This school year, Malden High is determined to make changes to ensure students and staff are in a safe environment. One of those changes made during the new school year, is the new status of Senior Privileges. Principal Chris Mastrangelo
officially announced this at the beginning of the year.
Superintendent John Oteri stated that after he came to Malden High, “after one of the the most horrific school shootings [in Parkland], there was a real effort on school to tighten up their campuses and keep the schools safer.” He explained that as the world becomes more dangerous, administration has “had to look at way in which
[they] keep students” safe and keep outsiders from getting into the school.
Oteri shared that when he was here at Malden High (Class of 1982), they had an open campus especially during his “first two years because the cafeteria was not built yet.” He explained that at the time, they did not have to worry about precautionary safety measures, “but nobody ever thought of school shootings, there was no such thing as a lock down or a shelter in place.”
Class of 2018 Advisor Katherine Haskell stated that since “kids [were] taking advantage of [senior privileges] and were leaving a lot, even when they [were not] seniors or [did not] have senior privileges, it made it so that [they could not] keep track of the students.” Haskell shared that growing up she never had any form of senior privileges and she was surprised when she first came to Malden High. She explained that she and fellow teachers saw this decision coming, and how they tried to figure out a system where they could keep track of students who leave and enter the building, but it just did not work out.
Class of 2019 Advisor, Rebecca Corcoran was also not surprised when it was announced that there would no longer be senior privileges, because “they have been talking about it for the last couple of years.” Corcoran believes that “some form of senior privileges will be returning in the future.” She further explains that she thinks that the school will figure out some way to have some kind of senior privileges “versus taking everything away from the seniors who have worked towards getting [them].”
Corcoran thought that one of the major pros to having senior privileges was that “it gave students something to work for, since [they] needed a certain attendance rate, and [no] behavior issues” which really motivated students, and rewarded them for their accomplishments. Although, she agreed with the school in that “it’s a safety risk to have [students] outside the building [...], and it’s been well documented that underclassmen were [...] taking advantage of the system.”
Senior Class President, Mattheus Farias stated that at first he was extremely disappointed because he had waited all those years in high school for senior privileges. But, “later on [he] looked at it in the eyes of the administration and thought it was reasonable given the situation our country is in regarding school safety.” Farias explained that in the direction our society is shifting in, “the fun and games need to be reevaluated so that students and workers are safe.”
Like many seniors, Johanna Kruckenberg and Paige Pimental have been looking forward to having senior privileges. Kruckenberg stated that one of her “motivations to stay in school, and not skip classes, and not sneak out, is because [she] wanted to have senior privileges.” Kruckenberg also explained that students being able to leave school property was not only a “safety issue but also an attendance as well” but that banning senior privileges is not the solution to these issues. She believes that “it helps with safety, but it’s not the answer to safety, [...] there is no way of keeping a school completely safe.”
Pimental said that she was angry about the decision “because there was no discussion with the students beforehand. [They] had no voice, [and] no opinion in the matter.” She explained that she thinks “there will always be kids who break the rules and more safety issues will arise and this [will not] be effective for very long.” Pimental also mentioned that Mastrangelo said that “the privilege of [going] in late or leaving early for a study may be given back depending on [their] conduct in the next semester.”
Similarly, senior Shataeya Smith said that senior privileges “are a good way to show students life outside of school” but during the school day. Smith stated that she and many other seniors “would be willing to compromise with administration to come up with a system to make it easier for students to check in or sign in and out.” She explained that she thinks that “if something is taken away, students are going to find a way to [change] that.” Smith also shared that many underclassmen were leaving school property as well, but she believes it was because it was never addressed to them, and they were never told that these privileges were strictly for seniors only.
Pimental stated that last year, senior privileges quickly became a safety hazard, “they were given cards that [they] were required to wear in order to exit and enter the building.” After a month, students lost their cards and began to sneak in through doors opened by their friends.
