Social media access during non-school hours has become a significant concern for boarding students, particularly international students who rely heavily on these platforms to stay connected with family and friends back home. 

As of this year, Masters has introduced a no-phone and social media policy (see Community Standards: Respect for Shared Environment section on page 23) that blocks students from using social media while on the school internet. These current WiFi restrictions, which block social media access even during holidays and long weekends, have created challenges for the boarding community. 

During this past Presidents Day, junior Adriana Pottier, a boarder from Spain, tried to use Instagram to message some of her friends back home, only for the page not to load. This reminded her that even though it is a long weekend, the school wifi still restricts social media for boarders. 

Many boarders run into this same issue every three-day weekend or snow day. They are unable to access social media as if it were a school day which is unfair because it is a weekend or holiday where boarders should be able to use their phones and laptops without that restriction. 

Alex Cho ‘27, a boarder, said, “As a boarder, I find it very annoying that on three-day weekends, I am not able to be on social media and my WiFi cuts out at eleven pm. I think students, boarders included, should be able to enjoy their three-day weekends without treating the extra day like a school day when it clearly isn’t.”

As stated in the Student Technology Acceptable Use Policy “Use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), the Resident network and the Masters_Guest network are strictly prohibited by current students.” This policy puts boarders in a difficult dilemma of breaking a school policy or being able to use blocked websites. This policy states that Masters students are prohibited from using any internet connection on campus other than the official Masters WiFi network.  

Laura Yuan ‘25 said, “ I totally did not know this was a policy for our school. It is really unreasonable for the school to stop us from using VPN or hot spots on the three-day weekend when I want to call my family back home but am unable to due to these restrictions.”

The school should provide boarders with the same internet access on school-designated holidays, long weekends, and other non-academic periods –as stated in the academic calendar at the beginning of each school year– that they have on weekends. This would lift social media restrictions during these specified days, ensuring boarding students can maintain important connections with family and friends without encountering unexpected barriers. This solution respects both the school’s policies and boarding students’ personal time.