NationStates Jolt Archive

People (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human) in fights (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fight) have called for backup on cell phones (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cell_phone) and schools (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/School) are upset because they can't stop it. So they decide to ban cell phones. While I think cell phones are from Satan (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satan), along with guns (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun), crossbows (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crossbow), Google (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google), automobiles (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automobile), and other things...I think banning cell phones is ridiculous. A more effective plan, which would be quite humorous would be to purchase a cell phone jammer (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cell_phone_jammer) that would render them all incapable of being used in the school area: a figurative 'black hole (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_hole)', if you will.

Link (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070127/ap_on_re_us/milwaukee_cell_ban)

MILWAUKEE - School brawls have gone high tech, with students using cell phones to call in reinforcements — in one case requiring police and pepper spray to break up a fight that swelled to about 20 family members on school grounds.

The fracas earlier this month, in which six students and three adults were arrested, was the latest in a surge of cell phone-related fights and prompted Wisconsin's largest school district to ban cell phones in its 217 schools beginning Monday.

"We consider (cell phones) almost as weapons because when they call, we're the ones out in front and we don't know these people are coming," said Mike Heese, safety security assistant at Bradley Tech High School, where the fight happened.

Prosecutors are also taking a tougher stance. Adults who harm anyone at a school could face felony charges, said Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm. Penalties in the past were often fines for disorderly conduct.

Milwaukee joins a growing number of school districts that prohibit or limit cell phones. But many bans, including those in New York City, Los Angeles and Boston, were imposed because the phones cause distractions or are used to cheat.

Milwaukee Public Schools have had about one cell phone-augmented fight a month in the last three years, but it seems to have worsened during the last year, said Peter Pochowski, the schools' director of safety and security.

Two years ago, a fighting student used his cell phone twice in a matter of weeks to summon two carloads of family members, Pochowski said.

Jamilynn Brushel, 18, a senior at Bradley Tech, said she would rather see stricter security guards and teachers, because students who want to fight will do so even without cell phones.

"They won't need people coming in," Brushel said. "They'll just get people who are already here."

Dorcas Lopez is a mother of two, including a 12-year-old middle schooler who needs to call her when he's done with basketball. But as a social work assistant at a Milwaukee high school, she has seen kids misuse phones to get someone to lie for them to get them out of school.

She said she does not feel any safer with the ban. "Whatever is going to happen is going to happen," Lopez said.

The district will expel students who use cell phones to summon outsiders for a fight, Superintendent William Andrekopoulos said.

Others could be suspended, have their phone temporarily confiscated, or have a conference with the student or parents. There will be exceptions to the ban for hardship cases, he said.

"I think people have to rise themselves up from a level of convenience to a level of safety," Andrekopoulos said. "I think that's where we're at in this country."

They obviously don't realise that you can use mobile phones to call for help too.

You're dealing with a delicate situation because of the nature of the technology. While on the one hand you can utilise it to call for help, it can be an annoyance for any teacher.

The students are after all, there to learn and not talk on the phones with their friends.

NYC banned cell phones in public high schools a while ago, iirc.

I wish this had happened at my high school while I still went there.
Im one of those silly people who has memories of the time when people could live without the damn things.
(is dragged off by Agents from the Verizon Ministry of Telecommunications)

I think the problem runs a bit deeper than cell phones if the students' families are happy to collect 20 other family members and get into fights with them...

I think the problem runs a bit deeper than cell phones if the students' families are happy to collect 20 other family members and get into fights with them...
I keep imagining truckloads of ugly old uncles, aunts, and grannies coming in to fight. lol.

You're dealing with a delicate situation because of the nature of the technology. While on the one hand you can utilise it to call for help, it can be an annoyance for any teacher.

The students are after all, there to learn and not talk on the phones with their friends.

See, it's my opinion that if somebody doesn't have the discipline to pay attention, they deserve to fail. At least by high school. I do see the point for earlier than that, forcing such things upon them, but really. By the time you're in high school, you should know not how to be an idiot.

I keep imagining truckloads of ugly old uncles, aunts, and grannies coming in to fight. lol.

With banjos.

See, it's my opinion that if somebody doesn't have the discipline to pay attention, they deserve to fail. At least by high school. I do see the point for earlier than that, forcing such things upon them, but really. By the time you're in high school, you should know not how to be an idiot.

Here, here!

Meh Cell phones are already being banned right and left in schools anyway.

Very simply, arrest all people who don't belong at the school who have come there to fight for trespassing and felony assault.

What's with the Wiki-esque opening post?

Yeah, honestly, it's like CtrlC+V right to us... wtf?

Anyway, i dont really see what banning cellphones is going to do for the students... I mean, honestly, how many really care and will bring their cell to class anyway.

Now, if they only had pay phones there, I might see their beef...:p

Maybe if they stepped in to quell ethnic violence (eep, theres an action in there that might involve some work! ban cellphones!) this wouldnt be a problem.

next time a guy phones his g/f to say hi, a dozen campus police are gonna be on his ass.

I'm surprised that people are using mobile phones in fights, and to be honest, I can't think that it's the real reason why they're being banned in schools. I think it's more likely that people are sitting around playing Snake and chatting to their mates rather than working, and teachers aren't particularly best pleased.

It's probably something to do with the Patriot Act / Zionists / The Liberal Media / something in that vain, mind.

http://www.thecellfreak.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/08/cellphone%20throwing%20competition.jpg

See, this is what im picturing, only the kid isnt a kid and hes like a beaner or something.

Wisconsin bans cell phones in schools?

Oh yeah? Well... well I'm going to ban Wisconsin in school cell phones!

Why did you link every word to Wiki? Do you assume I don't know what Google is? Perhaps automobiles?

How about this (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annoying)?

Cell phones were always banned when I was in school. People carried them anyway, but used them only when absolutely necessary, in most cases. They were also banned on busses, if I remember right.

We had to think of some ingenius ways of overcoming the cell phone gap, such as making plans ahead of time and sticking to them, without 40 calls to confirm. Days of antiquity, those were. A typical exchange could've gone:

"Want to see a movie this weekend?"

"Sure, which one, and when?"

"How about Movie A, at 8:30 tonight?"

"Sounds fine, I'll meet you there."

Thank God we've become more civilized since then.

Cell phones were always banned when I was in school. People carried them anyway, but used them only when absolutely necessary, in most cases. They were also banned on busses, if I remember right.


sounds like paradise! really! cellphones are an annoying PITA!

I think that preventing kids from using mobile phones is a good idea. It's nowhere different than telling them off for reading comics while attending a class - you are supposed to pay attention to what the teacher is saying, and I'm afraid that -generally- kids can't be trusted to be able to understand that it's for their own good that they have to concentrate on the lesson they're being taught instead of wasting time with those marvellous toys that mobile phones are.
Frankly, I can't see what would a kid at school need a mobile phone - there is a responsible adult with them called teacher, you know, they aren't supposed to need calling someone else.
Plus, I disagree with ANY kind of status symbol being showed at school - uniforms or strict rules about clothes and schoolgear are ok for me, I've seen too many kids getting depressed because they don't have the same state-of-the-art, expensive schoolgear that richer kids in their same classes are given by their parents.
So, down with mobile phones at school!

And, if a kid wants some distraction, he could read a book under the desk, just like I did when the lesson became boring because the teacher was repeating for the umpteenth time the same bit for the benefit of the slowest of my classmates. I went through Verne, Salgari, Rodari, Tolkien, a bit of Calvino...

Why did you link every word to Wiki? Do you assume I don't know what Google is? Perhaps automobiles?

How about this (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annoying)?

See also

* Distraction
* Agitation
* Frustration
* Kathy Griffin
* Shane Warne
* Tom Cruise


I loled.

I think that preventing kids from using mobile phones is a good idea. It's nowhere different than telling them off for reading comics while attending a class - you are supposed to pay attention to what the teacher is saying, and I'm afraid that -generally- kids can't be trusted to be able to understand that it's for their own good that they have to concentrate on the lesson they're being taught instead of wasting time with those marvellous toys that mobile phones are.
Frankly, I can't see what would a kid at school need a mobile phone - there is a responsible adult with them called teacher, you know, they aren't supposed to need calling someone else.
Plus, I disagree with ANY kind of status symbol being showed at school - uniforms or strict rules about clothes and schoolgear are ok for me, I've seen too many kids getting depressed because they don't have the same state-of-the-art, expensive schoolgear that richer kids in their same classes are given by their parents.
So, down with mobile phones at school!

And, if a kid wants some distraction, he could read a book under the desk, just like I did when the lesson became boring because the teacher was repeating for the umpteenth time the same bit for the benefit of the slowest of my classmates. I went through Verne, Salgari, Rodari, Tolkien, a bit of Calvino...

I usually draw random pictures or plan what I will post on NS later that day...

I usually draw random pictures or plan what I will post on NS later that day...

You sound pretty addicted?

With banjos.


While yelling ... " Caela ie'lle! " ( Have at thee! ):D

You sound pretty addicted?

That's all I could think of at the moment. I also plan other things...like...well less legal things...hehehe...

I'm surprised that people are using mobile phones in fights, and to be honest, I can't think that it's the real reason why they're being banned in schools. I think it's more likely that people are sitting around playing Snake and chatting to their mates rather than working, and teachers aren't particularly best pleased.

It's probably something to do with the Patriot Act / Zionists / The Liberal Media / something in that vain, mind.

Honestly, fights, the distraction of people goofing off with them or letting them ring in class, and people getting mugged for their electronics are why they are banned in NYC. People have been using them to call in "their homies" from OTHER schools to fight.

Is it very widespread? I'd have said no, except that it's happening in Wisconsin too.

I think that preventing kids from using mobile phones is a good idea. It's nowhere different than telling them off for reading comics while attending a class - you are supposed to pay attention to what the teacher is saying, and I'm afraid that -generally- kids can't be trusted to be able to understand that it's for their own good that they have to concentrate on the lesson they're being taught instead of wasting time with those marvellous toys that mobile phones are.
Frankly, I can't see what would a kid at school need a mobile phone - there is a responsible adult with them called teacher, you know, they aren't supposed to need calling someone else.
Plus, I disagree with ANY kind of status symbol being showed at school - uniforms or strict rules about clothes and schoolgear are ok for me, I've seen too many kids getting depressed because they don't have the same state-of-the-art, expensive schoolgear that richer kids in their same classes are given by their parents.
So, down with mobile phones at school!

And, if a kid wants some distraction, he could read a book under the desk, just like I did when the lesson became boring because the teacher was repeating for the umpteenth time the same bit for the benefit of the slowest of my classmates. I went through Verne, Salgari, Rodari, Tolkien, a bit of Calvino...


Throughout highschool, I kept my parents' second cell phone in my bookbag, turned off all day. More often than not, it saved my ass rather than caused trouble. Our bus system is horrendously disorganized and uncommunicative, so by the time I was shuttled from my highschool to the mutual pick-up point(all of the magnet schools in the county caught the bus at the same school in the afternoons, and we had to ride shuttles from our respective schools to get there), my bus had already left about half the time, and I was stranded. I learned I could not rely on teachers to call someone to pick me up, as they, without fail, assumed it was my own fault that I missed the bus, even when it left before the highschools even dismissed!

In many cases, there is a simple lack of caring amongst the faculty, and a communication breakdown overall -- thus creating the need for a cell phone.


As for the status symbol issue, apparently my highschool was out of the loop -- my school was notorious for the students straddling the poverty line. When it came to clothing, we had challenges --- since most of us shopped at Walmart, GoodWill, Salvation Army, and anywhere cheap, we'd buy old clothes, take them apart, and make something new out of them. It was like a competition of who could make the best outfit out of the cheapest stuff. It's not like there was any shunning of the loser or anything -- we didn't have time for that shit. With AP exams looming, it always seemed kind of stupid to get all clique-y --- after all, you never know who's going to end up tutoring you next week.