The SAS hallways were buzzing about the new phone ban policy. Now, the talk has faded, but the countdown to October 26th is nearing zero, and nobody seems ready for it.
“A Change to HS Phone Expectations” was the first email from SAS staff that I fully read in my 4 years at this school. I cringed at the shocking heading and the “in-community” sign-off. At the time, this change–set to take effect on Monday, October 26th at 8:00 AM–was all anyone could talk about. Now, it has faded, forgotten as news of the past. The countdown to the phone ban is now nearing single digits, and nobody seems to realize how real this change will be for our school.
When the email was sent out, everyone kept agreeing on one thing: “This doesn’t feel like a good idea, and it won’t actually do anything for our community.” While SAS normally encourages a democratic “we are all equal” approach, why is this change, which no one seems to agree with, still happening? What will happen when the countdown hits zero?
"While many students seem to have forgotten these details because the ban seems so far away, I remain here."
The mass-sent email included a good two paragraphs welcoming questions and meetings for students to share their opinions. They expressed that opposing opinions for this ban “may change the decision.” But I don’t know a single student who actually showed up in these meetings to advocate. Coming from personal experience, I don’t choose to schedule a meeting to fight with a dean over a rule during my lunch break. It is an uncomfortable situation many students don’t want to go through. Nobody agrees with it. Yet, it's happening anyway. So, did any SAS students actually speak up?
Admittedly, this email has a point. It is hard to find a student in our giant community walking during passing time, lunch, or after school without the usual 14 x 7 cm phone in hand. Personally, my phone gives me a sense of security. I never feel uneasy or stressed waiting in line alone, because I can text or catch up with someone through Snapchat, Instagram stories, and TikTok videos. One day, while thinking about the ban, I walked past the cafeteria at lunch to see how many people were glued to their phones. To my surprise, most people were talking and laughing with one another, rather from being glued to their phone and dissociated from those around them. When I asked one of them about the phone ban, they rolled their eyes and said, “How much research did the deans do before concluding that phones are a giant problem?”
To be fair, as students, we have been called out for many things we have done wrong: not cleaning up after ourselves, breaking school property, coming to classes late, skipping school when we have a test we’re not ready for, and not wearing the correct uniform. The school has handled many of these issues appropriately. However, as a senior, I have realized I have to take accountability for my own responsibility and maturity. The phone ban shows their lack of trust in the senior class of 2027. With all the rules the school has, this ban once again restricts 12th graders who will soon be on their own at universities without parental supervision.
There is still so much left to wonder about, criticize, and agree with in this schoolwide modification. While many students seem to have forgotten these details because the ban seems so far away, I remain here. I am hopeful that some students did advocate for the student body, hopeful that some changes to this policy’s implementation have been made, and hopeful that the timer to October 26th slows down.
