The day you turn 18, you are considered a legal adult. You are considered responsible enough to go out on your own and make decisions.

At 18 you have the right to vote and purchase things such as tobacco products and lottery tickets. You’re allowed to enter facilities where only adults are allowed. Being 18 essentially gives you the right to do whatever you want (within the law, that is).

At Ludlow High School these adults have the right to sign out of school whenever they like. This year, however, things have changed a bit.

After signing out and leaving, your parent or guardian will receive a phone call informing them that you have left the building. Administrators say this is to keep them informed in the event of an emergency.

Yet, do the parents or guardians really need a phone call every time their “adult child” signs out? What about kids who have a 7th period study? Won’t a daily phone call get a little annoying?

I agree that parents may be concerned if there was ever an emergency in our school, but they could call their son or daughter’s cell phone.

What if an 18-year-old is cut early from a shift at work? Will the boss call mom or dad? I don’t think so.

If a student is at all concerned about grades, he or she will only leave during a study. Most parents will pick up on the pattern. If the student is not concerned and skips classes, there’s not much a parent can do to an adult anyways.

Since most students are still in school when they turn 18, there’s not much time to take advantage of the privileges of adulthood. Signing yourself out is one of the first things students can do when they reach adulthood, but now that privilege is being tainted.