Sophomore Adelle Smith was shopping for a Teresian dress on her netbook during social studies teacher Richard Shrock’s world history class about three weeks ago. Shrock was explaining the Cuban missile crisis on the SmartBoard until he saw Smith’s computer screen. After class, he handed Smith an SBR.

“[The class] was boring,” Smith said. “I think if teachers make the class interesting, students are a lot less likely to online shop and play Tetris.”

STA teachers and administration have begun giving students level two SBRs for misuse of their laptops, such as playing Tetris or shopping on their netbooks. Students have accessed Tetris, a geometrical based game, since they received netbooks in August.

STA principal of student affairs Mary Anne Hoecker sees the game as a distraction to students.

“You can’t be playing Tetris and online shopping and still pay attention to the class,” Hoecker said. “It would be like a student working on homework for another class.”

Teacher Richard Shrock also sees the game as distracting to students.

“[When playing Tetris or online shopping] I feel like you are less able to pay attention,” Shrock said. “You will definitely miss things in class. But you won’t miss everything.”

Smith does not think that the game is a distraction during class.

“I think you are still able to pay attention to the teacher,” Smith said. “I don’t think something like this would have any effect on my grades.”

Hoecker said the administration became aware of this when students started receiving the SBRs.

“I believe teachers caught it on [their students’] netbooks during class because the teachers are the ones who write up most of the SBRs,” Hoecker said.

Although, according to Hoecker, teachers aren’t the only ones giving out the SBRs.

“If I were observing in a room and saw Tetris on a netbook, I could act on that,” Hoecker said. “It could be any adult in the school: teachers, administrators or staff. But mostly teachers because they are in the room.”

Smith believes that the punishment she received from Shrock was fair.

“We are supposed to be doing classwork,” Smith said. “[Online shopping] is okay in a free because you can do whatever you want. If you choose to blow off your homework in a free it’s okay, but but during class it’s not.”

STA sophomore Peyton Gajan also received an SBR, but for playing Tetris.

“I think it’s understandable that the teachers want us paying attention,” Gajan said. “It’s distracting, and I missed a lot of what the teachers were saying.”

Unlike Smith, Gajan believes that playing Tetris during class took a toll on her grades.

“Tetris will always be my favorite game, but it lowered my grade and now I am trying to raise it,” Gajan said.