Cell phone policy should be more flexible

Is it practical for the school to regulate cell phone usage during brunch and lunch and other times when students aren’t in class? Most students don’t think so. While it does not make sense for cell phones to be used in class, it is frustrating that the school’s cell phone policy prohibits cell phone use during all school hours, breaks included.

“We should be allowed to use our cell phones during brunch and lunch,” senior Sasha Golafshan said. “Realistically we shouldn’t have to go to the attendance office in order to make a phone call to a friend or parent.”

Many students often opt to call parents or friends in bathrooms or in the privacy of their cars because of the cell phone rule, but doing so is considered an unnecessary nuisance.

“A lot of people just don’t care about the cell phone policy,” senior Kacy Tachibana said. “Students have their phones out anyways; they’ll just hide them.”

Several of these students have been warned about cell phone use during school breaks.

“Last year I got my cell phone taken away when I was calling my mom to tell her when to pick me up,” Sasha said. “[A teacher] took my phone, and I couldn’t get it until after school which is unfair because I wasn’t disrupting any classes or cheating.”

In these kinds of situations, it is far more convenient for students to handle affairs like coordinating pick-up times with a parent through calls or texts rather than having to wait for one of the school’s phones.

Some teachers believe that the school’s cell phone policy is correct.

“I don’t think students should be allowed to use their phones at school,” English teacher Keren Robertson said. “I think it is to their benefit to be fully ‘present’ when they are at school. … It is good to focus on learning while they’re here.”

Teachers such as Robertson do note, however, that when the policy is enforced during class time students do not mind nearly as much as they do when the policy is enforced during breaks. Because a majority of students strongly believe that the policy should be revised, it would be reasonable to let students use cell phones on campus outside of class time.

“During class is up to the teacher,” Kacy said. “But I would recommend that the school be more flexible about letting students have their phones out at brunch, lunch and after school.”