In the 2016-17 school year, the CB South Titans have made a return along with a new principle and some new policies. 

During the summer of 2016, administration came together and talked about the idea to form a stricter policy regarding cell phone use in class.

Junior house office principal Bridget Pustay explained that the reasoning for this new policy was to give more structure and a clearer understanding to cell phone use in class for students and faculty. She added that it “improves the conversation with students sent to the office with a cell phone referral.”

In previous years, CB South had no strict policy regarding cell phone use and there was no punishment enforced by faculty. This year, the policy gives specific warnings and punishments that is enforced.

Mrs. Pustay said that she has found a decrease in cell phone referrals in the 2016-17 school year. She added that she prefers this policy over any previous one at CB South.

Mrs. Pustay and guidance counselor Mrs. Ladley explained that there is no cell phone policy like this in college and that the college students know the appropriate time to use their phones.

However, Mrs. Pustay explained that this enforced policy teaches a form of “self-etiquette.” She added that the cell phone policies are much stricter in the middle school level.

English and Journalism teacher Ms. Lauren Woehr highly approved of the new policy. She said, “There was a round of applause at the faculty meeting when the staff first heard about the policy.”

Media Production teacher Mrs. Jayne Weiss also agreed with this policy, saying, “Students need to find balance and use the phone when/where appropriate,” and adding that the policy also gave faculty a clear policy to follow and enforce.

Mrs. Weiss also added, “As a teacher who uses phones often in class, I am glad we are still allowed to choose when students can use [their phones] instead of a total ban.” The policy is mainly dependent on teacher discretion.

The policy’s biggest advantage is how “simple” and “easy to follow” it is, according to Mrs. Pustay and Mrs. Weiss.

They both added that the policy does not take away any student freedom. Junior Harper Hale disagreed.

Hale found the policy “annoying,” and considers it a “big shift” from last year. She did not like the idea of a Saturday detention and struggled to understand what the big deal is when it comes to small-scale phone use. Hale said, “I send one little text and get an hour detention for it.” However, at the same time, she concluded that it does have a major advantage because “it forces [students] to focus.”

There are many different viewpoints of the new cell phone policy, but it has already made a large impact on CB South students and faculty. Let’s see how well we, student and faculty, can adhere to it for the rest of the year.