Since the beginning of April, there have been at least two instances where Cal High students have either posted pictures around campus or on Twitter comparing the school to a prison or correctional facility.

After the photographs were posted on Twitter, there was a magnitude of retweets, favorites and replies, such as: “truu,” “basically,”, “on point,” and the classic crying-while-laughing emoji.

One poster proclaimed, “Please surrender all your rights as you walk in to campus!”

This is not only incorrect grammar, but false.

There are some rights that we do hold as students, such as the right to only use the bathroom exactly 58 minutes into the period, given that no other students have previously gone (because their empty bladders directly affect the contents of yours) and only after giving the teacher your cell phone and the promise of your first born child.

It’s understandable why some students may wish to compare Cal to a prison.

After all, the food we receive in the cafeteria is similar to the type that may be served to criminals found guilty of voluntary manslaughter.

But is this comparison really fair to the other students, faculty, administration, and the district?

Cal has a closed campus. That is a fact. Prisons also have closed campuses. However, Cal students and inmates alike occasionally escape from their institutions for a chance at freedom and maybe a Starbucks frappuccino.

Cal also has a strict “no eating in the main building” policy. And for a short period of time, there was also a “no eating in the cafeteria” policy as well.

Prisons have strict policies, too, but where inmates eat is never a problem. They are served three square meals a day, always in the same dining facility.  We doubt that they  would be kicked out for, say, starting a food fight.

Hence, another reason why it is unfair and untrue to compare Cal to the slammer.

Although it is true that our school colors are orange and black, suspiciously similar to the colors of an inmate’s jumpsuits, the comparison of Cal to prison is untrue.

After all, true penal institutions have visiting hours.

As one Twitter post stated, “Visiting hours are 8-3 please come visit me!!!!!”

The school’s real office hours are 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, and  visitors are required to sign in at the office. But most likely visitors would be unable to come see an inmate, we mean, student if they are in class.

Thus, there is no way Cal is similar to a prison in the slightest way.

Are we truly a school filled with juvenile delinquents? We may become so if students continue to hang pictures in the hallway, and do not obey the law of using blue tape while doing so.