Most students at GEHS know that websites such as Facebook and YouTube are blocked on the school computers and on the school’s Wi-Fi. Although it is against district technology policy to be on these websites, according to library media specialist Robin Schrack, students in our school proceed to get past these blocked websites, even though it is highly suggested that they don’t.

“It’s just a challenge,”  Schrack said. “If [students] would use the energy they spend trying to get past the technology blocks in their academics, they would be better off.”

According to Schrack, these websites are blocked to keep students on track and focused on their school work. Schrack said the school’s teachers believe that if students were allowed access to these blocked websites, it would cause all the distractions teachers try to avoid. Many of the students who access the blocked sites only do so to stay in the loop of what’s happening on social networks during class or to play games.

“I like to see what my friends are posting [on Facebook] during school,” a senior student said, who wished to remain anonymous to avoid the penalty of abusing technology.

Schrack shares that teachers are constantly observing their students and notice when they are not on the appropriate sites. She is aware that students find new ways to get past these barriers but they often get caught because a technology alert is sent out to the media center, so Schrack can see exactly what the student is doing.

“I break through the blocks to play video games that I usually couldn’t play or to keep connected to what my friends are doing on Facebook,” an anonymous  senior student said.

Not all students in the school are able to or even want to bypass the technology blocks.

Freshman Tristian Favinger, an example of a student who stays off thesse sites said she chooses not to because she doesnt have the time.

Not all students who have access to a computer choose to spend their time on these sites.

“With the high expectations this school has, [most of the time students] do what they need to do and get done,” Schrack said.

Many students who can bypass the website blocks and gain access to these websites are often excited to share the news with their friend and the wealth, so others can get on their favorite websites as well, a junior said.

“I got past the entire firewall and had as much access as any administrator in the building,”  a junior student said. This student wished to remain anonymous for the reason that his actions were not discovered.

Anyone who gets past the proxy servers and the filters to access the sites that are banned on the school Internet and Wi-Fi will be punished. There is no reward or praise for breaking the rules. According to Schrack, if a student is caught on one of the blocked sites, the student’s name will be sent to principal Tim Brady and they will lose all technology access for at least two weeks. It is not suggested that students break the rules to get on these sites.