We live in a time of ignorance, arrogance, and violence. All three attributes work together to create an uneasy atmosphere where our fellow humans can be dangerous, unaware of the consequences to their actions, or adamant on ignoring the situations we should be prepared for. During these times, having strong school security is more important than ever. South has been operational since 1928, that being said, there are many security advancements that have been put in place over the years.
Security measures that are well known to current students actually stem from more recent developments. Assistant Principal Cynthia Parravano explains that when she was in high school, South wasn’t nearly as equipped as it is now. With specialized latches on exterior and interior classroom doors that are kept locked at all times, and the secured vestibule, it is easy to control when and where visitors may enter the building. Surprisingly though, South hasn’t always had hall monitors either. Although many students may only view them as the “hall pass police”, they actually play a crucial role with security and communication.
“They are checking all of our doors, so they’re ensuring that we’re safe and secure,” Parravano said. “If there’s a medical incident, they’re helping us respond. They’re kind of like our eyes and ears in the hall. They’re doing the checks of the doors, the checks of the bathroom. When there’s a fire drill, they’re sweeping the halls. So they’re there as an added layer of security, but they’re not in the sense of the term security.”
Due to South’s historical structure, there are an unusual amount of doors leading into the building, which is less than ideal in modern times. Over the summer, improvements like replacing old locks and reinforcing glass windows to insure they are safe and harder to break were added. Nevertheless, some students, like Tess Hodges ’25, remain uneasy and emphasize the importance of trained personnel.
“I feel like there are some things that are kind of questionable,” Hodges said. “I’ve always heard that the doors kind of get stuck. That’s why they say you shouldn’t prop the doors open and why you should only go out the secure vestibule. That’s an attempt, but it’s not very enforceable.”
South is lucky enough to be in close proximity to three local law enforcement offices: the Farms, City and Park. Furthermore, South has recently received funding from the state of Michigan for a school resource officer to increase the safety of the building. As an officer for the Grosse Pointe Farms police department for over a decade, Officer Jim LaBeau is now an essential addition to South’s team thanks to the state funding. From a young age being a school resource officer has been his dream job, and now he is eager to work with students and staff and ensure their safety.
“I am a resource,” LaBeau said. “I think South already does a really good job of keeping the building secure. I’m kind of just that added bonus. I’m the first line of defense if something was to happen. Even last year when I wasn’t here, if a crime was to happen at a school, a police officer would automatically get dispatched here to take care of it. I’m basically the one that takes care of it [situations at South] and I’d do the full investigations. I’m the first line defense, and then the lead investigator for the school.”
All teachers go through a process called Atlas Training where they are taught how to defend themselves and students in the event of a threat. Throughout the year, LaBeau will be guiding teachers through certain drills that will keep the classroom environment safe. Regardless of the security preparations, both LaBeau and his colleague Detective Derek Lazarski emphasize that the number one most important principle is if you see something, say something. The trust between students and administration is imperative to the universal safety of the school.
“Everybody needs to help,” Parravano said. “Everybody needs to make sure when you’re going out a door, the door closes behind you. Everybody needs to make sure when they’re going out a door, an adult is not trying to come in. And I know that’s really hard for a kid to say, ‘you have to go through the secured vessel.’ I know that’s tough, but we need to make sure that doors are closed and people are not coming in right when they shouldn’t be.”
Both officers and Parravono recognize that there is always room for security improvement, and as times advance, so will security. LaBeau and Parravano emphasize that it’s important that students feel safe and the longstanding traditions at South are held in place as they navigate security protocols. Parravano expresses her distaste for metal detectors because it changes a student’s emotional outlook, and LaBeau discusses prioritizing keeping an open campus lunch while still being safe.
Veteran teachers at South have witnessed the gradual change in security measures. English teacher Sandra McCue, a Grosse Pointe educator since 2002, has been around to see a lot of changes, including tragedies from other schools, as her cousin was attending Oxford High School the day of the shooting.
“I think that there’s been a lot of pressure on the schools to create a safe environment for students, and I think that, in a way, that’s sort of unfair,” McCue said. “Because I think all of society should be responsible for the kinds of things that tend to make schools unsafe these days. Maybe we need to have that conversation, and pay attention to that as well.”
