To the editor
Recent studies have shown that listening to music creates more brain wave activity allowing creativity to come out, resulting in what the researchers call the "Mozart effect." These studies were conducted through the University of Leicester, in the United Kingdom, and The Center for New Discoveries in Windsor, Ca.
Which is why being able to listen to your personal stereo during school hours should not be limited. Punishment for possessing a personal stereo during school should not be treated with such severity, and should be left to the teacher’s discretion instead.
The current punishment for having a personal stereo on during school hours is confiscation by the administration and can only be picked up by a parent or guardian. For most parents, going to the school to waste 20 minutes of their time to pick up their child’s personal stereo is a great inconvenience.
The parents must come when the administration is present, which means between the hours of 6:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. Merely to pick up a personal stereo seems unfair for such a simply solvable problem.
On the other hand, if the student does not hand over the personal stereo to the administration, then they are given a Saturday detention. Even though the personal stereo is worth money or sentimental value to the student, it does not matter. How can the school be authorized to take something that might have cost the students themselves money?
Some school officials justify these rules by saying that a personal stereo would prevent a student from realizing a fire drill or a teacher trying to get their attention. But the fire bells are very loud and the student would still be visually aware of what was happening like a fire drill or someone trying to get their attention. In addition, most students listen to their music half-way up so they can still converse with their friends between classes.
Some school officials also say that they don’t want the personal stereos to be stolen and have students complaining about how something should be done. Seniors have to sign a form to park at the high school that says the school is not responsible for any stolen or damaged material, why can’t they make a form like that for everything a student might bring to school? Because that would be ludicrous. If a student wears some nice jewelry to school and it gets stolen, only the student is responsible.
Which is why when a student does bring something to school of value, they see to it that it doesn’t get stolen. Therefore, this should be the same for anything including a personal stereo.
As far as when a student is able to listen to their personal stereo, this matter should be dictated by the teacher. A teacher would not allow a student to listen to their personal stereo while teaching a lesson, because that wouldn’t help the student learn. Personal stereos are not even allowed during lunch periods where there isn’t any teaching going on
In study hall classes, where students could take advantage of the "Mozart effect" while studying, students would benefit in their homework but it’s still not allowed. Some teachers even say that they would allow their students to listen to their personal stereos, but can’t because of the school policy.
The easiest solution to this problem is to let the teachers decide when a student is permitted to use their personal stereo, in class during any period through out the day. Personal stereos between classes and during lunch should not be a problem, and would be the student’s own responsibility for their own property.
HHS