Talking about security as a priority may seem repetitive for students of a school, but it holds a lot of value in a community. Being in Washington D.C., Gonzaga College High School essentially lives near dangerous situations. Recently, they handled a safety scare very well by spotting it early and taking action immediately. The fact that the school works hard to protect its students quite often goes unnoticed.
No matter the threat, the resources at Gonzaga seem to always be presented in the best fashion. Mr. Robert Churchwell, dean of students, describes security best when he talks about the community and resources.
“When I was here, […] before we were fully gated, [we were] wide open, like literally. Eye Street was a street where cars could drive up and down, and people walked up and down. So it’s changed quite a bit. You see we have the gate all the way around. We have the underground parking, which people have to pass by the security,” Mr. Churchwell said. “Officer Bailey sits down there most of the time. We have several cameras throughout campus, exterior and interior cameras, and then we have full-time security on campus every day. We have armed security every day and evening as well. And then, you know, we have trusted adults in the building, who you know, that do a good job and play their part.”
Without a doubt, like with everything, there’s room for improvement. Without change, Gonzaga will fall behind. Newer technology, such as more gates and cameras, will benefit the future of Gonzaga’s security, but it’s hard to know when that will come. As of now, the school is pretty advanced when it comes to resources for safety; most of the time students don’t take time to appreciate these little things.
“We tell you guys all the time and you see something, say something,” Mr. Churchwell said.
The officers, who do an outstanding job protecting the school every day, do not receive enough credit for playing such a role in student safety. Without them, there would be a discomfort when a school community should be a place where students feel safe. Not only do they deserve credit, because the community as a whole also does a spectacular job with watching, and as Mr. Churchwell said, seeing something and saying something.