Although the security guards are responsible for keeping the school safe, they manage to ensure a warm sense of hospitality and always provide a friendly face to brighten your day.

Two of the most well-known security guards, Ron Gholson and Rosa Langhorne, spoke to me about the day to day obligations of the job.  It might seem like leisure work, but the security guards are potentially risking their lives for students, and form very close bonds with them.

Ron and Rosa both agree that the best part of this job is the interaction with the students. A typical day for the security guards includes making sure the doors are locked, interacting in the hallway with the students, and ensuring everything runs smoothly.

Despite popular thought, security guards have a life outside of the school and enjoy the same activities as you and I. For example, Ron is passionate about singing.  He keeps a light vibe in the hallway by singing or humming many of today’s popular songs. Ron feels the same way about basketball –  he played Division II in college, and currently coaches the successful varsity team.

After 23 years of patrolling the halls, Ron says that his funniest memory is “probably hiding in the shower to catch kids cutting class. I popped right out on them.”

Ron also shared with me that his best class was the seniors of 1998, because they would come to every basketball game and completely pack out the stands. This clearly made a lasting impression on Ron, both because of his love for the sport and the students. He described the experience as “just incredible.”

Rosa, on the other hand, has never hid in the showers to catch kids but told me that her best memory is standing in the bathroom stalls to hear any juicy information she could get.

The security guards have a lot more to their job than what appears on the surface, so make sure to greet them and try to get to know them better because they too have lives outside of school.