This year, Jesuit administrators decided to take the “no phones visible” rule more seriously than in years passed. The stricter enforcement of the rule caused multiple students to get a JUG, to many students’ surprise.
This rule has existed for years, according to Mr. DeKlotz, but this year, the administration opted to enforce the rule more strictly.
“The goal was to start off, in class meetings, being transparent about [the rule being taken more seriously], and before the first day of real school,” DeKlotz said.
Nevertheless, some students were still surprised on the first day of school when they got a JUG for violating the rule.
“I thought that I was going to get a warning because it really hadn’t registered in my mind that I wasn’t supposed to have it in my pocket, and I wasn’t on it,” junior Agamya Guttal said.
One of the main reasons for her surprise was the lack of warning. Administration did make sure the rule was known at class meetings and in emails, but no warnings were given out to students breaking the rule on the first day of school, only JUGs were.
“With it being a policy that wasn’t really advocated for much last year, I think a warning would have been helpful. That’s what I would have expected to be done, especially with … making it a lot more strict this year,” Guttal said.
However, the administration emphasized the rule’s benefits for students.
“I want people to understand that we are serious about it, and it’s for their own benefit: less distraction during the school day. And here’s the thing, all your peers here at Jesuit are not supposed to be on their phones either. [You’re] not missing anything,” Ms. Kent said.
Jesuit isn’t the only school trying to curb cell phone use during the school day. New rules have been enacted in public schools in the Portland area.
“There’s definitely been more of a national movement about banning cell phones from school. I know there’s at least a couple high schools in the Portland area that have [Yondr pouches],” Mr. DeKlotz said.
According to a KGW news article, both Grant and Cleveland High School have created stricter phone policies that include putting students’ phones in Yondr phone pouches this school year. The pouches are lockable phone cases for students to seal their phones in during school hours. The schools hoped that the new rule would cause the students to pay attention to the teacher, not to their phones.
In comparison to other schools around the nation and in the Portland area this year, Jesuit phone use restrictions have been generous. By making phone restrictions more serious, Jesuit listens to the Surgeon General of the United States and his statement that classifies phone usage as a health issue for anxiety.
“We don’t think we have a severe problem or anything like that, but we recognize it does impact students’ well-being and health,” DeKlotz said.
According to the Surgeon General and Jesuit administration, the “no phones visible” rule is for the safety and well being of the Jesuit student in mind.
Link to KGW news articles:
https://www.kgw.com/article/news/education/portland-public-schools-student-cell-phone-restrictions/283-86cbad86-6775-4821-a372-10738c7509ce
https://www.kgw.com/article/news/investigations/student-cell-phone-pouches-test-portland-public-schools/283-64141077-8f38-4e52-bb7c-adee4a725e0a
