According to CNN, as of November 22nd, there have been at least 77 school shootings in the US as 2023 is coming to an end, with 50 occurring at K-12 schools. High schools across the country have responded by tightening security in many different ways.
At DePaul College Prep, the Deans of Students place a heavy emphasis on the safety of students and school security.
“Safety is number one,” says Ricardo Cotto, Assistant Dean of Students. In regards to safety, Cotto highly recommends students utilize a drawstring bag as opposed to a backpack to carry around class materials throughout the day.
However, confusion has arisen among students about the drawstring policy’s exact parameters. Some students have been told their drawstring bags were too large or “oversized” without being told the maximum size that their bag was allowed to be.
Junior Ashlyn Steensma understands the misunderstandings that students have about these policies. Even as a student government representative, she felt that the exact drawstring policy was confusing due to the student body not being told outright specific dimensions that are allowed for drawstrings.
Michael Rabideau, Assistant Dean of Students, has been working at DePaul Prep for 12 years, since it was Gordon Tech. Rabideau says that the deans have “made a point of emphasis this year to get rid of backpacks.” Both Cotto and Rabideau feel that backpacks infringe upon the safety of students.
Despite their similar thoughts about how using drawstring bags around school provides a safe alternative to backpacks for students, both Cotto and Rabideau were unaware of specific size dimensions for drawstring bags required by the bag policy. However, the handbook states that 8.5 inch by 5 inch bags (not drawstrings specifically) are allowed so students can carry around “smaller items,” perhaps adding to student confusion.
Students are also confused about the drawstring policy’s focus on type of bag rather than size for any bag regardless of type. “Drawstring bags just seem so hyper specific. I think it would have made more sense to have a bag policy that focuses on size,” Steensma says.
Other students also believe that the size, which is the real issue, according to the deans, is neglected in favor of making sure students are carrying the right type of bag. “I think it creates more issues,” said junior Liv Leydon. “They said it’s a safety concern, but it [a drawstring bag] is literally just the same size as a backpack.”
Steensma, who is in favor of the policy, also agrees that there could be more clarity, saying, “for me, it’s more of size over type thing.”
But for the deans, the main cause is safety, and they hope the policy is clear to students to help create a secure atmosphere at school.
“Large backpacks in school settings is not the best practice when it comes to security and safety. It’s the same reason why you can’t take backpacks into sporting events,” Cotto says.
