The Chopping Block

Wifi Now Prohibits Popular Websites

Becca Aiken, Staff Writer

Social Media has become a constant in everyday lives. Walking down the hall of BHS an opportunity to check every news feed you can in your six-minute passing time. But, BHS has changed their policies in the past few months blocking all social media on our school wifi. Now, when working off any of the school wifi routers, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat do not refresh.

The only way around this is to use your cellular data, which is not always an option for some students. This method isn’t foolproof either, as service can be hard to come by in many parts of the school.

The block may be seen as an effort to have students pay more attention in class, but has caused some issues with school clubs and some classes by prohibiting their ways of communicating with their audiences.

Insight’s social media manager, Sarah Carlon said, “It really hindered our presence when students looked to us for information on school announcements. We’re just kind of stuck.” Insight has created a Snapchat, Twitter, and Facebook in an effort to create a larger presence at our school, but with the block on social media, not only does it “throw a wrench,” according to Carlon, in our plans to inform the student body, it creates an overall sense of frustration for this class/club and many others.

But it’s not just the newspaper that is affected by this change to the wifi usage. The Drama Club, DECA, National Honors Society, and Student Council have taken a hit as well.

Brent Jansen, DECA Advisor said, “It’s definitely challenging because we have to wait for when it can be accessed.” Each one of these clubs have been using their social media platforms to communicate with their followers.

The Drama Club uses it for rehearsal updates, audition information, advertisements and encouragement for their club. “The ban is a detriment to communication because  the Drama Club has to reach out constantly,” Senior, Saarah Murphy said.

DECA uses social media for a host of different things such as marketing, advertisements, and messages.  Jansen said, “It’s an impediment to our club; but it can be overcome. It just prevents work getting done during club time.”

Although this block can be thought of as a source of frustration amongst the student body, it is with a good cause. “There was too much use on our wifi and to cut back, social media was the first to go,” said BHS Principal Patrick Clark. The wifi was being overrun by the amount of use it was getting in-between class time and in the cafeterias, causing the connection to be slow all over the school. “We are not trying to eliminate social media; we just need more access for teaching and learning,” said Clark.

The block has brought up several different reactions among the students and teachers. “It’s the best course until we are able to make it mutually beneficial,” said Jansen.  Some teachers believe that it is not hurting but helping  the student body become more focused, as cell phones have been a common classroom problem in the past.