safe sitting there in peace anymore. It’ll probably be rocks eventually.”

In addition, students say they feel teachers are simply enjoying their power to write students up while not caring about actual safety concerns, which are sailing over their heads in the forms of milk cartons, literally. 

Victoria Richey, a Senior at Chapin, also had similar thoughts. “I’ve seen more teachers give detention for not having an ID on than any other issue. Even the best students get in trouble daily for something so minor as forgetting an ID in their cars, including me.”