The role of cell phones in school

     Cell phones have become essential in our everyday lives, to the point that they’ve become necessary to fulfill social connections. Because of their ever-increasing prevalence in the world and the functions they can complete, cellular devices have made their way into schools, and despite some attention-oriented disadvantages, they have proven to be an asset in the classroom.

     Students can use phones to communicate about homework, organize plans, and research information, which means the need for large computers is lessened. It becomes less necessary to spend resources on large and expensive equipment since most students already have phones that can accomplish those same tasks. Junior Brittany Crites added, “I feel like cell phones are okay in class because they can be very beneficial in researching information.”

     Some people argue that students tend to use their cell phones inappropriately. This is often the case, but when it happens, phones are taken and held by school administrators and teachers until either the end of the day or the end of class. In reality, the issue with students’ abusing their devices stems from a teacher who is not assertive, a teacher who doesn’t draw a firm no-phone policy and permits their antics to continue. Carlye Day commented, ““Students won’t mess on their phones if the teacher tells them to get off of them and gives them work to do.”

     Cell phones can be both bothersome and beneficial in a school setting. They can be

used to do research, among other important work, but they are also used to play games when there are assignments at hand. Whether students do that or not, it is entirely up to the teacher to take charge of the class and prohibit that abuse. “I think phones present both an advantage and a problem,” stated senior Hannah Hunt.

Woman admits to taking 27 iPhones

     Hillary M. Struble, 28, admitted to taking 27 iPhones from a local retailer in order to support her opiate addiction in a plea hearing on Friday, January 12, 2018, in the Upshur County Circuit Court. Senior Alyssa Godwin commented, “That’s awful. She should get help if she is addicted that badly, and she should not have done that [stolen the phones].”

     She plead guilty of grand larceny and forgery, both felony charges, to Judge Kurt Hall. By entering pleas to information, Struble waived case presentations before the grand

jury.

     The pleas will be temporarily set aside, giving Struble three years to successfully complete a supervised probation period and pay back about $20,000 in restitution, under the terms of a plea agreement reached with prosecuting attorney David Godwin. Struble will then return to court after the three years are up, where she will plead guilty to two misdemeanor counts of fraudulent schemes and be sentenced by the court.

     Junior Brittany Crites stated, “I believe she should have a harsher punishment than three years of probation and paying $20,000 in restitution because she has an addiction. Stealing iPhones to support that is wrong. It’s basically saying that if she or anyone else who has an addiction steals things to support that addiction, then it’s okay. Why should someone be given an easy punishment for that sort of crime?”

     According to what Struble told Judge Hall, she was looking for a way to obtain opiate pills in November of 2016, so she stole the phones. Struble also said that a December 27, 2016 forgery case was to obtain money to buy pills.

     She and her co-defendant in the forgery case, Evan Wright, 24, were arrested seven months ago for two counts of forgery and writing checks on the account of Robert and Tamera Wright.

     Struble plead guilty to one of the counts on Friday and admitted to forging a check on

Wright’s account for $170. Godwin said, “Well, at least she acknowledges that she is wrong in doing that. I mean, it takes guts to admit to stealing so many things for an addiction, but forging a check is just another add on that’s wrong too.”

     During the hearing, no reference was made to the status of Wright’s case.

The total amount of restitution for the forgery case was named at $1,825.49. An agreement was made in which Struble would be responsible for half that restitution along with the full $18,973.76 in restitution for the iPhone 6 models taken from the Sprint store in

Buckhannon.

     Struble has told the court since her arrest that she successfully completed a 90-day drug

treatment program in the southern part of the state and attended Narcotics Anonymous to complete steps for that program. Senior Hannah Hunt added, “I think it’s good that she’s taking steps to get her life back on track after the crazy thing she did.” Judge Hall has noted that Struble had no previous criminal record and had 3 ½ years of college education.

Hawaii judge extends ruling that halts travel ban indefinitely

A Hawaiian federal judge granted the state’s request for a longer-term halt of the travel ban, an executive order, on Wednesday, March 30, 2017.

Judge Derrick Watson blocked the core provisions of the revised executive order made two weeks ago, concluding that the order is likely to violate the Establishment Clause of the Constitution by disfavoring Muslims. However, Watson’s earlier decision was only a very limited freezing of the order; he used a temporary restraining order. Junior Ian Greenough stated, “If an executive order is issued, it was probably for a reason and should be followed. That’s just defiant towards your federal government.”

The plaintiffs asked the judge to change that decision into a longer-term preliminary injunction. Watson agreed on Wednesday night, which means that the President’s 90-day ban on foreign nationals from six countries, as well as the 120-day ban on all refugees entering the country, are now blocked indefinitely, unless a higher court changes his order or the state’s lawsuit is resolved.

The Justice Department said that it will continue to defend the executive order. Greenough commented, “He is the president who issued an executive order. That is in no way unconstitutional. Again, it was probably for a reason—like the safety of this country.”