They patrol the premises. They combat the riff raff. They protect us, defend us, and make our campus a little safer day-by-day. Who are these superheroes, these guardians of Perry High School? While they often fade into the background of our regular day at school, the security guards of PHS are dedicated to keeping us safe and keeping the school running like a well-oiled machine.

But what does it take, one might ask, to ensure the safety and productivity of the school?

The average day as a security guard is anything but average. Each member of the security staff gets to the school between 6 am and 7am. Among other tasks, the mornings begin with patrolling the courtyard and buildings, moving traffic through the parking lot, and checking to make sure that everything is in order for the school day to come. Each team member has a designated area of campus to guard throughout the day, as well as a parking lot, cafeteria, and an after-school rotation.

Assistant principal and athletic director Jennifer Burks believes that “having people around makes it so that students know there’s is someone watching, and that someone cares about what’s happening [at the school].” Burks is the head of the security department of the school, and values that effort and teamwork that is executed everyday by the security department.

Principal Dan Serrano believes that the security guards here are, “jacks of all trades. It’s a thankless job, but it’s an important job, to keep things calm. If you don’t have good security guards, it’s a problem.”