Keys in high school
- Thread starterrenegadeblack
- Start date
jeffmoss26
Member
As a building manager, we have a lot of responsibility. Alarm codes, safe combinations, 2000 dollar ring of keys, and access into every office and room in the entire student union. It's an important position...and when things go missing, we all get on the hot seat.
LightingPenguin
Active Member
Its interesting. All the high school teachers/students hear have posted that they don't really have 24/7 access to the booth. For me, its the EXACT opposite. Our door to the booth is metal plated with a numeric key pad on it, and my teacher has entrusted me with the code. If something goes missing I have personally told him to first ask me, as I was almost positively the one in there. I'm the only student who goes in there at anytime other than during shows. As to getting into the physical theatre, thats slightly different.
You see, our doors to the theatre can be opened by my house key (Don't ask why, I don't know. And no, I didn't make a copy behind our TD's back
). Now before you go all crazy on me we are building an entirely new theatre (with an amazing fly system. Yes, our TD is trained, but I personally feel worried that it will end up like all the horror stories I hear about high school fly systems), so that will change. There has never been a problem with they way we operate our locks, and I've always texted my teacher when i was going into the booth. Normally, I just go in to test out some lights and do some other odd things, but he knows when I'm in there. So while I do have 24/7 to the theatre, that does not mean i have access to our shop, dressing rooms, or light inventory, dimmer racks (however, I can always ask maintenance to open any of those). However while I do know where the key for the lift is, I am smart enough to know not to use it without a teacher present, not for supervision but for MASSIVE insurance issues, and I fact that I would seriously be putting our TD out of a job REAL fast.
My TD has placed some real trust in me, because I earned it. He knows he can depend on me, and he knows that I wont take advantage of the position I'm in. I've shown him how dedicated I am, how hard I work, and how much I take personal ownership in and demand people to respect our systems. I respect the space, put things back the way they were, and I keep the booth organized (as much as possible).
It's a dysfunctional system in some regards, but its useful and it serves us well.
You see, our doors to the theatre can be opened by my house key (Don't ask why, I don't know. And no, I didn't make a copy behind our TD's back
). Now before you go all crazy on me we are building an entirely new theatre (with an amazing fly system. Yes, our TD is trained, but I personally feel worried that it will end up like all the horror stories I hear about high school fly systems), so that will change. There has never been a problem with they way we operate our locks, and I've always texted my teacher when i was going into the booth. Normally, I just go in to test out some lights and do some other odd things, but he knows when I'm in there. So while I do have 24/7 to the theatre, that does not mean i have access to our shop, dressing rooms, or light inventory, dimmer racks (however, I can always ask maintenance to open any of those). However while I do know where the key for the lift is, I am smart enough to know not to use it without a teacher present, not for supervision but for MASSIVE insurance issues, and I fact that I would seriously be putting our TD out of a job REAL fast. My TD has placed some real trust in me, because I earned it. He knows he can depend on me, and he knows that I wont take advantage of the position I'm in. I've shown him how dedicated I am, how hard I work, and how much I take personal ownership in and demand people to respect our systems. I respect the space, put things back the way they were, and I keep the booth organized (as much as possible).
It's a dysfunctional system in some regards, but its useful and it serves us well.
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If your school trusts you guys with the equipment, then you should. I had keys to our booth, everything onstage and the band and choir rooms as well as an outside door while I was in charge in high school. I could basically get into the school anytime to work on things in the theatre. What happens when you need to work on something and no one is around? I'm sure if you made a case for it, you could get something worked out.
Sayen
Active Member
One of the places I worked at in a past life used a keycard system - each card had a unique RFID chip in it, and each chip could be assigned permission for specific doors. Every time you entered a door, the computer logged your card. The cards were about $5, and easy to program. Sitting at the master console, I could watch someone walk through the building. I've pushed for two different schools to consider this system when putting up new buildings - if a card is lost, you just cancel the permissions. Users can be given access to different areas on a needs basis, and you always know who to hold responsible based on when a card was used. Other than wiring the system, it wasn't nearly the cost involved with replacing keys, or time lost opening doors, or a dozen other problems.
That's about the only time I would want my students to have keys - for their sake and my theater's. Of course, districts always know better.
That's about the only time I would want my students to have keys - for their sake and my theater's. Of course, districts always know better.
bwhiteford
Member
I have a little under twenty keys to my high school. 
There are some I have no idea what they're used for and three of them are various master keys. I'm sure what keys I have is not accurately recorded as I'm just thrown keys when I need them. And my card key for the outside school doors is actually better than the teachers' since I can get in on Sundays and during mid Summer when they can't.
Then I have keys for the booth, shop, classrooms, offices, cafeteria, dimmer rack, fly system, table saw, cherry pickers, roof, etc.
But then again, my school is loaded with cameras and all the faculty trust me.
A good idea? Probably not. But they sure are handy.
There are some I have no idea what they're used for and three of them are various master keys. I'm sure what keys I have is not accurately recorded as I'm just thrown keys when I need them. And my card key for the outside school doors is actually better than the teachers' since I can get in on Sundays and during mid Summer when they can't.
Then I have keys for the booth, shop, classrooms, offices, cafeteria, dimmer rack, fly system, table saw, cherry pickers, roof, etc.
But then again, my school is loaded with cameras and all the faculty trust me.
A good idea? Probably not. But they sure are handy.
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jeffmoss26
Member
I am also a building manager for the student union. When working, we carry a locked ring of keys that opens almost every door in the building. If it was lost it would cost thousands of dollars to rekey everything. We use card swipes on all student organization doors. The person's student ID opens the door. Of course, half the time people misplace their ID so we have to open the door with the submaster key.
Honestly, I have too many keys to carry around all day...house keys, work keys, sound racks, etc, but they always come in handy.
Honestly, I have too many keys to carry around all day...house keys, work keys, sound racks, etc, but they always come in handy.
qu1cks1lver56
Member
Wow i wish my high school had an actual TD that knows what theyre doing. I'm the only one at the school that knows anything about the audio and lighting rigs, I wish we had a fly rig, too. But on the topic of keys, I have a key to the auditorium, our booth isnt really a booth so no key is needed to get in there, sucks i know but w/e, and i have a key to both storage rooms for the audio equipment, and some other various school keys.
Important school board people would probably not be happy about me having keys, but I'm not the only student with keys to various places arond school, but all the faculty trusts me, and there are cameras all over the place
Important school board people would probably not be happy about me having keys, but I'm not the only student with keys to various places arond school, but all the faculty trusts me, and there are cameras all over the place
NickJones
Active Member
Q1
Depending on what desk you have, some are lockable, that way you stop people pressing random buttons. Alternatley, most fuse boxes can be locked, find the isolator for you booth and you can kill all the power for it. (Also useful if not locked to get out of handing in assignments on a computer. If there is no power, the computers don't turn on, you CANT give in you assignment that you may or may not have done... Should probably get back on topic)
Q2
Keys are like passwords, some people will tell anyone who they vauegly know if asked, others never give them out. You are lucky you have your keys, so to make sure they can never take them back, go down to your local locksmith and get a copy made up. Alternatley, suggest a system like "Cyberkey" to your school, it allows logged acess at selected times for selelcted keys. That way you can get in when you wan't but if you are skipping class they know where you are. See, I'm not just teaching bad things.
I set such a bad example....
Nick
Silly question time....
What brand are the rings?
I've been looking around and haven't found anything I like.
jeffmoss26
Member
My boss gets them from Monarch Coin and Security.
mnfreelancer
Active Member
Tamper-Proof Key Rings® Sizes
The old-fashioned way to do this was just to weld keyrings shut. You don't get the advantage of serial numbers though.
Also regarding the idea of duplicating keys to make sure "they can't be taken away" - there is definitely an art to having keys you don't have and using them at the right times and not anything more than that...you will get in to a lot more trouble if you get caught with keys that have already been taken away from you, be careful if you go this route. It's a good trust destroyer.
That would do me no good, as I add keys frequently.
I just need to keep certain people from borrowing random keys.
The Key Kop looks perfect.
Key Kop Cable
Stagetechi
Member
As former high school students ourselves, I'm sure we can all appreciate this request from a functionality standpoint. However there is the question of liabilty. When I was a student, I was frequently allowed all day use of the building and and padlock keys to our auditorium. All I had to do was have a reason to use them. As our S-LD, I always had reasons to go places other technicians had no business being.
Also when students gain access to keys, there is an inherint liability and responsibility that legally you cannot be held responsible for. As a student, due to my frequent usage of the auditorium master ring I was questioned when our Insight lighting console and the archaic Yhamaha PM1000 audio console turned up missing. Apparently someone had acquired a copy of the building master key and copied it, and passed it down from one graduating class to another. However over the years more and more copies were made of keys that clearly stated DO NOT DUPLICATE.
Now that I work in educational theatre, I have two building keys beyond my padlock/rack/lockout keys. One is the key to the kingdom that is theatre, and the other is the key to all the kingdoms (district wide). The only key I loan out for students to open storage rooms, control booths, stairwells, etc is the Auditorium Sub-Master Key. And I've never had an issue where this key hasn't been returned in my hand within five minutes. My Great-Grand Master never leaves my side. This is for liability as I am the ultimate authority and responsibility regarding this theatre. If something goes wrong it's my head.
I'm sure if you have a legitimate need, your TD will loan you his/her key ring or perhaps keeps an extra copy that he could loan to you during your usage. The only difference is that you don't go home with it. They need to know when your in the theatre in case something happens.
As for your electrical question: First, you may or may not know enough about electrical systems to re-wire the circuit. However chances are you are violating the NEC Code and local building codes for who can install such a device. Also you will most assuradly be violating the union contract for the maintenance department in your building. Getting custodians and skilled maintenance upset with you is not a good thing. But most importantly, as a student regardless of background you should not be opening any live electrical panel/switchboard/receptacle.
If you have a legitimate need for such a current lockout device, present it to your TD/Auditorium Manager and let him put the final approval on it. Then it will be nice and legal for an electrician to do the install.
Also when students gain access to keys, there is an inherint liability and responsibility that legally you cannot be held responsible for. As a student, due to my frequent usage of the auditorium master ring I was questioned when our Insight lighting console and the archaic Yhamaha PM1000 audio console turned up missing. Apparently someone had acquired a copy of the building master key and copied it, and passed it down from one graduating class to another. However over the years more and more copies were made of keys that clearly stated DO NOT DUPLICATE.
Now that I work in educational theatre, I have two building keys beyond my padlock/rack/lockout keys. One is the key to the kingdom that is theatre, and the other is the key to all the kingdoms (district wide). The only key I loan out for students to open storage rooms, control booths, stairwells, etc is the Auditorium Sub-Master Key. And I've never had an issue where this key hasn't been returned in my hand within five minutes. My Great-Grand Master never leaves my side. This is for liability as I am the ultimate authority and responsibility regarding this theatre. If something goes wrong it's my head.
I'm sure if you have a legitimate need, your TD will loan you his/her key ring or perhaps keeps an extra copy that he could loan to you during your usage. The only difference is that you don't go home with it. They need to know when your in the theatre in case something happens.
As for your electrical question: First, you may or may not know enough about electrical systems to re-wire the circuit. However chances are you are violating the NEC Code and local building codes for who can install such a device. Also you will most assuradly be violating the union contract for the maintenance department in your building. Getting custodians and skilled maintenance upset with you is not a good thing. But most importantly, as a student regardless of background you should not be opening any live electrical panel/switchboard/receptacle.
If you have a legitimate need for such a current lockout device, present it to your TD/Auditorium Manager and let him put the final approval on it. Then it will be nice and legal for an electrician to do the install.
MircleWorker
Member
raidertheatre
Member
When I was in high school the drama teacher gave me the keys whenever I needed them to get into the theatres or control booth. Now since I have graduated I am contracted out to work on the sound and light equipment for the school district and they are on thier fourth theatre teacher since mine left in 6 years. Starting about two years ago I have been getting keys to various equipment in the theatres. After this year of making a recomendation of locking up the ladder to the rafters and locking up the cage to the dimmers(they had kids playing with a fire estinguisher around the dimmers) after I repaired everything. I have a key to everything inside the theatre and they said that they will be making me a key for entry access so when they need me to do some work that I will beable to get into the facility so that I dont have to track down a key but right now I can walk into the adminstration and able to check out a key to get in. I have keys that admistration will not let the theatre teacher have becasue they are afraid that they may have more problems with the equipment it they let the theatre teacher have keys to it because we lock up the sound system and light system in two seperate cabniets.
Thomas Johnston
Member
Hi All,
I am in grade 10 at the high school I attend. The school will not give anyone who is very involved in theatre, keys to the booth. Does anyone know why this would be? It's not just myself it is the student that is our head lighting designer, and myself who is the Assistant Lighting Designer that are mainly the two students who are heavily involved in the theatre.
Regards,
Thomas
I am in grade 10 at the high school I attend. The school will not give anyone who is very involved in theatre, keys to the booth. Does anyone know why this would be? It's not just myself it is the student that is our head lighting designer, and myself who is the Assistant Lighting Designer that are mainly the two students who are heavily involved in the theatre.
Regards,
Thomas
techieman33
Well-Known Member
There are a lot of very good reasons for which it will never happen. The big one is liability. You should need adult supervision while working in the theater, so why give you keys when the adult already has keys? The last thing they want is a student getting hurt, without an adult there to call for help. They would also be there to stop you from doing something that puts you into a position that you could get hurt. If it came out that you got hurt and there wasn't even a teacher watching you it would get ugly fast. People would be fired, and the potential for lawsuits would be massive.
When I was a high school student I was student TD and the head of lighting and I was not allowed any keys to anything either. If I wanted access to something, I had to ask my teachers. This was even at a private school were sometimes students get a little more leeway and responsibility. In college, only the Stage Managers or student Production Manager were give key sets (or you knew where the "booth key under the doormat" was kept ).
So don't feel upset that they won't give you keys. Even as a professional it can be hard to get keys or access when you truly need them.
).So don't feel upset that they won't give you keys. Even as a professional it can be hard to get keys or access when you truly need them.
