By: Finley Missella/ Copy Editor

     The state of Ohio has declared that cell phones, along with some other technology, will not be permitted in the learning environment.

     Officially starting Jan. 1, 2025, the new law has been subject to criticism from a multitude of sources, more specifically students and their parents. Getting rid of phones seems like a quick fix, but it ignores the reality of how students live and learn today.

     The premises in which phones are banned is related to any school activities defined as an “instructional day.”

     “An ‘instructional day’ is any period of time in which a student is expected to be in attendance and includes not only formal instruction time but also supervised activities,” according to the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce.

   According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 77 percent of the United States has moved to prohibited cell phones as of 2020, and this number has only increased over the years.

     Instead of banning phones directly, schools should provide opportunities to teach students how to manage them. Learning to balance technology is a critical skill in today’s world and this change will remove students’ abilities to  expand their skills using resources they will have when they leave high school.

     “Allowing phones to be accessible can enrich lessons and provide opportunities to use technology for school-related purposes,” “The Harvard Gazette” said.

     Many future occupations depend on the use of technology, so by limiting exposure during school hours, some of that prior experience for jobs is being taken away.

      Even during emergencies, students are not permitted to be on their phones at any point of the day, even when they are technically not at school.

     Phones are not always a bad thing when managed correctly. They can be used as an educational tool to support learning and are often a safety net for emergencies. Changing how phones are used at school can end up being not only beneficial to students’ learning, but improving their safety especially with the increase of school shootings in the United States.

     According to the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce, “transitioning between classes, recess, meal periods, and field trips,” are all places where phones will not be permitted.

     Phones play an essential role on school field trips by keeping students informed and safe. Technology is especially important when it comes to field trips because it allows students to stay connected in an unfamiliar environment.

     The chances of incidents, like students getting lost, decreases as well because people can call or text their friends to find where they are. 

     This importance extends beyond field trips, highlighting how cell phones benefit students in dire situations.

     According to Campus safety, school shooting incidents since 1996 have increased significantly over the recent few years.

     This greatly affects the banning of cell phones because communication is cut off from safety. Phones allow for students to quickly alert parents, police and other students without wasting time. 

      Phones are a crucial part of everyday life in today’s society; Without them, people are disconnected from the world and lack the means to thrive in civilization.

     While banning phones in schools may seem like the right decision, the end results may not be up to those expectations.

By: Lillias Cummings/Copy Editor

     Music can be emotional and often attached to certain memories, so much so that it can spark a certain feeling within you when you hear it years after that memory it’s associated with. 

     It could be just a song on the radio you may have heard a lot when you were younger, or a specific song you liked a lot at a very significant time in your life. Music altogether can be a large aspect of our memories and how we perceive them.

     Some people believe music can not be associated with some memories because it often isn’t a main part of a memory; however, even a song in the background of a memory can really become a trigger for a certain memory.

     Take a childhood memory for example. Childhood memories can be a very broad spectrum; One may be a song your mom sang to you when you were younger.

      It may not be the biggest part of your childhood, or even the biggest part of that memory, but because it is associated with someone you loved during your childhood, the song coming on years later can remind you of your mom when she used to sing to you.

     For me, one of those songs is “Bigger Than Us” by White lies. I always grew up listening to songs that not many people had heard of just because that is the kind of music my parents liked. 

     Now whenever I hear this song, I think of me when I was about four-years-old, at my old house watching the music video for this song for the very first time. 

     Some songs don’t even have to be related to a good memory. I like to only think of songs with good memories, but there are some songs that I can’t listen to without getting an anxious feeling.

      The songs that associate with bad memories for me often aren’t a significant part of the memory, but since it reminds me of this bad memory, I can no longer listen to them. Music can correlate with all emotions and memories even if we might not want them to.

     Sometimes we don’t even realize the significance of a song in a certain part of our life. You may not even remember why a song gives you a certain feeling when you listen to it, until you realize it was often in the background of so many of your memories. 

     To me, this happened with the song “New Slang” by The Shins. I heard it years later and it really confused me why it gave me a certain feeling, almost like a comforting sound I haven’t heard in so long.

      It wasn’t until I brought it up to my mom and she told me it was one of her favorite songs when I was younger that I realized why those feelings were connected. 

     I love hearing a song years later after not listening to it for a while: It gives such an oddly comforting feeling that I can’t even describe. 

     Music is such a strong indicator of memory and can really help form a memory even if you aren’t actively listening to it, which is what makes music so connected to all of our memories and why a lot of us feel music so deeply.

By: Maya Cooper

October was a record-breaking month in the world of music and entertainment, and many new trends emerged across social media platforms. 

     One of the most anticipated music releases this month was Taylor Swift’s 12th studio album, “The Life of a Showgirl,” which was released Oct. 3. 

     According to Billboard, “The Life of a Showgirl” debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and earned four million album equivalent units in its first week. 

     Swift also brought her album release celebration to theaters Oct. 3-5 with ‘The Official Release Party of a Showgirl.’ Fans in attendance got a first look at the music video for ‘The Fate of Ophelia’; the album’s lead single, as well as behind-the-scenes footage of the music video, lyric videos of the album’s 12 songs, and explanations of the ideas behind the songs. 

     According to AMC, the film’s three-day theater run earned $34 million in box office sales and $16 million internationally.

     Other big movie releases of the month include “Tron: Ares” which was released Oct. 10, “The Black Phone 2” which entered theaters Oct. 17, plus “Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere and Regretting You,” which both came out Oct. 24. 

     Although “Tron: Ares” led October’s box office sales, it has been considered a disappointing release. 

     According to Variety, the film, which stars Jared Leto, Greta Lee, and Evan Peters, cost $180 million to make, but only earned $33.4 million in its first weekend. Since then, the sales have dropped tremendously. 

     Additionally, many popular reality TV shows like “Survivor,” “Dancing With the Stars,” and “The Voice” started new seasons late September and into early October.

     According to Yahoo, “Dancing With the Stars” has had a spike in viewership this season, with live votes reaching 50 million during the ‘Dedication Night’ episode. 

     Some fan favorite celebrities this season are animal conservationist Robert Irwin, social media influencer Alix Earle and television personality Dylan Efron, who is also the brother of Zac Efron.

     On social media platforms like TikTok, fall trends have taken over as they do every year. Halloween movie nights and snack ideas plus everything pumpkin-flavored has been consistently going viral. “The Gilmore Girls” series also saw a resurgence of viewers because of its cozy New England setting that fans love during the fall months.

     October had many exciting releases, but there is also a lot to look forward to in November. “Wicked: For Good” will be hitting theaters on Nov. 21. On Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 26, both the sequel of the Blockbuster Disney movie “Zootopia,” and the first few episodes of the highly anticipated 5th season of “Stranger Things” are set to premiere.