Every LT student has secretly pulled out his or her phone in the hallway to quickly send a few Snapchats, texted during a movie day in class, scrolled through Twitter during lunch or even tried to check Canvas during lunch study hall.  Until this year, every student did it in fear that a teacher would come and confiscate their phone, sending them to the assistant principal’s office to pick it up at the end of the day.

If that situation did not scare students enough, another common fear for LT girls was being dress coded.  Girls frequently experienced the humiliation of being sent to the locker room to change into their gym uniform because their shoulders were showing, their shorts weren’t an ID length above their knees or too much back was exposed.

However, this year is different.  LT has finally embraced “a new” era of student freedoms by accommodating students so that they feel comfortable while on school grounds while accomplishing the same amount of learning as before.

LT recently made a policy change to the student handbook modifying the technology and dress code policies. The technology policy now allows students to use electronic devices during passing periods, study halls, the cafeteria and classrooms in which teachers provide permission.  Changes in the dress code policy allow students to wear whatever makes them feel comfortable as long as it does not disrupt the educational environment, promote tobacco, alcohol, drugs, weapons or be symbolic of gang membership.

The students of LT should greatly appreciate the administration’s change because students can now come to school with less stress on their minds and feel more comfortable throughout the day at either campus.

During passing periods, checking one’s phone is a mental break before getting to the next class.  While it may not seem like it, forgetting about that stressful math test the next day, all the extra-curricular activities and sports planned for after school or all the homework to be done that night can make a student feel more relaxed.  Phones can help relieve all that stress off a student for six minutes, which adds up over the course of the day.

LT was definitely right in allowing the use of phones during study halls. Now that we are in an era that utilizes technology so much, it is important that phones can be used so that students can access Canvas, teacher webpages, homework assignments and anything needed to the aid the process of completing schoolwork.  Using phones during study halls only boosts productivity of students.

Some people say that students should not be able to have their phones in study hall because all students do would be texting or going on social media instead of being productive.  The thing is, students in high school are anywhere between 14 to 18 years old.  High schoolers should be treated like adults and not be told that they cannot use their phones because there’s a chance they will not be productive. Most students do not want homework, so they will be productive in order to have less work at home.  Also, so much homework is electronic that the use of phones would only help students become more productive.

Regarding the dress code, it was finally time for girls to feel comfortable within the confines of either campus.  Both campuses are known for getting very hot in the beginning and closing months of school so allowing girls to wear running shorts, a little bit shorter of shorts or anything comfortable will lead to more girls focusing in class.

With the policy changes made this year at LT, students will feel much more comfortable at school and will accomplish more work throughout the day.  The school did a fantastic job in recognizing student’s needs and making changes to tremendously help the student body.