A less distracted student, a more digitized Columbus

by Gabriel Olano

Finals and AP exams came to a close in May and June as Columbus students eagerly prepared for three months without ties, loafers, and IXL – total freedom. June and July quickly passed, and it was suddenly orientation week in August. Underclassmen and upperclassmen sat in the gym’s bleachers for a grade-wide assembly as they took off their AirPods in fear of detention in week 0, immediately thereafter notified that that was the last time they’d have earbuds in their ears during school. 

Amidst headlines of New York and other states clamping down on students’ phone usage, Columbus began the school year by implementing their own two, new technology restrictions:  

1. Enforced phone pockets in every classroom 

2. No headphones ever unless for class activities 

Phone pockets have seen a significant increase in popularity amongst teachers in the past two years, and what was becoming the norm is now law as all students must tuck their phones away in their designated pocket before class starts – a routine now as familiar as the per-period prayer conducted by most teachers.  

Though most students are already unappreciative of being forced to spend over five hours with their screens in pockets other than their own, they’re not even experiencing the whole policy. As per the student handbook, phones are also prohibited in all hallways and restrooms, with no specification of being exceptional to class time.  

Senior Karim Abdul acknowledges that while he’d rather keep his phone on him, the rule “definitely removes the distractions of notifications and constantly checking for texts.”

While Mas student Matthew Mosquera adds that, “it’s annoying, but it helps us break our addictions.” 

These same mixed feelings are mirrored in the second novel restriction, the headphone ban. This amendment to the student handbook follows last year’s one-earbud rule, all with the intent of ensuring students’ maximum awareness and attention in the event of any emergency or important announcement.   

Many students live with their headphones as attached to them as their phones if not more. As a result, they’ll forget they’re even wearing them and constantly walk into class with them on, much to teachers’ disdain. The new rule attempts to combat this phenomenon as well by removing the possibility of any headphones in the first place.

Student-musician Mauricio Coronel believes there is value to the ban, but that it goes too far.

“I get that [headphones] can stand in the way of teachers’ and administrators’ instructions, directions, announcements,” he recognizes, “but the fact we can’t listen to absolutely any music between classes doesn’t make sense to me.”  

School policy does allow students to use their headphones during lunch, though, unlike many other schools.

While Columbus started off the year pulling students away from their beloved devices, it itself embraced new technologies. 

“Explorer” became the new default Wi-Fi for students through a setup process on their MacBooks. Those who missed the various emails or their homeroom teacher’s instructions for using the new networks struggled in their first few days back as the previous “Adelante” server became increasingly non-functional. 

Students were also greeted by a new OnCampus “Assignment Center” layout that features a weekly calendar view at its forefront and the ability to be filtered by class and assignment status.  

The school’s final technological advancement came in the form of the new ConciergePad Hall Pass system – the technological response to 30-minute bathroom breaks and mid-class campus strolls. Students’ out-of-class activities are completely tracked as their locations and time spent are recorded. 

The beginning of the 2024-2025 school year saw Columbus embracing its increasing digitization. These changes are not at all surprising, as they clearly reflect current U.S. trends around decreasing digital distractions, as well as the growing prevalence of all kinds of electronic innovations in our lives.