During the annual year-opening speech, Principal Michael Hauser had more to say then his, “don’t hate, participate” slogan. The cell phone policy that had the student’s cell phones and other electronics confined to their lockers has bent slightly to the will of the students. The student body is now allowed to carry their cell phones and music devices with them, on silent, and lunch is an electronics allowed zone. This announcement was made the first week of school, and since then, the school hasn’t changed much. This rule is a welcomed one in the high school but the true question here is not if this rule change is a good one but if there any change at all.
According to Common Sense Media, in schools where a cell phone free zone is enforced, 72 percent of teens say they use their cell phones regardless. In schools with the same policy that Moon Area High School has adopted, “66 percent of students still openly use their cell phones during school,” said Common Sense Media’s book, “High Tech Cheating.” This statistic shows that when schools try to adapt to their students, they are more willing to comply.
The authors of Schoolsecurity.org had to take a stance on cell phones due to previous problems and complications.
“We have opposed policies allowing or encouraging students to have cell phones and pagers in school.”
School Security found that, in schools that have adapted cell-phone tolerant policies have had to pay for it in a loss of school security. Moon can relate to this issue having had issues with security in the past regarding bomb threats
“Cell phones have been used for calling in bomb threats to schools and, in many communities, cell calls cannot be traced by public safety officials”
Violence is not the only concern that accompanies the new policy. There is also the issue of student cheating.
According to High School Cheating, “35 percent of teens with cell phones have admitted cheating at least once with them, and many teens do not think that acts such as looking up answers, texting friends answers, warning friends about pop quizzes, and sending each other notes are really cheating.”
According to Moon students, this form of cheating hasn’t been a problem for them yet.
“I won’t get killed for having my phone on me now,” said senior Megan Peterson
Michelle Bischak, Sophomore, felt that this new cell phone rule would have an unwanted effect on her day,” I really don’t think this is a good idea because kids are going to be texting [and] not paying attention to school”
Falling in between the students who are ecstatic and completely infuriated are those who fallowed the rules before and feel that this change will not really effect anything at all. “I didn’t use my phone anyway; I do like the rule though.” Said sophomore, Kristen Lombardo.
In all seriousness, the authority of Moon would not enact this change unless they knew that the students were ready to handle this amount of responsibility. Statistic wise, this rule is bound to cause trouble, but it all comes down to how the student body decides to handle this new found freedom. Now to ask the important questions, does anyone here get bars?