As of May 2, a new cell phone policy was passed by the Site Governance Team and went into effect on May 14. The policy was created because many UC High teachers were struggling to teach around devices. It’s hard to ignore the overwhelming number of students who stare into their laps during class, the oblivious walkers in the hall, and the unhealthy attachment students are developing from constantly needing to be available to any notification that pops up on their screens. The new policy isn’t to punish these people, but to change the learning environment of the school for the better.

   For students who are moaning and groaning about the policy and possible confiscations, take a  step back and look at the situation from a teacher’s point of view: phone addiction is causing cheating, distraction from class and teachers, detachment from learning, and one big social security blanket. “It’s going to create a conflict between teacher and student,” said English Teacher Richard Norton. “Phones have been a problem for about four to five years, but it has really grown in the past two or so.” Phones themselves aren’t necessarily the problem, but according to Norton, students are just unable to put them away when class starts. “I’m reluctantly in favor, but the policy is for practical reasons,” added Norton.

   Chemistry Teacher and Site Governance Team Teacher Representative Maureen Quessenberry stated, “It has been rough; it isn’t every student, but it’s enough of them that can’t put them [their phones] away for an hour that led to the policy.”

   Quessenberry herself has taken precautions in her own classroom to eliminate the possibility of cheating by having students check in their phones before tests. But how are other teachers attempting to keep scores true? According to U.S. News, one third of students use their cellphones to cheat in school. Many of whom apparently don’t believe they’re cheating at all: “Nearly 1 in 4 students think that accessing notes on a cell phone, texting friends with answers, or using a phone to search the Internet for answers during a test isn’t cheating” (usnews.com). And if you or a friend happen to fall into the 25 percent of students who don’t count these acts as cheating — you’re wrong.

   Students might think that they are boosting their grades by using their phones, but ironically enough, they might actually be doing themselves a disservice. According to a study conducted in 2015 by the Centre for Economic Performance, “…exam scores climbed by as much as 6 percent  in schools that imposed strict bans on cell phones” (time.com). It would seem as though without distractions in class, students can recall information better during tests.

   The new phone policy itself isn’t unreasonable. Don’t use phones during instruction time, teachers can still allow students to utilize their phones if they notify the office, a teacher will give a student a verbal warning if he/she doesn’t follow the policy, and anything pushing the boundaries of a teacher’s authority can result in confiscation. The policy even allows students to argue in defense of an accused violation. An argument going around is the fact that the phone is that student’s property and cannot be taken from them “legally,” but contrary to popular belief, it can be. The San Diego Unified School District website states “unauthorized use is grounds for confiscation of a device by school officials, including classroom teachers” (sandiegounified.org).

   It’s simple — don’t have the phone out and it won’t be taken away. “And if it is truly an emergency that would justify such use of a phone,” Quessenberry stated, “a parent can contact the office to notify you.” This new cell phone policy may take some getting used to, but it’s not the end of the nation.