Bring Back Reading Day Gonzaga’s Phone Policy: A Response from Student Services

For Gonzaga students, exams are some of the most stressful times of the school year. The one-ish week period we all dread that comes at the end of the semester. We all spend different amounts of time studying and working on projects for our midterms and exams on the days leading up to the exams themselves. While the two review days are built into our end of semester schedule, one noticeable absence is also present on the schedule: Reading Day.

Much to my dismay, when exam schedules were unveiled this year, this day dedicated to helping students review was gone. The format of the day was simple: at 8:30 the day started. Students could come and go to any of their classes and receive help with studying or a project or just review. There was a lunch break in the afternoon and then the studying would resume. The day would come to an end at 2:20, with exams beginning the next day. Last year, as a sophomore, I took full advantage of reading day. I remember going to all of my classes at least briefly to shore up weaknesses and review the material from early in the semester or to put the finishing touches on a project. But I am not the only student who benefited from this day. My cousin described it as a stress-free, study hall type day where he could review with his teachers in a serious manner before exams and was not confined to the normal class schedule. This sentiment aligned with most of the feedback I received from other students about Reading Day: it was useful to those who took advantage of it, and those who didn’t could have a calming day before the storm of exams.

But a fair and just analysis would also include the perspective of the teachers who make this day happen. I talked to a couple of teachers about this, who had different perspectives on the matter. Mr. Freeman, who teaches WZAG and Communications Design, talked about how he found it helpful for the students to finish projects and assessments on this day. He also said that when he did not have students, he was able to get a lot of grading done at the end of the semester. In contrast, Mr. Scott, who teaches AP Economics, talked about how he felt the day was less productive because although it may have been helpful for other classes, his students did not usually come in for Reading Day. He felt that it was not necessary to use a day on this.

So after trying to understand what people thought about Reading Day, I think that it should be brought back for next year, albeit with ample consideration on its structure and schedule.

By: Mr. Ian Wuertz, Mr. AJ Cerra, & Mr. Jonathan Ruano Office of Student Services

After reading Daniel Colucci’s article about our office’s phone searches, the other Assistant Deans and I had a few thoughts.

1. This is great. A lot of Jesuit teaching involves questioning authority, and indeed this is how real change is made in the world.

2. We realize that a lot of what we do in our office might seem shady to those not directly involved. Sure, but that’s all about protecting the privacy of those directly involved. And...

3. Nobody in the office was interviewed for the article (besides Mr. Cerra’s “accountability” soundbite), which would have greatly improved and provided context for the original op-ed.

Mr. Cerra suggested that we write up two responses. The first being a bit where we take a red pen to Daniel’s article and copy edit it. And the second being this article you’re reading now, where we explain our process a little more and respond to some of the points Daniel made. Obviously, we’d never actually do the red pen bit, but we’d love to talk a little about what the deal is with the phones.

On the sixth page of the 2022-23 Student-Parent Handbook, tucked neatly beneath the 10 Standards of Behavior, our phone policy is laid out with perfect clarity:

“Gonzaga reserves the right to confiscate, search, and review any items brought onto campus, with or without the student’s prior knowledge, including but not lim-

Editor-in-Chief

Jackson Baldrate ‘23

Managing Editor

Luke Gormsen ‘24

Editors

Tim Barloon ‘23

ited to: backpacks, electronic devices and vehicles. Gonzaga also reserves the right to retain any confiscated items until Gonzaga, at its sole discretion, determines that an investigation is complete. Finally, Gonzaga reserves the right to remand any confiscated items to appropriate authorities at its own discretion or at the request of legal counsel and/or law enforcement.”

It’s pretty cut and dry. And since every student is required to sign the handbook in agreement with the rules, policies, and guidelines, we could, in theory, take every student’s phone and never give it back. Of course, this would be ridiculous.

Taking a phone and searching a phone are completely different. We take phones all the time, for any number of reasons. The most common, however, is only to ensure that a student returns to our office at the end of the day to serve JUG. A phone search, however, is a rare thing, and it all depends on the case in question. Most of the time, we’re not going to look through a phone. It sucks, none of us like to do it. However, when we hear reports of academic dishonesty, drug and alcohol abuse, violence and fighting, bullying (cyber or otherwise), etc., it’s our job to investigate it.

And that’s all we do, investigate the case at hand. We’re not looking through your notes, closely examining your diary entries or ideas for a freestyle rap. We know how to find the evidence we need, and we do so efficiently. We don’t care that there’s videos of you goofing around in the halls with your buddies. Believe it or not, we were all also 16 year olds. Even to-

Billy

Cannon ‘24

Daniel Colucci ‘23

Abram Cutler ‘23

Max Diaz ‘24

Teddy Friesz ‘24

Sam Galupo

Andrew

Will day, there’s about 50 videos of me trying to get a hole in one in Wii Golf (which you’ll all be glad to know I finally got) and a bunch of notes that contain ideas for short stories I’ll maybe write but will probably never get around to.

What we do care about, however, is when we see evidence of a student not acting in accordance with the Gonzaga Standards of Behavior or when a student is acting in a way that is dangerous to themselves or others.

On the wall of Mr. Churchwell’s office, there’s an enormous decal that says, “Excellence Expected.” That’s what our duty to you all is, to help you maintain the level of excellence demanded by not just our office, not just your parents, but also by the history of Gonzaga College High School.

And just as our approach differs from the approach set forth in 1821, our approach differs for each student and their individual needs. The details of the specifics of how we tackle each case that comes through our office is privileged information, not gossip that everyone on Eye Street has a right to.

Trust that we are not an office of corrupt detectives, scouring through every phone in the school in a dark room with one lamp on in the corner while a cigarette burns away in an ashtray and a student is sweating it out in an interrogation room. This isn’t some noir story. Our office is called “Student Services” for a reason. We’re here in service of the student body, to ensure that you walk down St. Al’s in a white tux as the best version of yourself that you can possibly be.

‘23

Lavella ‘24

Prisco ‘25

Jackson Brewer ‘24 Moderator: Dr. Harry Rissetto