There was a demonstration yesterday in front of the Secondary School for Law, which is, along with the Secondary School for Research and the Secondary School for Journalism, housed in the old John Jay High School on Seventh Avenue between 4th and 5th Streets. These kids, who are learning about law, staged a true demonstration about something that’s very important to them: being allowed to have their cell phones in school. School safety officers got involved and then the NYPD (who are often at the school). Things didn’t go very well after that. It’s too bad things got out of hand – it seems very positive to me that the kids organized a demonstration. As quoted below, one of the school’s social studies teachers, John Yanno, said he supported the students "100%." and saw the whole thing as a great civics lesson. This from the NY Daily News:
Brooklyn high school students sent a ringing message to administrators yesterday: Don’t dare take our cell phones.
More than 200 angry teens at the old John Jay High School building took
to the streets of Park Slope to protest a crackdown on the devices,
leading to clashes with cops and the arrest of five pupils.At one point, officers scuffled with a youth, knocked him to the ground
and handcuffed him. Cops said the student, identified by classmates as
Maurice Reid, hit an officer and was charged with assault.The busts further enraged the crowd.
"They threw him to the ground for protesting," Aundre Walker, 17, said
of Reid. "They treated him like a terrorist. All he wanted was his cell
phone back."The teens were reacting to a school safety officer’s decision on
Tuesday morning to confiscate phones, other electronics and snacks
during scanning with a metal detector, delaying the line and making
many late for classes, students said."Everyone doesn’t live around the corner. We need our phones," said
Krystle Guzjuste, 17, from Brownsville. "How are our parents going to
be able to reach us if there’s an emergency?"The students stormed out about 1 p.m. yesterday, chanting, "We want our
cell phones" and carrying signs reading, "This is a school, not a
prison."They were followed by nearly two dozen school safety officers and cops
who tried to make them disperse. The other four arrested students were
charged with disorderly conduct.The protests fell on deaf ears.
Principal Larry Woodbridge of the Secondary School for Law, one of
three mini-schools housed in the building, said administrators won’t
back down."They want to have their cell phones and they want to be able to use
them during the school day, but they can’t because it disrupts the
educational process," Woodbridge said.The students will be penalized for cutting class, Woodbridge vowed, though he said administrators were still discussing details.
Cell phones and other electronics have been banned in city schools since 1987, although the rule is not always enforced.
Teacher John Yanno, who teaches sixth-grade social studies, said he supported the students "100%."
"This is a great civics lesson," he said. "I wish they got this involved in the war in Iraq or the immigration debate."
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Nathaniel, my suggestion: before you start a physical protest, please think about creating a very clear and thoughtfully worded petition stating your position on cellphone use in the school, including considering some alternative ideas to the ban (perhaps one small room in the school could be used as a phone zone within special timeframes). try to get the largest percentage of students to sign your petition, and then present it to the principal first. if you get no response, or no active communication from your principal, then send the a copy of the letter to your local media (give the principal a couple of weeks to respond first).
organizing a protest, if necessary, will be easier when you know how many people support the ideas you are proposing. Good luck, and keep thinking and challenging what you perceive to be unfair. Gilly
I am trying to start a protest at our school. I feel as though our school officials are infringing our rights! If you get caught with a cell phone at our school it is taken away for a week. i can see us not allowed to use them during class periods but whats wrong with study halls? whats wrong with lunch? whats wrong with the time in between classes? i think it is bull shit and i am going to stand up for it everywhere i can! If you have any ideas let me know @ stat2008@live.com THANKS!
now a days they treat us as if we were in a jail and its just not fare. we have a voice to be heard and that was what we were showing on the day of april 12,2006.takin our cell phones is like takiing a gun from a police officer. being late to our classes every day just so they can take a cell phone away one by one is not going to ever happen again! like we said thet day “WE ARE STUDENTS, NOT CRIMINALS!!”
Hey guys I’m writing a opinion article in the school news paper for Long Island City High School. One of the many schools that will suffer from this new rule that is being enforced in our schools, and I wanted to know if it would be ok; because it would be really helpful if you would e-mail me any new info on the studant protests and the random scans when you get a chance please let me know at MarkieMark050186@aol.com
my opinion on this subject is simple; it is unfair for multiple reasons:
* first of all it is completely random, meaning that we would be un-aware and unprepared for this action. These scans take hours to start and finish, meaning that we will miss at least our first class
* second not everyone lives three or four blocks away I myself live in Maspeth queens and go to school in long island city a 45 min ride on the bus and train (without traffic) thus needing the cellphone for “just in case” reasons.
* lastly we (studants) are not allowed t bring cellphones or use them in schools, however teachers are??? ummm… I think if we’re going to be scanned so should teachers.
We are students who feel that this ‘new rule’ that cell phones shouldn’t be allowed in school isn’t fair at all. Why all of a sudden is this rule being enforced towards the end of the year? Some students particiapte in other activties and don’t come home untill a later time. Cell phones are not for fashion, they actually protect us. They are really needed and w/o them we don’t feel safe. Now on another note, if our cell phones are going to be taken away, then how about in a MANNERLY fashion. The security guards treat us like we are inmates in a jail. There is nothing wrong with showing students respect, we are not ANIMALS.
seriously I think that it is obserd what they did to those kids and what they expected. Those teachers say to take responsibilites and when they do they get punished, I agree w/ them 100% as well.
They should have their cell phones back
very interesting.