COUGAR PRIDE Around Campus
Friday, March 28, 2025
Page 9
PCHS Adjusting To New Weapon Detection Sys tem By RAYCE FOX Cougar Growl Staff Junior Rohan Kaul said, “I think it needs to be calibrated Rayce Fox Photos The new weapon detection system at PCHS has helped decrease the presence of dangerous items and helped students get to school sooner.
The systems use AI to identify the shapes of items staff don’t want students bringing into school, such as vapes, knives, fire- arms, and other weapons. While many of the arguments against the systems do have some merit, it can’t be argued that the fewer of these weapons found in school, the safer the student body will be, ultimately making the effective- ness of the systems hard to argue with. Junior Ryan Mann had this to say about the integration of the weapon systems. “I think it’s a waste of a grant. I think it’s taking valuable funds away from more important things such as clubs, better equipment for classrooms, and general re- pairs across the school”. Junior Ryce Washington said, “It’s unfortunate that it’s gotten to the point where we need a weap- on detection system.”
tem available for the safety of our students, faculty, and staff. There was a learning curve at the beginning, but we have since ironed out many of the wrinkles. In regards to the calibration, the system detects shape, not metal, which makes it prone to mis- identifying certain objects. The biggest problem we have faced in adjusting to the systems was get- ting students to class on time, but we have since become much more effecient, and students have better adjusted to the added step to their morning schedules. While it is ef- fective in stopping students from bringing what they shouldn’t into school, it also serves as a deterrent to students. While still behind the curve when compared to larger cities, PCHS was one of the first schools in the state to implement this added precaution against drugs and violence in our school.”
better. It detected my knee brace, and still detects Chromebooks, so it is clearly far from perfect.” Junior Malik Martin said, “They need to fix the problem where it detects Chromebooks, binders, and other normal school supplies, but I heard they were working on it.” History teacher Mr. Phillip Bird had this to say about the integration of the new systems, “I think it’s a good thing that will help protect the school. It was a headache to get used to at first, but I think both students and staff have adjusted to it well since its integration. I hope it gets the kids to school a little earlier aswell, which it has seemed to do so far.” Paraphrasing assistant prin- cipal Dr. Roxanne Souma, “Cost was not a factor, we implemented the best weapon detection sys-
Last month, the school decided to take a leap of faith regarding the safety and security of stu- dents and staff. Weapon detection systems were installed at the main entrance to the commons, and many students weren’t happy. Many felt the scanners were an invasion of privacy, while oth- ers called to attention the high price of the machines, and argued that the money spent on them could’ve been much better spent on renovations, or bettering the quality of the food the school provides. The system costed $160,000, and was funded by a federal grant. Despite these many com- plaints, the systems have been a major success, and the vape prob- lem among students has vastly decreased. the PCHS E-Sports team plays multiple games hosted online by the Virginia High School League. The team’s activities are located in the TV and Media Production Room in the CTE building. What games does the esports team play? The first game they play is Rocket league. It is a three-on- three game where you use cars to play soccer. The second game is League of Legend. It is a strategy game where two teams of five champions with distinct abili- ties work together to destroy the other team’s base. The last game is Super Smash Brothers Ultimate. This game is a platform fighter with the main goal being to knock other players off the plat- form the match is taking place on. The E-Sports team could be adding more games in the future, according to one of the players. One of the Rocket League teams has had six pre-season matches as of this writing win- ning three games and losing three games. The team members for this team are Trey Clation, Ro- man Cospel, and AJ Stafford.
E-Sports Team Continues To Make Improvements By MALIK MARTIN Cougar Growl Staff Coached by Mr. Matt Reece,
Staff Photos The PCHS E-Sports team has been hard at work this season, gaining experience and working toward a spot in the VHSL playoffs.
I interviewed Lyric Cole, one of the Super Smash Broth- ers Ultimate team members, to get a perspective on matches and practices. “Stressful, but we have fun, and always know what to improve on,” he said. When I asked Lyric about practices he said that practices
were every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday after school in the TV and Media Production room, and that practice matches for Super Smash Brothers Ultimate were one-on-one to learn match- ups. I also asked Lyric what his mo- tivation for joining the team was. “I love smash bros, it is one of
my favorite games,” he said. The team is still looking for players, if you are interested in joining the team. To join, go to the TV and Media Production Room in the CTE building af- ter school on a practice day on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Thurs- days and ask one of the coaches to join.
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