Skip to main content.

Monday, March 31, 2008

Opinion: Spinning the Truth About the New Logan Security System


ID cards must be produced to get on Logan's
campus under the new security plan.
Courier Photo
Guest Opinion by W. Dean Cozine

This morning, March 31, 2008, I watched on channel 7’s 11 o’clock news the New Haven Unified School District’s Public Relations person place the administration’s spin for the new security system by saying in so many words that the new “security system” was intended to make the James Logan “safer”. That unless students had a safe environment, they could not learn properly.

What he did not say was whether or not there were valid reasons for the new system. He did not say that it was a response to outsiders causing a concern about safety. He did not say that faculty and students felt outsiders were making Logan unsafe and interfering with learning.

Watch KGO-TV's coverage of the new security plan. Why not? Because if he had, he would have had to tell a bold face lie. So he chose to present the District’s case by leaving what was not true - that outsiders were making Logan unsafe - appear to be true by simply not saying it was so. He will let those who watched him reach that conclusion on their own. After all most people would never believe that a school district would take such a draconic approach as Logan has without good reason. That is known as spin - putting the best face you can on something that is not really smart or good in hope that those listening will take you at face value.

The only way the District can make a case for they are doing at Logan is to spin the the story as the PR person did this morning.

W. Dean Cozine is a veteran Logan Social Science teacher.

Posted by courier at 15:59:10. Filed under: Opinion

Comments

well, to me it was alrite. i dont enjoy it like crazy, cuz i worry they r staring at me 24/7, but then i do feel safer, wen cameras come in nxt yr, that mite be more crazier with people staring at u more, but its all good. safe= safe=good!! i jus think they should keep certain doors open during passing per. cuz people need them, jus have a cst keep an eye out. and btw, people sit in rooms @ lunch upstairs, so let them walk up there, cuz i do and i dont cause trouble, others may, but i dont. thx 4 keeping it safer!! skool!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by ..bak 2 skool at Monday, March 31, 2008 18:27:16

*shudders* I feel more unsafe now because this heightened security. Before, I felt Logan was a safe place, today I'm just depressed the whole day and a bunch of other students and staff were as well. What would it take to repeal this decision; Petition? Protest? Walk-out? I think all three.

Posted by JeanZ at Monday, March 31, 2008 18:38:12

They need to open the dame gates. I can't get there later than 6:40 am and they only open one gate 7, the rest are at 7:30. I felt safer being in the warm hallway than I did today outside on H street with the sun coming up.

Posted by Rose at Monday, March 31, 2008 20:07:55

i think this causes more problems than it creates! i heard on some radio station that they think that the heightened security is cuz somone got shot at our school and thats NOT TRUE! im tired of ppl saying they feel sorry for me cuz i go to logan! logan is not a bad place! n im constantly defending it to everyone whose under the impression that us students go through a lot of violence day after day which is also NOT TRUE! this new security just worsens how we look to the community for NO APPARENT REASON!!!!!

Posted by concerned n annoyed at Monday, March 31, 2008 20:32:53

I have a zero period, so I get to school early enough to avoid the line, but I also am there waiting for a bit before I can even get on campus. This is not such a big deal, but I don't see why they can't open the gates earlier, they are on campus before I get there anyway.

Although I was able to get to class without the problem of waiting in line, many students were late to class because of it. Since it was the first day, of course there are going to be some trouble getting it started, but if it does not start to go quicker, there is going to be a problem.

I know that people felt that something had to be done to protect the students of Logan, but I do not think that this is the best solution to that. Sure this will prevent people from coming onto our campus and keep other from leaving, but this will not stop any of the violence that goes on between Logan students.

There has never been a shooting on Logan's campus that I am aware of, and making sure that only Logan students are on campus does not mean that it will prevent a Logan student from carrying a gun on with them. Then when all of the gates are locked and nobody else can get out, that Logan student can easily pull out their gun and shoot whoever they want and there is nothing this new security can do about it. It will be easier to catch a student, and it will assure that all violence is done by only Logan students, but it does not assure our safety.

I've never felt as if I was in danger at Logan, and maybe that is because I don't go looking for trouble, but I think this whole situation is over-exaggerated. Sure we could use some more security, but this seems a bit extreme. At the same time though, students are making too big of a deal about having to show IDs, I really see no problem with that part.

I think everyone should work together to find a compromising point where everyone will be happy and feel safe. I think that this should be discussed between not just the administration, but the students and teachers who actually have to go to Logan every day of the week.

Thank you Cozine for another of your opinions, they are interesting to read :)

Posted by pippy at Monday, March 31, 2008 20:57:03

I totally agree with concerned n annoyed because now all of my friends are horrified that I go to Logan. I think the media has projected our school negatively and has turned the truth about Vernon Eddins upside down.

Posted by Loganer at Monday, March 31, 2008 21:32:43

Administration, as they usually do, has taken the initiative to start a "security program" in order to maintain some sort of image. A prime example being when Logan became one of the first (and few) high schools that had police presence on campus (SROs). Here we are in 2008 and the "School Resource Officer" program is on the verge of being cut for ineffectiveness. I myself seldom ever see SROs which begs the question, "just what do they do?"

Also, there has been this whole trend of Logan Admin doing many things just to please associations such as WASC. Until 2006, Logan has strategically name the first period of the day "Period 1," giving the impression that this was part of the required school day. 2007, WASC realized that "1st Period" was in fact optional which left the school with an inadequate amount of instructional hours. The school bell schedule was amended to reach the WASC teaching hours requirement. Problem is: currently, Logan counts the 7 minute passing as "instructional time" meaning that Logan is cheating a maximum of 56 minutes a day per student (depending on their schedule).

The new security measures are more a publicity stunt than it is a strive for safety. There are approximately 5,000 students attending Logan, all of which need to enter through one of four entrances and present their ID card. That leaves approximately 1,250 students per gate (when divided evenly) which makes it unrealistic to believe that CSTs can throughly and accurately check each person entering; they are only human. Security measures that are effective can definitely be rolled out, but there is an obvious lack of thought in this executive decision.

-F A K E
"feel safe yet?"

Posted by F A K E feel safe yet? at Tuesday, April 01, 2008 00:00:53

This is whole security is a joke. I already found many loopholes to this system. I entered without my i.d. and anyone stopping me without trying.

Posted by lol at Tuesday, April 01, 2008 02:07:07

the security is dumb. someone can easily duplicate i.d. cards and just change the picture. it is also an emergency hazard. i think the school should have one of those 3rd period school forums to discuss everything. logan needs student opinions too before making all these decisions not just the admin.

Posted by meee at Tuesday, April 01, 2008 12:18:49

I frankly don't feel more or less safe in school. From what I've heard from CSTs themselves and my peers though, they think the campus is less safe because everybody that's supposed to be watching over security is now outside of campus instead of watching what's happening on the inside. But okay. Onto more relevant things.

The ID system will not work like its cousins in the corporate world unless we fully implement how it works in the real world: A computer and possibly a turnstile system. While I don't really agree with the new system, I don't really think its a prison as all these signs and graffiti over school say. I just think its really stupid. A friend of mine went over to Room 80, claimed that he didn't have his ID, he got a new one, voila! Now he has 2. And unless I'm mistaken, I don't think that the CSTs watching the entrances have a shared photographic memory.

Posted by Korezaan Su at Tuesday, April 01, 2008 13:04:56

Nope fake James logan has 3900 this year that what said Rick la Plante if u dont believe me email him And this Id thing is dumb its just going to be longer lines and more people coming in late.

Posted by ken at Tuesday, April 01, 2008 17:35:51

LOL omg the photoshop job on the Alfonso Rodriguez Jr (I think that's the name) on top of the old gym was so pathetic.

Posted by Korezaan Su at Tuesday, April 01, 2008 18:25:46

shut up everyone. be positive. this is 4 the better! you are all stupid!!

Posted by ..bak 2 skool at Tuesday, April 01, 2008 18:37:51

YOU STUPID BAK 2 SKOOL IS JUST GOING MAKE THINGS WORSE.

Posted by ken at Tuesday, April 01, 2008 20:31:14

if a teeny little plastic card with your name on it is depressing and ruining your lives this much, you must not have too much of a life to speak of.

after three days, i have yet to encounter long lines or anything people are saying is happening. however, i do think that we should have more CST's actually ON CAMPUS.

Posted by rEBECCA at Wednesday, April 02, 2008 09:50:20

Korezaan Su: Just to clarify, the image above the old gym was not added/photoshopped in. It's all old footage from maybe 5, 10, even 15 years ago. That's how it used to look. Check out the outfits on some of the students...

Posted by JLHS Alumnus at Wednesday, April 02, 2008 11:27:01

We should all try to remain positve, but i agree with cozine. do we really need this ID thing. Vernon was trying to get onto the barnard campus because he knew there was someone chasing after him. what if someone is chasing a logan student and he tries to get on campus (which should be a haven for students looking for safety) and is turned away. when i expresses my views to a classroom my teacher said this wasnt a democracy and i had to follow the rules. why cant they ask our opinion? is that hard to let the students have a voice. Do they not teach us republican virtue in school? this decision was too rash and not thought out. after a week of going through the gates i've decided it's not so much a hassle, but a constant reminder of how our live's have been upturned and flipped without our consent. WE ARE LOGAN and WE MATTER. OUR VOICE IS STRONGER THEN THEIR IRON FIST! maybe some believe that it's all worth it for the safety of the students, but i dont feel safer knowing i cant exit the school in an emergency. & I definetly dont feel safer knowing i cant do anything to stop the admin & board from changing my life and learning enviornment. if they can enforce this without our say what else is to come. how far will they go to ensure our safety? when will they stop? HOW FAR WILL THE CONSTITUTION PROTECT US. they think civil liberties mean nothing to us bc we're underage. NEVER LET ANYONE TELL YOU, YOU DONT HAVE A VOICE!! WE ALL DO.

Posted by waiting for my freedom to come back. at Sunday, April 06, 2008 15:19:37

Add Comment

 

Previous Item - Archives - Next Item