No Phones, No Problem

With a phone ban in Ohio high schools, Moeller's "Mentor Groups" have changed and evolved immensely.

Since 2020, phones and schools have done almost everything but co-exist. In 2023, a phone ban was heavily enforced, making Moeller students pouch their phones before each bell. This rule was impactful for classes, but more importantly Mentor Group.

Mentor Group, a short bell between students' first two classes, is many students' only form of downtime throughout the school day. Students commonly enjoy texting, scrolling, or just simply relaxing. This is highly due to Moeller, a college preparatory, teachers are constantly trying to get new material pushed out to students, minimizing non-work time.

Moeller graduates share experiences of enjoying their phones in Mentor Group. Kyler Nunn (24') described Mentor Group, prior to his junior year, as a "time for relaxation.”

The phones were not the only triggering aspect of the ban. Nunn stated that removal of phones should insinuate a return of classroom activities such as Spikeball.

"The 10 minutes of freedom were great,” Nunn says, "but they got rid of it with nothing in return.” Nunn also implied that prior to the ban, teachers were lenient about phones during Mentor Group. He also noted this often came with no restrictions.

Despite the ban of Spikeball, many Mentor Groups have found their sources of evolution in creativity.

In a short interview with Nate Fulton (27'), a member of Pillar's Laake Mentor Group, he seemed to enjoy Mentor Group. Fulton says one of the best parts of his day is playing sports with his classmates.

"I don't dislike going to Mentor Group,” said Nate, “I look forward to it.” Many others in his Mentor Group share similar opinions, describing the time as interactive and lively.

The Laake Mentor Group features a documented sport league, where everyone is assigned to a team for two months while the season plays out. “I think we do a great job getting everyone involved,” says Nate Fulton, “that’s why everyone is able to enjoy it.”

For other students, such as Hudson Fackey (27’), he hopes for similar things.

When asked about the phone ban in Mentor Group, Fackey stated, “It doesn’t bother me, it makes sense.” He also expressed his experience of his Mentor Group becoming more active through the past years.

Despite the initial disapproval, the phone ban has turned “forced social time” into a time of “fun social time”. The difference between a graduated student, and two current students shows how the phone ban has become a long-term benefit for the Moeller Mentor Group system.