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the stentorian | ncssm news april 2007 Internet restriction policy E-mail, AIM, websites shut down after midnight for students ’ health IM with,SmarterChiJd ■i- '' f> f : ' FHe Edit View People Help Away Status SmarterChild By Amy Bryson Students can no longer check homework on Moodle or the next day’s schedule on At a Glance after the clock strikes 12. A new administrative policy has blocked all access to internet after midnight. “We had to weigh what was best for the students and we concluded even though some student may not be damaging creativity and ability to remember things [by, staying up late on the internet], it was harming students’ experience. So, we decided to take it away [at midnight],” said Steve Warshaw, vice chancellor for academic programs. .Using newly purchased software, ITS has been able to shut down access to previously accessible Moodle, At a Glance, AOL Instant Messenger, e-mail and other programs controlled by the network, such as MathCad. “I love this school but I think every year they are making life for students more and more difficult and this is turning the school in a negative direction,” senior Matt Gildner said. “A person who is willing to give up freedoms is not someone who is going to benefit fi’om a place based on learning freely. This policy is against [the school’s basis].” Warshaw said this policy change has been in discussion since last year. Referring to a study in which students need 9.25 hours of sleep to have maximum memory and creative ability, administrators decided to ban internet after 12 a.m. ' in hopes that students would gain more sleep. “I’m glad they care about my health and sleep habits,” Gildner said. “I’m 18, almost in college and I need independence. I think this is treating us like children and I don’t think it is going to increase student sleep.” Many students have quickly noted the negative aspects such a restrictive rule could have on student development. “Instead of letting us learn time management on our own, they are slapping us in the face with a regulation and making us,” senior Kenan Crawford said. “Why don’t they just come into our rooms and take our computer away at midnight? We need a balance between freedom and restrictions and I don’t think there’s a good balance right now.” In response to the large amoimt of student opposition to this policy, SGA asked that students work with the newly created technologies subcommittee, headed by juniors Cydney Swofford and Ken Addison, towards change. “Our first step is to regain access to Moodle, At a Glance and e-mail,” Addison said. “If we get that passed, our next proposal will be to open back up AIM.” Thi§ committee has had several meetings with administration since the policy went into action. They are currently discussing a compromise to alter the hours of the restriction. Senioritis plagues seniorSy juniors By Laura Chao As the school year edges further into third trimester and Mini-Term passes, the senioritis plague runs rampant through the student population. Though the assigned workload does not slacken, third trimester seniors have foimd other ways of reducing their daily toils. “I think we seniors have [senioritis] as soon as first trimester,” senior Nelson Terry said. “By third trimester, [senioritis] is definitely hitting home. It’s really annoying, because we know we should do the work, but the will to do it just isn’t there.” Most seniors now have an idea of which college they will be attending in the coming year. Senior Kenan Crawford believes that this is the reason that senioritis escalates as the year progresses. “I think about this time, most of us are in college, so all we have to do is pass our classes,” she said. “We’ve worked so hard for thirteen years to get to this point. I think we’re all worn out.” However, this ideal of a slackened senior year is not reflected by other seniors who still find the time and energy to do the assigned homework on a day-to-day basis. “Senioritis doesn’t affect me so much,” senior Mark Owolabi said. “I don’t mind doing some work now and again to balance out the leisure time.” During third trimester, juniors around campus are also experiencing a form of senioritis. Whether in anticipation of summer vacation or of their upcoming senior year, many juniors already feel the onset of this invisible pestilence. “Coming into third trimester, I am experiencing some symptoms of senioritis, but I think it hits the hardest your senior year after going through one year,” junior Jenna Bundy said. “We come back from the summer knowing what to expect.” Certain other jxmiors appear to have senioritis as severely as their , senior peers do. I ! “I have [senioritis] and I’m not even a senior,” junior Courtney Klemm said. “I think it’s just the feeling that you need to be out of here and get on with your life. Some people have it worse than others because they are more anxious or excited to move onto their next step in life.” As the year progresses, whether senioritis grows into an epidemic or students decide to get back on the academic track remains to be seen. In the meantime, it may not be wisest move to sit back, relax and enjoy the rest of the school year. “We may have all been overachievers at our old school, but that’s because we didn’t have to put much effort into that,” Crawford said. “But, especially for [seniors], graduation and summer are right around the comer and we just want to last until then.”
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