Students Outraged By New Headphone Policy

WEST ORANGE, Nj — Security officers in schools are often seen as the large men and women who patrol the hallways, watch over students, and seize their valuables, including cell phones and hats. However, nowadays, they’ve invested their time in a new target: Headphones.

As the new school year began, security officers at West Orange High School (WOHS) made it painfully clear to students that the use of headphones would not be tolerated, and any student seen using, wearing, or even displaying their headphones during school would have them confiscated and receive a detention. Students have learned this the hard way, with dozens of detentions being handed down by security just for headphone confiscation alone.

“Personally I think it’s ridiculous,” said a junior who wished to remain anonymous, “The policies of last year were effective enough.”

Many students feel this way as well.. Zack Dong, a fellow junior, stated, “I wasn’t too worried about it, since they’re always making rules and not backing them up. But after I got mine taken for them hanging out of my pocket I realized how unfair this rule is to students.” When asked whose fault he thinks this is, Dong stated, “I think it’s a combination of an administration that doesn’t understand what a real ‘distraction’ is and power hungry security officers who want to take students’ things.”

Security has declined to comment on the new policy, but have continued to do their jobs and confiscate all headphones. It remains to be seen if these policies will become more lenient as the year goes on and student uproar grows. As of this moment though, students at WOHS need to keep their headphones stored and put away at all times when school is in session.