WOODBURY — It officially was time for Nonnewaug to exchange Chromebooks again, but this time something changed. Every student was given a clear plastic case, though in previous years these cases weren’t provided.
“They are kind of ugly,” said freshman Noemi Aguilar-Cortes, “but I didn’t really mind.”
Some students saw the new cases as a positive addition that students could adjust to and a protective measure for the new computers.
“What I like about them is that I’ve seen some people decorating the inside,” said freshman Chloe Whipple. “[Students] can do some personal decor for [their] computer.”
For some students, they’d prefer to have no case at all on their new devices.
“What I don’t like is that they are really big and the little things on the bottom don’t allow them to slide easily, that’s annoying,” Whipple said.
“I use them because I don’t want to get yelled at,” Maddie St. Marie said. “Honestly, it’s just really annoying to open and close them. It’s kind of getting in the way.”
While faculty and staff who helped with distributing Chromebooks understand these inconveniences, they also see the new cases as helpful in preserving the Chromebooks.
“The reactions for most were pretty positive,” said Deb Flaherty, NHS’ library media specialist who helped facilitate the Chromebook exchanges. “I think one of the selling points we were trying to say to kids was, if [students] don’t use [the case] and it breaks, and tech determines that it could have been not broken if you have had your case on it, then you might get charged for it.”
It also seems like students agree with what Flaherty had to say, as breaking the Chromebooks is the last thing students want to do. Overall, opinions of the topic are mixed, but every student gets to decide for themselves if they want the cases on or off.
“It lowers the chances of breaking them and having to go through the process of paying,” Aguilar-Cortes said.
