2009
Forum
5
Cell phone ban at Clackamas sparks controversy
D rake E dwards
At Clackamas High
School, the questionable
decision to ban cell phones
has been made. Students
are not allowed to have cell
phones on campus. If they
are caught using their phone,
it's confiscated, and the only
way to retrieve it is to have
the students parents actually
come to the school for it.
Now I don't know about you,
but just reading that makes
me a little angry. Sure it's not
at our school, but what if it
was? Can you imagine how
many cell phones would be
confiscated?
I know some parents will
most likely argue something
like, "Well, I got through high
school without a cell phone."
Which, I have to admit is a
very valid point, but in this
day and age, it’s much more
difficult to do things without
staying in communication
most of the day. Say if you
were to suddenly need to stay
after school, you can't take
the bus, and you do not have
a cell phone to use because
you aren't allowed to have
one at school. So you have
to get in line to use a school
phone, which could take
away crucial time for calling
your parents.
Sure using cell phones
during class isn't good, but
in between classes is totally
fine. If we call or text during
class, we are taking class time
for our personal interests.
But during passing time,
we aren't in a class. There's
nothing that we are required
to listen or pay attention to;
Photo by Libby Kara
it's a time for us to walk to
class and talk to our friends.
With this being our time, we
should be able to use it as we
see fit, even if it means using
our phones. That is why I
believe that a policy such as
this should only be in effect
in the actual classroom. A cell
phone is only distracting if
it's being used during class,
not in between classes, during
lunch or even after school.
Did I forget to mention
that they also ban MP3
players? So that means that
you cannot listen to music
anywhere in the school.
Personally, listening to music
helps me focus when I have
an assignment in class. And
my same theory applies
to MP3 players as well as
phones. We should be able to
use it on our time, in between
class, lunch and after school.
You would expect that
after being on this earth
for 15-18 years, high
school students would be
treated like such, and not
have to have things like
their cell phones and MP3
players banned, like toys
in elementary school. Sure,
some people do abuse their
phone and music privileges,
but that doesn't mean that
everyone should be punished.
TM
Located in the basement, through a series of storage rooms and locked doors lies the Vault. The Vault holds school
records going back decades, including Amplifiers from as far back as 1921. Our editors have sorted through the papers to
reprint past articles, bringing you an interesting view of life from students of another generation.
"From the Vault" articles will appear in the corresponding section in which they were originally printed. Check each issue
of the Amplifier to find more treasures from the vault.
June 10,1986: And we're having fun with no money
J ustin W right
Do you own a stereo and
a television? Can you ride
a bike? Do you have access
to a cookbook? Is there a
laundromat nearby? Do you
know anyone who lives in an
apartment with a pool? Have
you visited your doctor or
dentist recently? Do you have
a picnic basket, paper plates,
paper towels, and a portable
radio? Is your little black
book unnervingly empty?
Do you play a portable in
strument, mime, or juggle?
Are you affiliated with the
Mafia, the Boy Scouts, or
Leadership class? Can you
drive a car? Can you write
poetry or draw cartoons?
Are your parents easy going?
Do you have a large backyard?
Do you have too much junk, but
a large garage?
If the answer to any of these
questions is yes, read on and the
ultimate truth about inexpensive
entertainment will be revealed
to you.
If you've seen all the shows
that cable has to offer, and your
record/tape collection drones
on and on with automatic pre
dictability, try watching one
while listening to the other. It
matters not which you listen to.
Mind blowing at first, but after
a while you may eliminate one
of the elements in lieu of a more
down to earth wave length. Like
whale calls.
One of West Linn's many hot
spots is its winding and end
less roads. Take out that dusty
ten-speed and head off with
only a vague destination. The
miniature trees of Wilsonville are
delightful in the evenings and
early mornings. Or try counting
all the signs that say you're enter
ing West Linn. I didn't notice any
leaving West Linn signs, so after
three or four hours of wander
ing through the rugged terrain
I thought I was in the Twilight
Zone. I kept saying, "There's the
sign post up ahead... Welcome to
West Linn... again."
A cookbook can be a useful
friend when the cooking sup
plies are low, and the tolerance
for variety is high. Try mixing
cultures. My personal favorites
are Szechwan Swedish Meat
balls, Huevos foo young, Pasta
Suzette, and refried shishkabobs.
A local laundromat can be
come an amusement park for a
night. You must hire a look-out
to spot patrolling cops and you
should wear a helmet. Relatively
in expensive.
You don't have to know any
one who lives in the apartments
where you swim, but it could
help if you forget your towel.
Stay casual and nondescript.
The next time you go for your
six month check-up, bring a
backpack and arrive early. There
are all kinds of free things that
they would love you to take.
Stickers, brochures, business
cards, even old magazines
(only take the weekly public
actions). When you get home
you should have all the mak
ings of a collage ready. Good
for a rainy day's play, or useful
as a child occupier while baby
sitting.
Instead of party hopping,
you can easily go barbecue
or picnic hopping and run no
risk of arrest. It looks very
convincing when you arrive
at the park with only a basket
full of only paper towels, cups,
and plates. From there you
can "rest for a minute" before
resuming your search for your
companions who told you to
meet them.
imm Hi f a il_______________
continued on page 6
"You have the right to have
your cell phone but just not
have it out in class."
-Robert Guzman, senior
What would you do if there
was a cell phone ban on
campus?
"I would be displeased but I
would accept it."
—Devin Hero, junior
"I’d still bring it."
—Jonny Castle,
sophomore
"I would keep it in my locker for
emergencies."
—Bailey Middleton, freshman
________All photos by Alex Houston