Administration's new ID policy is more than the sum of its punishments

At a glance, Blair's new ID Policy seems daunting and uncalled for. Saturday detention? For not wearing a small plastic rectangle? However, when examined more thoroughly, the administration's new ID policy is a sure step forward.

What jumps out about the new policy is the implementation of immediate disciplinary action when IDs are forgotten or not worn. According to the policy, students will have the opportunity to buy IDs from attendance secretary Roxanne Fus in the attendance office before the second bell During first block, security guards will bring temporary IDs for anyone who needs them, and students will be allowed two per quarter. Punishments for ID refractions ranging from forgetting an ID multiple times to refusal to wear an ID include calls home, parent-administrator meetings and suspension.

Generally, Blazers fall into four categories regarding IDs: the regular wearers, the occasional forgetters, the serial forgetters and those who refuse to wear them – the latter three are the ones affected by the new policy.

For people who occasionally forget their IDs and don't want to shell out $5 every time an ID is left on the counter or in another binder, the new policy is a great alternative. Instead of paying for replacement IDs that may never be used again, students can receive a free ID sticker to be worn for that day. If students do lose their IDs, they have the option of buying a new one, and saving their two temporary IDs for later.

The new policy will also help Blazers who regularly forget IDs. The third time an ID is forgotten, a parent-administration conference will be set up. Imagine what your parents would say if they had to go to school because you weren't wearing an ID!

Then there are the Blazers – a large majority of the students – who simply don't wear their IDs. Yes, ID's are a nuisance to wear, look nerdy and sometimes clash with outfits. But, whether the student body likes it or not, IDs are here to stay. In the workforce, whether you are a janitor in a hospital or the executive CEO at a large corporation, IDs are a part of the get-up. Saturday detention as a first offense is a very harsh punishment, but it's the administration's way of shedding light on the importance of wearing IDs. Although Blazers may not agree with the concept of IDs, the school administration certainly believes in them, and they are here to stay – at least for now.

Yes, the punishments are harsh. But, they are also easily avoidable. The solution is simple – wear your ID or temporary ID daily. Instead of complaining about the policy, we should summon up the energy to put on the lanyard and go about our lives as students.

In the end, rules are rules. And at school, the rule is straightforward – "wear your ID." And, if we, the student body, follow this rule, we won't need to complain about the punishments. The new ID policy seems cruel and unforgiving, but its main purpose is to help Blazers remember to bring and wear IDs daily, and possibly save $5 along the way.

Please click here for coverage of the ID policy and its history.