West Hartford Public Schools' Information Technology Department has recently decided to remove all students' access to change their Gmail profile picture. Instead of allowing students to customize their profile pictures, our profile pictures will be set to a set of Google's default letter icons. The reason for this decision made is unknown to us, and we were not given a warning before this decision was going to be made. As follows, students have shown considerable discontentedness and frustration over the TI department's actions.

          Although it is unsure of the exact reasoning behind this decision, this situation could have been handled much more properly. To explain, it is unfair that a few students misusing their profile pictures causes the other thousands of students to lose their privilege of using profile pictures, and thus suffer from their actions. Instead, schools should communicate with those students who have made such misdemeanors to change their inappropriate profile pictures.

          Additionally, Gmail profile pictures are like clothing; a form of expression for students. We identify each other with these simple photos, and they're a fun way to create diversity and express interests amongst ourselves. If a few students broke the dress code, why would it be valid to make every other student across the district wear a set of specific uniforms? These profile pictures have not been an issue for years, and we heavily recommended the Information Technology Department to rethink its decision on this matter.