After many school shootings around the country, I wonder, should metal detectors be allowed inside schools? Can we add more security or add a metal detector to the school at the main entrance of both buildings? As the nation responds to yet another act of school violence, students at Montclair High School discussed what we can do to make things better.

“Yes, because we never know what could happen if someone is getting bullied and wants to do something,” Jayden Purnell said. Purnell went on to discuss the inclusion of clear book bags as a safety precaution in schools.

South River Public Schools in New Jersey require students to wear a clear book bag for security purposes. People could have a weapon in their bag, which can be used to harm others.

“Not everyone likes that, Olivia Monderoy said about the clear book bag solution. While we were talking, the conversation about school appropriate clothes and uniforms came up.

Males and females have been dress coded for revealing too much skin, Monderoy said, so uniforms could be the best alternative for everyone to wear the same thing. Perhaps different colored shirts for each grade could help identify the different grades levels.

Purnell disagreed. “No, because I feel like we should have freedom of speech by expressing that through our clothes and expressing ourselves through our clothes.”

In other schools, the security guard count is higher, and people feel safe. When security guards are around, students and staff feel like they cannot get bullied. Some students agreed with this sentiment.

“Yes, because if we have more security, more people would get stopped for doing stuff they’re not supposed to do,” one student said. “If they were there it would be a better atmosphere for people who don’t feel safe.”