It is not uncommon for the occasional “not-so-nice” word to be heard escaping from a Harriton student in times of stress; the explosive volley of strong language issuing from the mouth of an anonymous sophomore girl one September afternoon noticeably surpassed normal levels of unhappiness. Her unhappiness was centered on her inability to access the Internet and subsequent prevention from signing up for RAM.
Internet accessibility problems have not plagued the majority of students in past years, but due to a more restrictive firewall and Internet policy many students are faced with network issues from home, as well as in school. Although Harriton students are still able
to take their laptops home at the end of the day, constant reminders abound as to how the laptops “aren’t theirs.” A new, far-reaching firewall prevents students from many sites they were once able to access outside of school.
Since it is still early in the school year, many students are unwilling to condemn this new policy completely. As it is, the general consensus is not one of satisfaction. While no one
is surprised that websites primarily used for recreational purposes are forbidden, many educational addresses are blocked under the Lightspeed filter, categorized under “unknown.” The heightened filter blocks all websites when it cannot access students’ laptops.
Some students find the new policy an unnecessary measure. Junior Jordan Rosenthal-Kay says, “Though the firewall can occasionally help keep me on task, it really only is a
hindrance. If there is something blocked, I can still access it from a home computer. I just don’t see the point of blocking anything. What reason do they have to do it?”
On the opposite side of the coin, others may find they agree with 11th grader Alex Friend, who has his own personal laptop. “People should rely less on the school computers. We live in an area where everyone has access to the Internet. computer to access it. It’s not that big of a deal.” While this may be true in many cases, the laptops were originally provided on the grounds that without them, not all students would be able to complete work that may have to be done with the use of the Internet.
Schoolwork aside, many seniors who have never had to deal with such stringent rules face difficulties in applying to college. Wilson Smith, one such senior, is no exception. “A major problem I have with the new internet filter is how it messes up my connection at home. Every now and then, the connection drops out and says lightspeed is blocking it, for no reason. It seems slower in general, too, and makes work more arduous.” On the eve of this interview, Smith was prevented from sending several important emails that would have aided him in the college admissions process.
Still others, like Matt Brown, junior, take a more resigned view. “I understand that the school puts up firewalls to protect its own software, and keep kids on task during school hours, but I think it rather bothersome that I can’t get onto any recreational site at any point in time. However, since these laptops have been issued to us by the school, we have no right to tell them what sites we can and cannot access.”
Students at Lower Merion High School are also discussing the issue. Parker Laren has to restart his computer every twenty minutes for any sort of wireless connection. Andrew Pasquier, Lower Merion High School Secretary, states, “Though we are only fortunate to have the opportunity to use these laptops, you would think that if the school district spent so much money to provide them for us, they would at least ensure they worked effectively. Instead, they self-sabotage by implementing security measures that mean the Internet does not even work every-other time you log on.”
Harriton High School secretary Phil Hayes has a few words on the subject. “Although the new firewall is certainly restrictive and keeps students from accomplishing certain useful work, it’s the law. It’s not something that we can ask our school principals to change. Rather, Harrisburg has the final say on this one. At the same time, the problems with the availability of any Internet at home need to be remedied ASAP. This is a technical issue on LMSD’s behalf.” Hayes promises, “Student Council will continue to investigate potential fixes and compromises regarding fair Internet access.”
We spoke to Mr. George Frazier, the Director of Information Systems for the district about the firewall. He explained why the firewall was chosen: “The Lightspeed web blocking software was selected in the spring of 2009 and has been running on the District’s network since that time. It was selected because it worked with multiple computer platforms (Windows and Macs) and it was bundled with an antivirus software, which in turn was a cost savings for the District.”
He went on to address the law Phil Hayes mentioned: “The intent of web blocking software goes back to the 2001 passage of the Child Internet Protection Act. All educational institutes and libraries receiving E-Rate funds are required to block Internet content in accordance with the Child Internet Protection Act.”
We then asked Mr. Frazier how he felt the firewall was running thus far: “The feedback from parents/guardians has been generally good regarding the implementation of the web blocking software on the One to One laptops. Parents and guardians have expressed appreciation for the District’s efforts to reduce the distractions and non-educational uses of the laptop computers. On the other hand, we have encountered some technical issues that the Information Systems Department is continuously working through to correct.“