This new school year, students started with a much stricter and intense campus-wide phone ban that is completely different from last year’s rules. The new phone ban has elicited many emotions from students and teachers, as it has affected Cathedral Catholic in positive and negative ways.
This new school year brought change to using our phones during school hours, from 8-2:20. This transformed the way students and teachers interact with one another, especially during breaks and lunch. Dr. Calkins, our school’s president, helped bring this new policy to our school. Cathedral’s staff originally tried to find the main reason behind social and emotional issues and found out it was mostly the phones. Dr. Calkins states, “I would say the big reason behind this decision was the distraction the phones gave.” He wants everyone at Cathedral not to be so connected with their phone and feel like they are a part of the Dons community.
He also said that, “Teachers have expressed that the students seem more engaged. They seem happier, they seem healthier.” Most teachers agree with this as they have stated multiple times in my classes that they love this new phone ban and how it will help us academically. Dr. Calkins ties this all back to the mental health of students and how he truly wants everyone on campus to feel comfortable and like they belong at Cathedral.
Something I have noticed is a massive increase in people talking to each other and being social, however, I slightly disagree with what the teachers have to say. Last year, we had no phones in class which was perfect because after class, we were able to check our phones and use them during our breaks. It’s a completely different experience from my freshman year and part of me wishes I could go back to it.
Despite that, I originally thought that the phone ban would be pretty awful because there was no communication I could have with my friends and my family, but over time I’ve learned that it hasn’t been so bad after all. Even though it’s a huge change to have, I think that this new rule will help me become a better person in the future and encourage me to be more social with others. The phone change can also assist me in my communication and social skills, like looking in people’s eyes.
Angelina Repetti ‘28, a sophomore, says that, “I think it’d be good to not have my phone as a first resort, but I’ll always wish I could be in touch with my family and friends.” Even though the new phone policy isn’t as bad as she thought, she also wishes to have a way to communicate with people, which is most people’s problem. Many students like Repetti don’t mind the new rule, but want a way to talk with friends and family.
Jaiden Pierson ‘26, a senior, shared, “It’s overall a bit disappointing for seniors because our last year of high school, we can’t have our phones.” As many seniors were looking forward to a fun last year at Cathedral, this came as a major upset for most of them. The seniors mainly miss the communication with their friends and not being able to go on their phone. But sometimes, they think it’s good to not have the phones all the time.
Pierson also states, “On the other hand, I can socialize more compared to last year.” She thinks that being able to talk with her friends is good and not always relying on her cellphone as a form of communication.
As we get older, I hope everyone can realize that maybe this change was right for us and was needed to help us mentally and socially. However, at the moment, I understand why most people are frustrated with the difficult transition from using our phones to having them turned off.
