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“Bring your IDs to school…”
When students walked into the building on March 7, 2025, they were greeted with the sounds of a song that a keen ear could determine was AI generated. The lyrics were a demand for students to bring their IDs. Along with this new soundtrack, students walking the hallways spotted signs all around the school saying “Wear your IDs” and “Are You Tagged?”
The school’s push for IDs has been unrelenting, with each and every turn in the hallways having some sort of pro-ID signage. While not necessarily for the detriment of the students, the enforcement of the ID policy has been at times tedious and inconsistent. For example, some security guards and teachers will stop you in the hallway and not allow you to proceed without rifling in your bag for your ID or getting a sticker from the main office with your name on it. Though, some do not seem to take these policies seriously, and others still will let you off with a stern warning. The inconsistency of this enforcement has led many students to question the necessity of IDs.
One of the major issues with IDs is that, most of the time, they are not being used for any major immediate purpose in our school. We only scan them when getting lunch, entering the library or if we are late, meaning they do nothing but sit around our necks most of the day. Other than for security reasons, the lack of use explains why few students think that these IDs are actually needed — in their current form, they are not being used to their full potential.
One possible solution to this problem would be allowing students to scan into school only once they enter the building, and then no longer being mandated to wear their IDs at all times. For example, at the Marymount School of New York, they have a system where students would be able to scan into school, and have an image display of themselves on the side opposite the scanner. If such a system was installed at New Hyde Park, students could be verified at the door and then the need for them to wear their IDs throughout the day would cease to exist. Actually, students would not even need their IDs at all! This is since they could scan in with the Infinite Campus Student app, meaning that the process of student identification could be just a scan of a phone. However, if students were to scan in at the entrance, more entrances would have to be opened, potentially spreading security thin.
The excessive marketing around wearing IDs is another reason why people do not want to wear their IDs. Televisions, a controversial feature added to our school hallways, are being covered up with paper signs. From security guards to songs, signs and announcements, students are getting irritated about the constant reminders. Only time will tell whether these efforts will fizzle out or will redouble, and what the reaction from the student body might be.
