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Yik Yak blocked at district schools

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After Thursday’s destructive flood of Yik Yak comments swept Staples, Westport’s administration moved swiftly to block use of the app at all district schools.

“The site was blocked [Thursday] on both the wired (for desktops) and wireless networks. We are also working directly with YikYak to set up a geo-fence around our schools to cover the cellular networks,” Director of Technology for Westport Public Schools Natalie Carrignan said.

The app can still be used outside of school, but unless settings are turned off, the geographical location of the poster is visible.

While many students at Staples were focusing on the posts made on the popular app Yik Yak Thursday, others wondered whether harsh comments could be traced back to the users who made them, despite the promise of anonymity.

Logging into the internet at school requires a student to enter their Westport Public Schools login information, which includes their student ID, so the system can track which users are currently logged into and using the school wifi.

Carignan explained that “when traffic goes out our school network to any site on the Internet, it must have an address so the traffic knows how to come back.”

Although this may cause alarm among some students, Carignan said that while it is possible to detect if a device on the Westport schools’ wifi used Yik Yak, “the message itself is encrypted and unreadable.”

Although Yik Yak has been banned at Staples, it continues to rapidly lure in more high school age users.

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Emily Wolfe, A&E Editor
Emily Wolfe ’15 personifies the word creative. In addition to playing multiple instruments, Wolfe sees her role as an A&E editor as yet another expression of her creativity. Playing violin, piano, and teaching herself guitar, it’s no wonder she loves the creative freedom of writing and editing for Inklings. Wolfe’s interest in Inklings started when she decided to make graphics for the paper after going to one of the after-school meetings for people who want to contribute their artistic abilities to the paper. As soon as she started making graphics, she decided that it was her calling to write for Inklings. It is evident that Wolfe’s passion for music translates to her passion for English and writing for Inklings. It’s all about creative freedom.  In music, the notes and chords come together to make a beautiful piece.  The same holds true for editing. All of the articles and pictures come together to make an entertaining and informative news source for the community at Staples and beyond. Not only does she feel that Inklings gives her the opportunity to express her creative side, she loves being able to learn more about her peers. “I like how we get to work with other people” she said. Wolfe believes that the interviewing process is a great way to get to know the community of Staples High School. Wolfe is ready for more creative and challenging assignments writing and editing for Inklings.“Inklings is just a fun way for me to be creative,” Wolfe said.
Greta Bjornson, News Editor
After three years of writing for Inklings, Greta Bjornson ’15 is news page editor, and has a passion for creative writing and protecting the environment. Her favorite types of articles to write are feature articles, and although she admits to not being the “loudest person in class,” her writing lets her express her wit, especially in her column Pumpkin gone wrong: the worst pumpkin foods. Outside of Inklings, she does all that she can to make a difference in the world since she knows that the environment is facing many problems right now. “My family gets really annoyed with me because I am crazy about recycling,” Bjornson said. She even admits to taking plastic items out of the trash when placed in the wrong bin. She is mainly interested in marine biology, and since she is certified in scuba diving she has done a volunteer trip to rebuild a coral reef off of Key West, Florida. Becoming a marine biologist is very important to Bjornson, but she also would like to write for a magazine when she grows up. “With whatever I end up doing, I just want to make a difference some way,” Bjornson said. With her drive to improve the world’s conflict, she is going to be a news editor who will always be dedicated to her work.  

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