In an assembly held Aug. 24, students were informed YouTube was blocked and would remain blocked. They were also told that everything they search for on the Internet would be closely monitored to ensure that they are properly educated and attempts to bypass the blocks via proxies would result in consequences. Students were also told that this was for their own benefit.

It is most certainly not.

Many teachers illustrate points and provide tutorials on YouTube. It is an easy to use video source that covers a wide array of topics. Complex science demonstrations, Photoshop tutorials and documentaries are all provided on YouTube and can serve as powerful tools for teachers. Even if teachers do have access to YouTube, giving students the ability to view them on their own would be beneficial to both.

As well, an important part of many classes is to give a demonstration. In the same way YouTube helps teachers, it can help students. Without YouTube in the school, finding videos is an impossibility for some students.

Many students also learn best while listening to music. YouTube provides a variety of music artists for free who cannot be viewed anywhere else. The streaming nature of YouTube also prevents students who listen to music on it from filling up their data storage devices, saving them money and hassle.

The reason given when one attempts to access YouTube is that  it contains “Mature Content.” This is a complete lie.

YouTube is one of the few websites that has managed to properly deal with “mature content.” Pornography is almost instantly deleted from YouTube. If something on YouTube is even the least bit suggestive or contains even a single vulgarity It is set to only be viewed by users over the age of 18, which is more puritanical than the school even.

While “mature content” is the reason given for the block, it is quite clear that there is an ulterior motive. They really want to keep students from spending time on YouTube. This seems like a good reason at first, students should not watch videos while their teachers are lecturing. However, this problem is only a problem with YouTube by proxy.  If students are watching videos when they are not supposed to, the teacher is to blame, not YouTube. Teachers should be able to see when a student is watching a video instead of doing class-work and discipline as necessary. Because blocking YouTube does not address the problem it does nothing to stop it. The students who view YouTube videos in class will just watch videos on their phones.

Effectively, blocking YouTube does nothing but hurt students. There are no good reasons for it to be blocked. It is insulting that the school claims to be educating students for the ever changing world yet block websites that are vital to said ever changing world. It would be idiotic for the district to not allow students access to such a meaningful tool for education, crippling educators and students both.

With the days of school narrowing down, as seniors, we begin to get antsy in anticipation of graduation and ending this chapter in our lives.

We start to look forward to those final and lasting memories of high school: avoiding finals, graduating and most importantly, going to prom.

For most of us, a perfect prom is like the cherry on top of an amazing high school experience, but for us girls it seems to be much more. Movies and television shows tell us this is supposed to be the greatest night of our lives thus far. This puts prom on a pedestal that will only lead to disappointment if everything isn’t perfect.

Since this year began, I’ve watched girls surf the net looking for the perfect dress no matter the cost. When they discover that it’s sold out, doesn’t come in the right color, or someone else already has it, they’re crushed. Most of them look as if their puppy was hit by a truck right in front of them.

It’s sad, really, because this night that we’ve dreamt about since we were little “sevies” in our respective junior highs comes crashing down because of one little snag.

Girls have to find the perfect dress, the perfect shoes to match the perfect dress, and the perfect accessories to match the shoes and dress. On top of that, we have to have flawless make-up — heaven forbid a zit pops up on the day of — and every strand of hair needs to be glued into place with countless cans of hair spray.

Even after all of these perfectionist antics, there are still things that could make this not the night we wanted. The weather, location and the theme are all things that are, at this point, beyond our control. For some of us, this could ultimately cause the night to come crashing down before our freshly pedicured feet.

Since the prom theme was announced, I’ve been hearing chatter from both sides of the spectrum about how wonderful and amazing the theme is to how utterly awful it is and how some won’t go because of it. For those who are unaware of the unique and interesting theme, it is “Out of this World.’’

When I heard this theme, all I could imagine was little green men and huge Styrofoam planets in my prom pictures. To me, that was not appealing at all, and I was not the only one disgruntled by the pick. If so many people were as disgusted with this theme, as I was, then how on earth was it voted as the theme?

The problem I discovered was that hardly anyone voted. Student Council gave us this democratic opportunity to choose our prom theme, but only about 50 people voted in all. That’s 12 percent of seniors voting and even less who voted for the winning theme.

So it would appear as if being stuck with a displeasing prom theme was our own fault. A majority of us did not vote so what gives us the right to complain when we had the opportunity to have a say in the decision. But a big problem that came up was that not everyone knew about the voting.

I was told voting was noted on the morning announcements, but the problem with that is not everyone can hear them over the roaring noises of their second hours. So that wasn’t the most reliable way of telling us to vote. “But there was a flyer in the StuCo window,” someone told me. I personally found that to also be an unreliable method because of the following reasons: not everyone eats lunch on campus at this point in high school and they also don’t constantly check what’s going on in the StuCo window.

Sometimes organizations need to take a harder look at the way they do things, like voting, and see if there are better ways of going about it. I talked to a handful of people about better ways to select a prom theme. We came up with an idea that seemed like it wouldn’t take too much time or effort. If Student Council took their voting to senior seminars, a higher majority of seniors would know about the voting and take part. No solution would make everyone 100 percent happy, but maybe more people would be on board and feel like, “Hey this our Prom, and this is our Prom theme.”

Let’s be honest, whatever the theme, we all need to remember this is one of the last things we do as Lions. We need to enjoy this time with our friends before we head off to the big bad world of college when we’ll only see each other during the occasional breaks we spend at home.

Student health has long been at the forefront of debate. Parents worry their kids are not getting enough of one thing or too much of another, and the lunch services desperately try to comply.

A commonly demonized entity has been sugar, and specifically the sodas that contain it. They are banned from sell in school and students must purchase a diet alternative.

This is foolish. Students should be responsible for their own health. Students should be able to decide how much sugar they consume.

Nonetheless, soda has been made into a scapegoat even as sugar is still readily provided to students. There is a vending machine filled with candy. The library has packets of sugar waiting to be poured into coffee. These consumables can together add up to be even more sugar than a soda. The ban on soda does nothing.

That does not mean candy and coffee should be banned. That will not stop sugar from getting in the school to students. What it does mean is that the government should not ban things on a whimsy.

Students are still getting just as much sugar as they did when they had non-diet sodas, they are just getting it differently. Schools cannot stop students from obtaining sugar. They can merely inconvenience students. All these bans do is provide an irritant to students. More importantly, these bans try to extend past where the government should have any jurisdiction: in deciding what students do with their lives.

Students have the right to consume soda with sugar in it and the government has no right to say otherwise. The government is continuing to outstretch its arms into student lives where it does not belong, in deciding what they are and are not allowed to do when it in no way concerns the actual functions of the school.

It is true that the fact still remains: too much sugar is bad. Students probably should have limited sugar intake. But it is not the government’s place to decide this.

These regulations are ludicrous and should be removed. There was no need to ban sugared sodas in the first place.

The gentle fuss of crying cuts into quiet study time.

An infant awakes from a nap that should have lasted all night. It’s time to put down the math book and try to get the baby back to sleep.

After years of declines, teen parents have become an increasing statistic. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment reported a 5 percent increase in pregnancies for teens 15 to 17 years old between 2004 and 2008. Among the numbers, at least 10 LHS students are living life as students and parents.

“In the morning, I wake up at 5:30,” TaSheena Tyson, a December graduate, said of her son who was born in September. “I give him a bath, get him ready and then I feed him, and he just goes back to sleep. And then I take a shower and get myself ready. Then I put him in the car seat and give him to my mom so she can take him to daycare. After school I go get him and I sit there until my mom comes to get me.”

For teen parents, managing to get much done can be a challenge, but these students say they find a way.

“I’m up late at night till about 11 or 12,” said Hank Marshall, who graduated in December and has a son.

In addition to being a parent and managing school, these young adults have other things on their minds, too. Tyson worries that money and housing will be an obstacle in the future.

Marshall agreed.

“Money gets tight sometimes,” he said.

Despite the challenges, sophomore Floyd White has high expectations for himself after becoming a father in February.

“I don’t want my son to grow up with the same stuff I had to grow up with,” White said. “I want to make a better life for him.”

A Helping Hand

Although these parents have extra challenges, they have support. Parents at Lawrence High and Free State have a support group. Parents as Teachers, led by Michelle McLenon, meets during seminar to give students practical parenting advice.

“Twenty years ago, Lawrence Parents as Teachers recognized a need for a specialized group for pregnant and parenting young adults,” McLenon explained. “Staying with the National Center Parents as Teachers philosophy, all babies are born learners and parents play a critical role from the beginning in determining what their children will become. We developed group meetings at the high schools to assist the pregnant and parenting students in their journey through parenthood.”

Through the group, students can obtain certain information that they might not otherwise. It also provides “a safe and confidential environment to actively share both difficult and challenging issues as well as celebrating successes as a high school parent,” McLenon said.

LHS parents said they value the support.

“The seminar group really helps me out,” White said. “It gives me a lot of information about how to take care of my son, and it also helped me find dad support groups that I can go to.”

Not having any support groups for fathers or mothers could create additional challenges.

“Let’s face it, being a parent is tough,” McLenon said. “When you’re a young adult parent you also have to juggle school, work and spending time with your friends. Having a strong support system in place can help make things a little easier for young adults.“

Daddy Time

Schools are working to provide additional supports for fathers to encourage them to stay involved with their children.

School counselor David Raney traveled to Chicago for three days and took a class specifically designed for fathers called “Conscious Fathering.” He has proceeded to teach this class to young fathers and fathers in general in the Lawrence High population.

“It’s a research based, curriculum based education related to fathers in helping teach them to nurture and bond with their child,” Raney said. “It’s really for first-time fathers and for guys that haven’t been exposed to babies. It’s giving them basic tools. It’s teaching them to swaddle and change diapers.”

Some teen fathers have been curious about a class that can help them with the stresses of being a father.

“(This class is) really to give them tools to decrease their stress and give them tools to manage their own stress and being able to respond to their child’s needs accordingly,“ Raney said.

Gayle Anderson, who works with Parents as Teachers, said teen dads are becoming more involved in their children’s lives.

“Because of the technology and social media, we are tracking more and more professional programs and groups that are supporting dads and father-figures as significant and valuable in the growth, development and well-being of young children, “ Anderson said.

Another activity for teen dads called “Dad Days,” will take place June 13 to 17. During the event, KU football coach Turner Gill and Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Leonard Pitts will speak.

A lot of teen dads have changed their view on things and are beginning to “use their voices,” Anderson said.

Overall, being a parent is overwhelming enough, but doing it as a teenager in high school can make it that much harder. Still, parents said they’re taking challenges as they come.

“Having a baby doesn’t stop your life, it keeps it going forward, really,” Marshall said.

The clocks, however, hinder student’s abilities to manage them­selves. They fail to accurately represent the proper time causing confusion amongst the student population.

Worse, the clocks not only fail to demonstrate the proper time outside the school but are even uncoordinated to each other. Computer clocks and individual room clocks tend to have as high as 10 minute discrepancies.

All in all, these weird time shenanigans make it impossible for students to manage their classes properly. Students are unfairly punished for not having psychic abilities.

True, it is possible for students to work around this. They can avoid leaving for lunch, make sure they are never a great distance from their classes. They can leave for class early to ensure they arrive on time. But this leaves students constantly fretting over their time. Just “dealing with it” is not only inconvenient, but also keeps students from making the best use of their time.

The problem can be solved simply: Just hire someone to fix it. Even simpler, use those already employed by the school district to fix the clocks. It is not that difficult.

Worse, the clocks not only fail to demonstrate the proper time outside the school but are even uncoordinated to each other. Computer clocks and individual room clocks tend to have as high as 10 minute discrepancies.

All in all, these weird time shenanigans make it impossible for students to manage their classes properly. Students are unfairly punished for not having psychic abilities.

True, it is possible for students to work around this. They can avoid leaving for lunch, make sure they are never a great distance from their classes. They can leave for class early to ensure they arrive on time. But this leaves students constantly fretting over their time. Just “dealing with it” is not only inconvenient, but also keeps students from making the best use of their time.

The problem can be solved simply: Just hire someone to fix it. Even simpler, use those already employed by the school district to fix the clocks. It is not that difficult.

     This would mean the end of mid-day excursions to popular fast-food restaurants. This would mean the end of a student’s option to venture home for the duration of their lunch hour.

     It is the opinion of the Budget staff that the “open lunch” is an LHS institution that must be preserved. Consider these points:

     As it is, the cafeteria is grossly overcrowded, packed with mobs of students — standing in line, eagerly awaiting their afternoon meals, or sitting at the tables, filling every available seat.

     With the addition of freshmen to the LHS mix next year, this situation will be worsened to an alarming degree. If the decision to strip students of their lunchtime freedom is ratified, the crowding problem will increase tenfold.

     If the open lunch ban does indeed go into effect, the school will have a difficult time attempting to enforce it. The main problem is that there would be no conceivable way to monitor each and every entrance and exit in the school. Even with the aid of security cameras, certain areas would inevitably go unmonitored, and even more problematically, there would be absolutely no way to ensure that the grainy figures on the screen are of the proper age to be leaving campus.

     At a minimum, juniors and seniors should be able to leave because they are of legal driving age. That said, we don’t appreciate school board members who would attempt to rob any students of their right to do what they want with their free time.

     I would pull out of my driveway, steering my new car, which would be my big birthday present.

     Now, my dream has faded because laws have changed. The new laws are awful. There are a lot of people who are feeling the effect of not being able to drive at the age of 15 or 16.

     The new driving laws affect anyone under the age of 17 who hasn’t received their permit yet. The increased age for drivers is just one of the new laws approved by lawmakers. Teens already in possession of their instructional permits, farm permits and full or restricted driver’s license will not be affected by the new law.

     “The laws changing makes me mad because I’m not going to be able to get my license till I am 17,” said sophomore Aliyah Wycoff. “It makes it harder for people to get their permit also.”

     Some people say teens are not responsible and they all text and drive. But it isn’t fair that all teen drivers are classified under that one group. Stereotypes also unfairly say that women drivers are worse than male drivers. Many teens are held responsible for accidents — whether they cause them or not.

     By the time I reach 16, I may have my permit, but I still won’t be able to drive by myself. So, now I see myself on my 16th birthday still riding along with a car full of my family

     The effect of driving at 17 will not change the way I feel about driving. Although my age may be different, I still can’t wait for that day to come when I do pull away in my own car.