At the beginning of this school year, a new phone policy was issued. All students were reminded that phones should stay away during class; however, this received a negative reaction from the entire student body when it was suggested to keep cellphones in our lockers. Our group was curious about how the cellphone policy was being implemented. We were left with the following questions: do teachers follow the policy? Are the negative responses too much to handle? Are students still being irresponsible with their phones? We interviewed three knowledgeable individuals in order to get a better understanding of what the phone policy is and if there needs to be some possible changes. 

To begin, we interviewed sophomore Amelia Dunbar. When asked if the cellphone policy was too strict, she expressed that “it’s just the right amount of strict. Some classes allow it, some don’t. I would like there to be an option because most students handle them responsibly while being able to get work done. And the rules aren't really stopping anyone from having them out.” Amelia Dunbar also stated that, “phones are a distraction to students, but not that big of a deal to fully take them away. Again, most handle them responsibly.” Finally, Dunbar mentioned that it does cause more stress when we do not have access to our phones during the day. It was nice to know that some students agree with the policy. Amelia Dunbar offered some good suggestions for students who do handle their cellphones responsibly. Which brings up another question: should we all be punished for actions that may not be our own?

Next, we interviewed Ms. Boisen. For those of you readers who may not know who she is, Ms. Boisen is Mr. Mac’s student teacher who helps with English 10 and Creative Writing. Though she may seem quiet, Ms. Boisen gave us good information about the policy. She said she agrees with it as it seems “pretty fair.” Ms. Boisen believes that, “the policy should be more strict because kids lie about the location of their phone, especially when it’s supposed to be in the phone holder.” Ms. Boisen also finds students “more stressed and dependent on their phones.” As you can see, the phone policy is helpful, but our group and other students believe that there are some minor changes that can be made. 

Finally, in order to get all sides of the story, we interviewed Mr. Stokes, Dee-Mack’s assistant principal. When asked his honest opinion about the topic, he expressed that he thinks the policy is valid. In fact, Mr. Stokes is the one who proposed the cell phone policy in the first place. Obviously, he got it approved by the rest of the administration in our school. Other schools in the nation are drifting towards similar or stricter policies. This is due to the Illinois House working on a law that will be passed in 2027 for students to not have any cellphones on them during school hours. When asked if he truly believes that cellphones distract students in the classroom, he responded with, “yes, 100%. I know as an adult who’s pretty functional, I get distracted by my phone. I think students can get easily distracted because of the apps that are out there, they draw your attention in.” When asked for any extra information about the policy he responded with, “the number of incidents of negative interactions between students have decreased. Obviously, they are still present, but decreased due to teachers enforcing the policy.” 

To conclude, the phone policy must be enforced, but there can be possible changes this school year. When the state passes the law for students to not have phones at all in 2027, there will be little wiggle room. So, as a student body, we can bring attention to the issues happening now to hopefully make the transition easier for us in the future. Nonetheless, be prepared to kiss your cellphones goodbye come fall of 2027. 

Walk down the hallways of Dee-Mack High School during a passing period, and you will hear a familiar rhythm: lockers slamming, friends greeting each other, and students talking about their next major test. While core subjects like Math and English lay a necessary foundation for the future, a growing number of students and educators argue that the true heartbeat of high school engagement lies in specialized elective courses. As Dee-Mack looks toward future academic planning, introducing a wider variety of interactive electives could drastically improve student motivation, boost overall GPAs, and better prepare Chiefs for the modern workforce. 

Our group interviewed Kenny Hill, who is more than qualified for this topic, as his schedule is full of electives. We asked him what electives he would pick if he were allowed to add any to his course load. He responded by stating, “Currently I'm not really looking to add anything new. The school allowed me to add sports and entertainment marketing at my request, which has been a fun addition to my course load, but creating a new class is also a lot of work so I'm not really looking to add anything new at this time. As we continue to evolve to the changing times and the changing needs of students, adding classes on things like AI or more advanced computer science may become necessary, but right now my course load is full and that would mean cutting a different class which I would not be looking to do.” While Mr. Hill’s perspective highlights the delicate balancing act of schedule logistics and teacher workloads; many students still look down the hallways and wish for more options. 

We then visited Mr. Reiman and asked him how offering more AP classes would improve our school. He replied by stating, “Offering more AP level classes would allow the students to earn more college credits before they head off for college. I believe that higher level classes encourage students to do better. We could offer AP U.S. History, Government, Physics, Chemistry, and Statistics.” Not only would offering more electives that students are interested in encourage participation in class, but it would also benefit their future. 

Lastly, we interviewed Ms. Putney and she responded with, “I do think having more electives is a good idea. Theoretically, I think it would be worth looking into, but logistically I think there would be some challenges with trying to fit anything else into the schedule, especially when you are talking about some more singleton options that could conflict with other required courses.” Finding the space for these modern subjects without sacrificing current favorites remains a challenge for administration. Ultimately, as Dee-Mack continues to evolve, striking the perfect balance between traditional academics and forward-thinking electives will be key to keeping the Chiefs ahead of the curve.