The Student Council recently approached the school administration to propose reversing last summer’s decision to eliminate lanyards.   That decision eliminated a part of the dress code policy that had been in effect for many years.  The policy required that every student wear an MC lanyard with a photo ID.  The penalty for not wearing the lanyard/ID was a 30 minute detention.

The student council originally wanted to drop lanyards because they led to many dress code violations.  Students regularly lost or forgot lanyards, while others hated wearing them around the neck and instead carried them in a pocket.

Now, the primary reason the student council wants to bring lanyards back is due to the lengthy check-out time at lunch.  When students were required to wear lanyards, it was easy to swipe the Mount Carmel ID in order to pay for lunch.  Ever since the ID’s have been carried in wallets or pockets, it has been difficult to keep the lunch line flowing at a smooth pace.

Another reason why the council wants to reestablish lanyards is the increase in lost IDs.   When the ID was attached to the lanyard, it was more difficult to lose.  Now that it is carried in a pocket or wallet, many more students seem to be misplacing the ID.

While reinstating the lanyard requirement is one possible response, the council also is exploring other options such as card holders that could be attached to the back of cell phones.

Junior Student Council Representative Luka DiFilippo pointed out that no decision has been made.

“So far we’re still debating what to do next.”

Since the solution is pending, so is the timing of any policy change.  It could be resolved by the end of the second trimester, or not until the beginning of the 2020 – 2021 school year.