Every few weeks, the exact same slide pops up in the Daily Announcements that reminds students to carry their badges with them at all times—but do students really carry them? For most Middle School students, the answer is no. In contrast to popular belief among teachers, we don’t think students are to blame.

After asking students around the Middle School, we found a few explanations as to why these little flimsy cards of plastic are so hard to carry around.

According to students, one of the biggest issues is clothing. Many outfits (especially girls’ clothing) do not have pockets. If they do, there are no zippers in sight to ensure that your badge won’t fall out in the hallway and be lost, never to be seen again. This risk alone intimidates most students into not carrying their badges.

Teachers may wonder why students don’t just use the lanyard and clip that come with the badge. 8th grader Chloe Chaney explains how these lanyards completely destroy the concept of fashion. “I don’t have pockets, and I’m not willing to ruin my outfit [with the lanyard] to carry my badge.” Students may spend hours crafting a perfect outfit for their hallway crush, just to ruin it with a badge.

Moreover, many students agree that the little plastic holder the badge comes with is prone to ripping and damage. Once again, this risks the loss of your badge. If the faculty really cared about us, they would give us better quality badge holders.

Additionally, students can rely on other students and teachers around the school to carry their badges. This often leads to large groups of students mobbing outside in front of buildings, waiting for a badge-wielding savior. 7th grader Mia Gonzalez admits “I don’t carry my badge because I forget it—and my best friend carries [hers].”

Badges would be easier to carry if students were able to connect it to something carried around daily, like a phone. However, since Middle School students are not allowed to have their phones with them during the day, students must carry their badges separately, which many fear losing. “I’m worried I’m going to drop it,” says 8th grader Vivian Corey.

We believe that, due to these overlying issues, teachers do not have the right to blame us for not carrying our badges. Instead, teachers should consider new solutions such as allowing students to carry their backpacks with them around campus. While change is the ultimate goal, teachers should first show us some consideration to make an impact.