This past year at Geneva High School a new phone policy was put into place. This policy requires students to put their phones into caddies at the beginning of class and not take them out until the end. After this rule was put into place, it left many individuals having mixed feelings.

The use of the phone caddy is for students to stay fully engaged with their learning experience during class.

Students may be allowed to utilize their phones for educational purposes with the permission of their teacher. In addition, students who need to make a call may proceed with the permission of a classroom teacher and the deans.

Students who fail to comply with these rules, will face appropriate disciplinary consequences. The first and second offense will end with an hour detention, the third offense will be a two-hour detention. All offenses will also have confiscation of the phone.

While phones are seized, they may be inspected by an administrator.

“I do not like the new phone policy,” senior Maddi Marciniak said. “I feel it is unsafe and not fair to the students, especially considering teachers still find it acceptable to use their phones during class.”. Many students such as Maddi have expressed their concerns about the new phone policy.

Considering Geneva has never had a phone policy this strict, students have been reluctant to give up their phones.

Some students just like to have their phones with them. “It mainly affects my anxiety, not being able to have it on me,” she said. “Especially with how useful they could be in school emergencies”.

Students even go as far as putting an old phone or calculator in the phone caddy so they can hold onto their phones. “It’s about fifty percent of students respect the policy and comply, and fifty percent of students disrespect it by sneaking around,” Marciniak said. “Though, near one hundred percent very uncomfortable with it and wish it was not enforced.”. As a student Marciniak experiences these things firsthand.

As for teachers, this new policy has been a good change. “I’ve seen huge improvement, focus, and concentration which surprised me how much I thought that it was gonna be,” teacher Mary Limberis said. With phones out of the picture, it’s easier for students to concentrate and pay more attention to their classes.

Students socialize with each other more now that they don’t have their phones. “I don’t think it’s phone related but I think classes are more positive, there’s more energy, people seem to be a little bit happier,” she said. Students tend to forget about people around them when they’re on their phones.

Most teachers do agree that phones need to be put away. “I think it is a good policy,” teacher Thomas Chernich said. “Cell phones can be a distraction, so I don’t think it’s too much to ask to have phones put away during the class period and really it’s what a lot of people are gonna have to get used to once they go to the workplace,”. Students need to prepare for their futures without phones and high school is a good place to start.

“I really was like oh no, people can manage it, they’re gonna have to manage it, but I see adults even in the workforce that struggle with it,” Mrs. Limberis said.

In the end, teachers can’t expect students to be perfect with this new policy. “I think being fair is always a good thing you know, students are human too and they have needs and things going on in their lives,” Mrs. Limberis said.