York brings back the ID scanner to enter cafeteria
January 19, 2022
As York students returned to the building for the start of the second semester, they were met with an abrupt surprise that hadn’t been seen since prior to the COVID 19 pandemic. The ID scanner to enter the lunchroom.
“It really slows down how fast we get to lunch,” junior Dakota Thibos said. “It is kind of a pain, but I understand why York needs to implement it back, no matter how annoying.”
Contrary to popular belief, the ID scan system was apparent at York years before the pandemic. Now, the system was brought back to identify where students are during lunch. The swipe into the cafe allows administrators to know that students are in the cafeteria.
“This is a system that we have had for years, but it was suspended through the first couple of Covid years,” Dean Phillip Urbanski said. “If there is an emergency and we need to know where students are or were. Just like attendance in a classroom, except there will be no tardy or unexcused absence penalties.”
This abrupt policy change caused traffic during the passing periods between lunch, as students flowed in from either side of the hallway and stairwell making their way to the cafeteria.
“I do miss how quickly we get to lunch,” Thibos said. “This mob forms when everyone tries to get into the cafe and we’re all really close together, so it is basically lose-lose whatever the school does.”
Regardless of the inconveniences, the policy provides the administration with more knowledge about where students are, which is especially crucial during this post-pandemic year. For the most part, students are flexible and will find ways to make this change a new normal.
“It feels like we are slowly getting back to normal,” junior Ava Hassler said. “Hopefully more things that York students are used to can make their way back.”