Following the tragic shooting at Oxford High School on November 30, 2021, Adams High School’s administration has implemented what they referred to as “enhanced security measures” in an effort to prevent a similar tragedy in the Rochester community.

The term enhanced security measures encompasses various changes at all high schools within the district. All of these changes, along with other security procedures, are meant to ensure the safety of students.

“Essentially, you would say it includes increased police officer presence outside of the building, safe-ed stuff – people at the main entrances – just to watch kids as they come and go, no-off campus lunch, and locked doors during instruction,” said Adams’ vice-principal, Todd Calcamuggio.

However, the execution of one change, in particular, has not gone without resentment from seniors.

Seniors usually can travel off-campus during their lunch period. However, since this has been taken away, seniors are forced to eat in the cafeteria for the first time in years. 

“It has brought me a great deal of sadness. I really miss my off-campus lunch,” said senior Jonathan Ursuy.

Senior Matthew Reed shared a similar attitude, stating, “I feel like we’re fish in a barrel, and with Omicron going around, it seems counterproductive.”

Some seniors have found a way around the restrictions, opting to have their parents call them out for lunch regardless. 

“A lot of kids leave for lunch. I’d say I get about 30 to 40 kids a day who receive lunch passes,” said Teresa Roehl, Adams’ attendance secretary.

Of course, this nullifies the entire purpose of the off-campus lunch. In an attempt to prevent this, students who leave for lunch receive an absence in their fourth-hour class. However, there are no consequences for any form of absence resulting in an ineffective deterrent measure for off-campus lunch. 

Despite various students harboring resentment towards the lunch policy, the Adams administration can do nothing about it. As a result, nobody at Adams truly knows when these measures will end. 

“The ideas come from law enforcement in collaboration with the district leadership,” said Calcamuggio. “[District leaders] haven’t given us any indication on when, specifically, this is all going to stop.”

It should be said that not all students are affected by this change. Freshmen, sophomores, and juniors weren’t allowed to leave for lunch prior to the security enhancements.

“I think that seniors should be able to leave for lunch because it’s their senior year, and the cafeteria is crowded, but, personally, I’m not affected,” said Scruggs.

“I don’t think it makes that big of a difference,” said Devlin, who is one of many seniors that do not leave campus for lunch.

Overall, these changes are just another pitch in a line of what seems like endless curveballs. The high school experience of 2022’s seniors has been entirely unique. However, because of this, it is a certainty that these seniors can handle the security measures, despite the frustration.