Sparks have flown high this year as a new cell phone policy has shaken up the student body. With varying reactions coming from both students and teachers alike, it’s hard to determine how everyone truly feels about this new policy. Everyone has different feelings about this new change, from sophomores who got a taste of cell phones, to seniors who have lived with them for years, and even to teachers who have dealt with them their entire careers.
Every student has their own views on this new policy, one of them being sophomore Ramon Navarrete. Ramon’s main opinion on this new policy is that of safety; he worries how this policy will affect emergencies. His example of this was if there was a school intruder and someone had to call their mom or dad but couldn’t because they didn’t have their phone, then their parents have no idea how their child is, and their child is likely even more nervous and scared.
“I do have bits of concerns, one of them mostly being in acts of emergency per se. What if you were in a shooter [situation] and you needed to tell your mom or something?” Navarette said.
Let’s jump up a few grades to seniors, who have gone the longest with their phones. Senior Matthew White has very strong opinions on this matter, the main one being that it is horrible. As a senior and as a student at Lewis and Clark he has very little he actually has to do at school. So most days he just sleeps and is very bored.
Taking a step back from students, teachers have their own thoughts on this new policy as well. Math teacher Angie Southard has noticed that her students have been talking with each other, and herself much more than in previous years.
“Students are communicating with each other more, communicating with me more, and that translates into better learning all around,” Southard said.