2018 is a new school year full of new students. Most importantly (to the administration at least), are the new rules. This school year, BSM has revamped the handbook to create a better and more efficient learning environment. However, many students feel these new additions do more harm than good.

Smart watches are once again banned, but new to the handbook this year is the policy against wireless headphones, better known by their brand name, AirPods. “Kids had them in their ears during tests and were using the headphones to feed them answers, specifically in Spanish class,” science teacher Ms. Jennifer Rouschar said.

Although staff and teachers are on board with this new rule, students who own AirPods can no longer use them are quite upset. “Being an owner of AirPods, I feel robbed because I invested $150 into them, and I’m annoyed that I spent 75% of my time here, and I can’t even use them. However, I understand in terms of cheating why they’d be banned,” senior Jane Hoyt said.

Cost seems to be a primary factor upsetting AirPod owners. “People spent a lot of money on the new headphones, and they want to use them at school, but now they can’t,” senior Boe Riemenschneider said.

Although the majority of students are upset, some are happy about the ban of wireless headphones. “I’m happy they are gone. I hate when people walk around with only one in their ear, thinking they are so cool,” junior Charlie Deterding said.

In addition to banning wireless earbuds, another new addition to the BSM handbook is the hall pass rule. The rule states that students may not share a pass; even if students are going to the same place, both need a hall pass. “From a teacher perspective, we are accountable for where students are throughout the day. The biggest aspect is knowing where the student came from and where are they going. If something were to happen, we need to be able to track down the teacher and know where the students are,” religion teacher Mr. Michael Becker said.

Many students have accepted this new hall pass rule without frustration, but the new tardy rule, on the other hand, has students rather worried. “I’m late every day and I don’t want to have a million detentions my senior year,” senior Aiana Whitfield said.

The new handbook rule states: “Students will receive a warning upon the third tardy. Upon the fifth and subsequent tardy to any class, a detention will be assigned. The detention must be served the day of or the next school day after the detention is assigned. Excessive tardies to class may result in loss of credit for the class.”

Last year, 12 tardies led to an unexcused absence, and so many unexcused absences lead to a failed class. One’s grade should only reflect their performance in that class, not their ability to arrive on time. “By changing the tardy rule we wanted to prevent time management from affecting class credits,” Assistant Principal Ms. Cami Dahlstrom said.