In the past years at BHS, a student’s behavioral problems were the only thing that could really disrupt a class. Now that technology has a major role in our society, a new form of distraction has been added. Thanks to cell phones, it only takes one ring during a test to set off a bout of laughter. Because of this, we have gotten cell phones outlawed for good. This policy, though, can serve as an inconvenience to people that aren’t really trying to cause trouble.

This rule is enforced too strongly in our school. Some kids take out their phones during study hall to check the time, and if the monitors catch sight of the screen, the phone will be whisked away in a matter of seconds. At lunch, the teachers scan the crowds of students, just waiting to pounce on the next person who pulls out their phone and starts dialing. Why is it that people’s iPods are getting stolen and the administrators barely notice, and at the same time, the adults in our school are taking away any cell phone that comes into view? Anyway, what’s the problem with using a cell phone during lunch? It’s not exactly disruptive to anybody- there’s enough noise in the cafeteria already without phones ringing.

Not everybody who uses a cell phone is being annoying, either. Some kids have to call their parents during lunch or study hall about various things, all of which could be important. They could be calling to leave school early because of an orthodontist appointment, or they could be asking their parents to bring sports equipment to school. Here is an example in which, if my cell phone had been taken away, my chances of making a sports team could have been affected.

During the week of sport tryouts, I was preparing to go to softball after school. It was only then that I realized I had forgot to bring my glove and bat to school, and without them, I obviously wouldn’t have been able to play. I remembered the school’s rules about cell phones, so during lunch I walked down to the attendance office, which was locked and empty. I was forced to duck my head and use my cell phone quickly as not to attract the attention of the teachers, and I managed to shut it off in time. Luckily, my parents did bring my equipment to school, but it would have been a whole lot easier if I could have just used my cell phone.

So, if you have ever been one of the victims of the unfair cell phone rule, you know what an inconvenience it is- especially when you don’t get it back until the next day. All we can do to fight the policy is to shut off our phones so they don’t ring during class, making them less distracting. Maybe if we all show teachers that cell phones aren’t that bad, we will be allowed to use them at least during lunch. This would make it easier for all of the students here- the ones who really need to use their phones and, yes, the ones who are just fooling around.