Should Landrum Have Student ID Cards?

Mary Kate Reynolds and Hayden Bradshaw


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It’s Thursday afternoon, and everyone is in the lunch line. It’s taking forever, as student after student goes through and tries to put their lunch numbers into the machine. Sometimes the numbers don’t work, sometimes kids buy stuff with other numbers, and most of the time it just takes forever. However, this problem could be fixed if Landrum got student ID cards. Everything would be moving smoother not only in the cafeteria, but in the media center, classrooms, and buses as well. On the contrary, the cards would be difficult to replace, and they could get taken by other students.

Additionally, student ID cards are exactly how they sound. They are small cards with every student’s picture and information on them. First of all, they are generally sold for five dollars, and, as mentioned before, you can scan them in the cafeteria and on the bus. You can also use them to get discounts at local restaurants and culture centers. Unfortunately, if you lose them, they are difficult to replace.

As a result of this conflict, teachers at the school gave their opinions about having student IDs. Most of the teachers are strongly in favor of using student IDs, but Mr. Player addresses some appropriate concerns about having them. “I’m not a big fan of the idea. They could be helpful, but what’s the purpose of having them? I think more students would end up not having them, but they would need to. And of course they would have to keep them around their necks so they won’t lose them. If they do lose them, then we will start needing consequences.”

On the other hand, Ms. Umlauf, Ms. Melnyk, and Ms. Christine all think that the IDs are an amazing idea. In the media center, you could use the IDs to sign in instead of having to write it all out on a sheet of paper. You can also use them to check out books and laptops. As mentioned earlier, they can help out in the cafeteria as well. They could help the lunch line move faster, and students won’t be able to use each other’s numbers because each card has their picture on it. Ms. Christine really likes the idea and has wanted to get the ID cards for a long time. “They would help me out tremendously! They will also prepare you guys for high school!” Since students will have to use student IDs in high school, they might as well get head start and use them now.

In addition, Dr. Gates is more of a maybe for the student IDs. He likes the idea, but he knows that students will probably leave them at home or lose them.

“If students could remember them then things would definitely run smoother,” explained Dr. Gates. Therefore, getting students IDs would be a matter of what is best for the students. The IDs would be costly and hard to replace, but if students had them, things may be easier to run.

As a result, students were allowed to give their opinions on having student ID cards. Random sixth, seventh, and eighth-grade students said what they thought about student IDs. Valentine Millan, a sixth-grader at Landrum said that Landrum should not get student IDs because “people could steal them.” Valentine definitely makes a fair point, so rules would probably have to be enforced in order to make sure that the IDs are being used the right way and by the right people.

In general, students and teachers are on the fence about having student ID cards at Landrum. Although a majority of the students thought there should be student IDs at Landrum, there are pros and cons to consider about having them. They could be something that would change the school forever, in a good or bad way. So, it’s up to the students and teachers to decide, and maybe one day, it will happen.