Even though Triton has banned cell phones and iPods from school beginning this year, students still feel they should have them in certain places.

“In studies (iPods should be allowed) so if you don’t have anything to do, you don’t disturb others,” said Triton senior Andrew Fecteau. They should also be allowed “during class when we get assigned work because it helps me focus.”

But as of September they are banned from everywhere at Triton Regional including, studies, classrooms, and lunch.

There could potentially be a way to reverse the recently set ban, according to Assistant Principal Scott Brennan.

“Students can talk to teachers, school council, and have people to sign a petition,” he said.

According to the Triton Student Handbook: “Use of electronic devises (beepers, cell phones (including text messaging), iPods, mp3 layers, radios, CD players (all with or without headphones) and laser pens during school hours is prohibited. Failure to comply will result in the forfeiture of the device and will result in disciplinary action.”

Students have been asking for a while why the devices have been banned. Some don’t understand the concept.

“It was an awful idea because it honestly helps me focus on my work because it tunes out the people that don’t have work and are chatting away around me,” said senior Kerri Carleton.

Brennan said the main reasons for the ban were “because a lot of cheating (happens with the devices) and a lot of Ms. Dawe and my time was being wasted by searching for the items that were stolen.”

Some teachers also agree with Brennan.

“Students need time to focus and they are to distracted by them,” Mr. Dube, a math teacher at Triton Regional, said, “If they let them use it in studies the lines would get blurred of where you can use them and not and (students would) use them outside of study.”

Still, some experts say iPods and cell phones can be used in a positive way.

According to a recent article from the Daily News, a speaker named Ray McNulty, after talking to students from Pentucket learned that, “more than just text messaging their friends, students relied on cell phones to check the time lieu of wearing wristwatches, to snap photos of the homework board instead writing in assignment books and to fill in their calendars of after school activities and school events.”

Not just at Triton is the cell phone and iPod ban taking place. Such places as New York and Maine also have similar bans.

A New York state senator said recently that three pedestrians have been run down because they were listening to their iPod. While other people would yell out to watch out, they were not be able to respond. Soon New Yorkers will face a fine of $100 if they cross traffic listen to their iPod or talk on their cell phones.

Also in Augusta Maine a bill to ban teen drivers from using cell phones and other electronic devices was approved by the state’s Transportation Committee.

It bans drivers under 18 with an intermediate license from using the phone in the first 180 days of having a license.