At Elder High School, playing games on your laptop is almost a guarantee during class. Even though all students signed an agreement to swear not to get on any illegal sites, a school day isn’t complete without playing a few games here and there.

It’s not easy to get away with playing games in class but many kids seem to have mastered it. Even the freshman figure out how to get away with it and they have trouble getting around the hallways. The hardest thing to do is play a fast-paced game because you have to constantly look up at the teacher to make them think you are listening and paying attention.

Like I said, many have mastered the art of that but others choose not to play games at all. One person comes to mind and that person is Peyton Ramsey. Peyton is known for being a very intelligent kid and does very well in school. Some may even call him a “teacher’s pet” but in my opinion, he just wants to do well which I respect.

Somehow Peyton was in my Algebra I freshman year when Coach Currin was the teacher. Safe to say he excelled and I didn’t do so well. Some may say that he tried a lot harder than most but I’ve boiled it down to one thing: Peyton didn’t play games or get on sites he wasn’t supposed to in class like most of the other students.

I asked why he doesn’t play games and Peyton responded, “Playing games won’t help you pay the bills and put food on the table.”

Some teachers completely take that option away from a kid by not letting them use their computers in class. Coach Nie is one of those teachers. He is a math teacher so not using your computer isn’t a big deal because doing math problems involves using a pencil and paper.

Besides, anyone confident enough to try and play games during his class should be rewarded with a medal because that takes some guts.

Chris Fox, another senior here at Elder loves taking the risk of playing games in class. When I am in class with Christopher, I always see him playing a game called New Star Soccer. Chris told me it was one of his favorite games to play.

“I love the adrenaline rush I get when I win big money at the casino or scoring a goal when my team needs me most,” said Fox. Recently, I’ve started playing the game and I couldn’t agree with him more. Your heart starts to race and I feel like I’m in the game.

Another game I’ve seen Chris play is a game called Cat with Bow Golf. As bad as it sounds, it really is a fun play and I highly recommend it. Chris said, “People underestimate the intensity of the game but I get into it and can’t get enough of it.”

Even though playing games is frowned upon at Elder, especially after signing that agreement, a student always catches himself searching the web to find something to do during the day.

Playing a game or two isn’t the worst thing as long as you still pay attention in class and keep your grades up. If your grades start to plummet, turn that laptop off and start paying attention in class.