  My sister recently finished eighth grade. This is a yearbook picture of her school's 4-H Club. My sister's not in the club (and, fittingly, not in the picture).
Still, this picture struck me for the students' appearances. Notice that every single one of them dutifully wears their uniform and ID as if they were in the deepest levels of NORAD. Guess there's much more going on at those livestock shows than I thought... urlLink test shot 2&nbsp; urlLink I don't understand the point of having to wear ID cards and school uniforms. Administrators say that it's to foster a sense of security and to ease anxiety over clothing choices. Come on, does anyone really doubt that these kids are bona fide students and are not, in fact, criminals? Would keeping non-students out (the purpose of wearing IDs) have affected a thing at Columbine High School in 1999? As for the idea that uniforms equalize fashion, I have four words: jackets, shoes and jewelry. The sad irony of all of this is that none of it works; having to pick up my sister early one day, I got lost on campus and walked through what turned out to be the girls' gym locker room. Between classes. When all the students were milling about. With no duty teachers asking me, a grown man, if I needed help.
The solution to school security, I think, is simpler and more cost-effective: the use of intuition among teachers and personnel. I never had to wear a school uniform and I didn't have to wear my ID until 10th grade. But I turned out fine! urlLink test shot 1&nbsp; urlLink School officials should quit drooling over discipline and focus on the really important aspects of education, such as, uh, education. 
