Lifestyle
Schools Are Competing With Cell Phones. Here’s How They Think They Can Win

Isabella Pires first noticed what she calls a “gradual pandemic of apathy” in eighth grade. Only a handful of her classmates signed up for the charity projects she helped organize at her Massachusetts school. Even fewer actually showed up.
When Isabella entered highschool last fall, she noticed that the issue was much more serious: a low-activity Spirit Week and classes during which students rarely spoke up.
In some ways, it’s as if students “just care less and less about what people think, but somehow more,” said Isabella, 14. Some teens, she said, not care about being seen as disengaged, while others are so afraid of ridicule that they keep to themselves. She blames social media and the prolonged isolation of the post-COVID era.
Teachers say their tried-and-true lesson plans are not any longer enough to maintain students engaged in an era of mental health struggles, shortened attention spans, decreased attendance and declining academic performance. At the guts of those challenges? Cellphone addiction. Now, adults are attempting recent strategies to reverse the malaise.
Cellphone bans are gaining popularity, but many say they’re not enough. They argue for an alternate type of stimulation: getting students outside or into extracurricular activities to fill time they may otherwise spend alone online. And students need an outlet, they are saying, to speak about taboo subjects without fear of being “shunned” on social media.
“To engage students now, you have to be very, very creative,” said Wilbur Higgins, English major at Dartmouth High School, where Isabella might be a sophomore this fall.
Lock them up
Mobile phone pockets, cabinets and baskets have gotten increasingly popular and can assist implement mobile device bans.
John Nguyen, a chemistry teacher in California, invented the pocket system because he was so annoyed by the bullying and phone fights during classes, often without adult intervention. Many teachers are afraid to confront students who use their phones during class, Nguyen said, and others have given up attempting to stop it.
At Nguyen’s school, students lock their phones in neoprene bags during classes and even throughout the day. A teacher or school principal opens the baggage with a magnetic key.
It doesn’t matter how intense the lesson is, said Nguyen, who teaches at Marina Valley High School and now sells the baggage to other schools. “There’s nothing that can compete with a cell phone.”
Do something (different)
Some schools are also locking up smartwatches and wireless headphones. But the baggage don’t work once the ultimate bell rings.
That’s why in Spokane, Washington, schools are increasing after-school programs to compete with after-hours phone calls.
The Engage IRL — In Real Life initiative, which launches this month, goals to offer every student something to look ahead to after a tough day at college, whether it’s sports, performing arts or clubs.
“Hours of daily isolation at home after school, using a personal device, has become the norm,” said Inspector Adam Swinyard.
Students can form clubs around interests like board games and knitting, or take part in local basketball leagues. Teachers will help students develop a plan for involvement during back-to-school conferences, the district says.
“From 3 to 5:30, you’re in a club, playing sports, taking part in activities,” as a substitute of in your phone, Swinyard said. (The district has a brand new ban on phones during class but will allow them after school.)
In a time of high absenteeism, he also hopes the classes might be the additional push some students have to attend school. In a Gallup poll last November, only 48% of middle and highschool students said they felt motivated to go to high school, and only 52% felt they did something interesting on daily basis. The survey was funded by the Walton Family Foundation, which also supports environmental journalism on the AP.
Vivian Mead, a senior from Spokane, said more extracurricular activities help, but they won’t work for everybody. “There are definitely people who just want to be by themselves, listen to their music, do their own thing, or be on their phone, for example,” said Vivian, 17.
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Her 15-year-old sister, Alexandra, said the morning counseling sessions have improved participation within the drama club the sisters are involved in. “It forces everyone, even if they don’t want to get involved, to try something, and maybe it will work,” she said.
Go outside
Thirteen Maine high schools took an analogous approach, inviting students to outdoor classes for 35,000 hours during a particular week in May.
It’s empowering for college kids to attach in nature, away from screens, said Tim Pearson, a physical education and health teacher whose students at Dedham School participated within the statewide “Life Happens Outside” challenge.
Teachers adapted their lessons to happen outside, and students bonded outdoors during lunch and recess. That evening, about half of Dedham’s students camped out, encouraged by the pizza party. Several students told Pearson they camped out again after the challenge.
“Whether they had their phones on them or not, they were building fires, they were pitching tents,” Pearson said. “They were doing things outside that are clearly not on social media or texting.”
An appeal to oldsters
Parents also need to alter the culture of cellphone use of their families, some teachers say. At home, Ohio teacher Aaron Taylor forbids cellphone use when his children have friends over.
And when children are at college, parents mustn’t distract them throughout the day by sending them text messages asking to examine on them, he added.
“Students are so attached to their families,” said Taylor, who teaches at Westerville North High School, near Columbus. “There’s a sense of anxiety about not being able to connect with them, rather than appreciating the freedom of being alone for eight hours or with friends.”
Fight the fear of “cancellation”
Some say other forces behind teen disengagement are only amplified by cell phones. The divisive political climate often makes students reluctant to participate at school when anything they are saying can spread around the college on messaging apps.
Taylor High School English students tell him they don’t talk at school because they don’t need to be “invalidated” — a term used for public figures who’re silenced or ostracized after expressing offensive opinions or speech.
“I said, ‘Well, who’s rejecting you? And why would you be rejected? We’re talking about ‘The Great Gatsby,’ not some controversial political topic,” he said.
Students “become very, very quiet” when themes like sexuality, gender or politics come up in novels, said Higgins, an English teacher in Massachusetts. “Eight years ago, there were shooting hands everywhere. Nobody wants to be labeled a certain way or ridiculed or criticized for politics anymore.”
That’s why Higgins uses web sites like Parlay, which permit students to anonymously have online discussions. These services are expensive, but Higgins believes the commitment to classes is price it.
“I can see who they are when they answer questions and stuff, but other students can’t,” Higgins said. “That can be very, very powerful.”
Concerned concerning the lack of engagement from her peers, Higgins student Isabella wrote an article in the college newspaper.
“It is up to us to ensure that future generations do not find themselves in the same downward cycle,” she wrote.
A comment under the post highlighted the challenge and the stakes involved.
“Generally speaking,” the commenter wrote, “why should we care?”
Lifestyle
Students of the South University win a lot with a short document

Recently there have been students from Southern University and A&M College honored A short documentary film for his or her work.
Loren Sullivan, Verbon Muhammad, Sydney Cuillar, Ashley Lovelace and Eric White, referred to as “Dream Team”, received Emmy Sportowe HBCU in 2025 during a ceremony in New York in New York.
“This is not just a win – this is a call to act in order to invest in art,” said Sullivan, a senior from Chino Hills, California, who focuses on mass communication.
Sullivan is a member of the Human Jukebox Media team. Other filmmakers are recent graduates of the South University. Cuillar, Lovelace and White are a former office of student media members, while Muhammad is a former member of the Human Jukebox Media team.
He emphasizes the heritage of the “Human Jukebox” school marching team and its impact on sport and athletics at historically black universities and universities (HBCU).
The document was submitted as an entry in the Emmy Awards as part of the National HBCU Sports Broadcasting HBCU HBCU SPONTH competition by Coca-Cola Company and the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences foundation.
Film creators said that they plan to create scholarships for college kids of the University in southern place and transfer part of the subsidy to the human cabinet cabinet and the Mass Communication Department of the South University.
The document can be available on YouTube later this summer.
The school also announced that the Southern University School of Nursing famous The largest class of doctoral students of nursing in its history. Twelve students obtained a doctoral degree in nursing practice (DNP), and two students received a doctorate. in nursing. A graduate Darryl Davis was the first man to win a doctorate under the DNP program.
(Tagstranslate) Emmy Award (T) The Hidden Sport (T) Human Jukebox Marching Band (T) Southern University
Lifestyle
Tabitha Brown refers to negativity after he talked about the influence of the target boycott on black authors: “I pray for love to find you”

Tabitha Brown will all the time be in favor of black authors, black corporations, content creators and creations, regardless of what haters can say.
After Backlash after she told about how the target boycott affects black authors on Tuesday, May 20, a 46-year-old web personality and the writer doubled her support of her peers in the film sent Instagram.
“This is my prayer for you”, the founder of “Donny’s Reptipe” began in a movie, returned to all users flooding her comments and DM “uneducated” hate news.
“I pray for love to find you, true love. I pray that she finds you and keeps you tightly,” she continued. “I pray that somebody will love you sufficient to see you, see you whenever you do not feel good, see you whenever you need real support, to see you whenever you need sympathy to see you whenever you need kindness. I pray that somebody loves you sufficient to sacrifice your life.
In the video signature, Vegan influence on food explained that he was not withdrawing from his support in the near future.
“There is no hatred and ignorance that will stop me from using my platform and voice to support and raise small companies, black companies, black content creators, black authors,” said. “Take it with God because he gave me my voice, blessed me with a platform and I’m going to use it.”
Earlier on the same day, Brown devoted a moment to share an insight into how the destination boycott, began at the end of January after the retailer announced that he would withdraw the DEI initiative, influenced some of her peers. In the filmShe noticed that she had just received a plaque from the New York Times bestsellers on the occasion of her kid’s book “Hello Im, Sunshine”, and made her think about other black authors who try to move the titles from the shelves at the Big Box seller.
“Target is a huge seller of books that sells our books, so because of the boycott, many books of our black authors did not sell well, because people did not buy books because they are sold in target,” explained Brown. “This influenced their sale. This affected their ability to be on the New York Times bestseller list. But the bigger problem is that it also affects the next contract.”
Although she noticed that she wanted boycotters to be “attentive” on the impact of not shopping in Target, she also encouraged people to support black authors through other channels “because if not, they may not display their number.”
She also turned to publishers, calling them not to consider selling the last five months for the “truth” of these authors.
“These numbers do not reflect … their truth,” said the actress. “They are talented writers with beautiful stories and they have something that they did not do on them.”
When a boycott began for the first time, Brown was one of the first to defend black corporations. In January she received a bottle when she called for consumers to consider black corporations and black authors, trying to send a message to the seller.
In his film on Tuesday, Brown updates the followers of a boycott, saying that “he prays that it has soon ended and we receive resolution.”

(Tagstranslate) Tabitha Brown
Lifestyle
Schools announced to the National Battle of the Bands

Another national battle of bands will happen in Houston on August 23 at the NRG stadium.
According to Webber Marketing, he accomplished a press conference. The company is working With the unit of Harris – Houston Sports Authority and Lone Star Sports & Entertainment to bring the public the national battle of the Pepsi Battle of the Batts. It shall be the eleventh anniversary of the event.
Eight schools will present talents of musicians participating in the National Battle of the Bands.
“Officially, there is the composition of the National Battle of Pepsi in Pepsi in Pepsi and we bring 8 most dynamic marching teams in the country to the NRG stadium in August!”
“We try to raise the platform and experience each year,” said Derek Webber, general director of Webber Marketing and executive producer of the National Battle of the Bands. “NBOTB is more than a performance. It’s a move that celebrates tradition, talent and impact of HBCU throughout the country.”
Recommended schools are:
- Alabama A&M University – Marching Maroon & White
- Albany State University – Marching Rams Show Band
- Florida A&M University – “100” marching
- Jackson State University – sound boom in the south
- Langston University – Marching Pride Band
- North Carolina A & T State University – Blue & Gold Marching Machine
- Prairie view a & m university – Marching Storm
- Texas Southern University – “Ocean of Soul”
The event will include several functions for the community except and in reference to NBOTB.
2025 nbotb Weeknitowe Wydłody includes:
- Emerging Experience Conference: Powered by JPMorgan Chase, combining innovators and small business leaders. Free of charge with registration.
- Fan experience (Saturday, August 23 at NRG Center from 12:00 – 15:30):
Free, community -oriented event that enlivens the energy of the NBOTB weekend. The impressions of the fans are the following foremost activations: - Pepsi experience: Interactive experience with national performances of artists, live entertainment and the living market of suppliers and partners.
- HBCU College & Career Fair: An event wealthy in resources that mix students with HBCU and profession possibilities through details about parties, representatives on the spot and lots of others.
- Walk from the competition: Dynamic showcase of step and walking culture, celebrating black Greek letter organizations and HBCU tradition.
- Nbotb cares community outreach: Transfer of initiatives corresponding to feeding the involvement of the homeless and youth.
To get details about the event, people can go to the website www.nationalbattleofthebands.com. Information can be available through social media: @Nationalbattleoftheofthebands on Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok and YouTube. @Nationalbotb on Twitter.
(Tagstotransate) Battle of the Bands
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