Emily Soriano – Greene Gazette

It’s not just about phones: NY’s school ban raises safety concerns

By Emily Soriano
Westbury High School

In a world where a single text can mean the difference between life and death, schools in New York are apparently ignoring this danger, say critics of a new statewide ban on phones in schools.

While the intention may be pure and created to improve focus, many students and parents argue that removing access to phones puts them in danger during emergencies. During a lockdown, students rely on their phones to alert family, contact authorities, and receive updates. Without these devices, students are left in the dark and unaware of what may be going on.

“The NYC Public Schools plan follows the State’s new Distraction-Free Schools law signed by Governor Hochul this year, which requires bell-to-bell smartphone restrictions in K-12 school districts statewide, starting this fall for the 2025-2026 school year,” reads the New York State governor’s website. This has sparked controversy.

The Pew Research Center recently did a study on how parents feel about this phone ban. The majority of parents agree that they should be able to reach their child at any moment of the day. In the graph below three of the four categories demonstrate that phones are important in their students’ day-to-day lives at school.

Data of parents beliefs on phones (Pew Research Center)

“They should limit the usage of phones but it shouldn’t be that strict to ban it throughout the school day,” Jake Taduran of Paul D. Schreiber High School in Port Washington said. Although Taduran agrees with the limit of phone usage, he also disagrees with the complete ban on the device.

“I have asthma,” he said. “My priority is to call my family and not wait for the office to call my mom.”

Besides medical emergencies like Taduran notes, Ray Weber, community affairs liaison for state Senator Anthony Palumbo, mentions “the ability to contact emergency services, parents, in the case of an emergency. So, the idea that you need to ban phones from school is somewhat of a nuance issue that needs to be discussed a little further before we start banning cellphones altogether.”

What could be the most heartbreaking emergency to hear about from your child over the phone? School shootings have been on the rise year after year, raising public concern.

A student from Division Avenue High School in Levittown, Caleb Cheng, expressed his concerns: “I can’t make that split-second decision of letting someone know that could either save my life or kill me, it doesn’t sit right in my head.”

The Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF), an independent source for health policy research, polling, and news, demonstrates how shootings have grown to be a great danger.

Shooting expansion rate in the U.S. over time. (KFF Analysis of Washington Post Data)

The importance of having cellphones for security needs to be taken into account. Although security is a top priority, so is education. The distraction it has on students is undeniable. Students tend to depend on these cellular devices throughout the day, whether by just looking at them for the time, to shoot a quick text, or to play a game in between classes. “Though school cell phone policies can vary significantly, 97% of 11- to 17-year-olds used their phones during the school day,” according to K-12 Drive , an educational media outlet.

Banning cellphones may increase productivity in the classroom for students but could be putting them at risk during an unfortunate predicament. It’s necessary to consider the bigger picture. Cutting off a student’s quickest way to reach for help can have deadly consequences. The goal is to create progress, not punishment.

Lisseth Hernandez is finding her voice

By Emily Soriano
Westbury High School

Lisseth Hernandez isn’t just someone who enjoys writing. The 17-year-old from Central Islip has found comfort, resilience and expression through words.

Whether it’s writing in journals, drafting a short story or helping Central Islip High School’s newspaper, writing has become more than a hobby.

“Writing to me is my escapism,” she said, noting that “writing is another world” that allows her to seep into topics she finds important.

“Writing to me is my escapism.”
– Lisseth Hernandez

This summer, Lisseth has joined the Robert W. Greene Summer Institute for High School Journalists at Stony Brook University, where she wants to improve her writing skills. Plus, “I want our school’s work in writing to get more recognition,” she said.

Lisseth will be entering her senior year as the Newspaper Club treasurer and public relations manager. She is also active in the Literary Club, women’s group, a community service and advocacy group, and runs on the cross-country team.

At first, “newspaper was just the club I joined my freshman year looking to be involved in but never imagined how much I’d love it,” she said. Lisseth edits articles, conducts interviews and writes commentaries “about school events like our cultural night, musical, club features and just about anything I find interesting.”

She started an alumni spotlight series and shares posts and videos to social media.

Her path to the Green Institute started with two important mentors who Lisseth calls her “second parents”: Rahana Schmalacker, her former English teacher and current newspaper adviser, and Darren Ehrhardt, her tech teacher and stage crew adviser. “Without them, I wouldn’t have the confidence I have now.”

Lisseth has overcome significant personal challenges to achieve her goals. She has lived with depression and mild psychotic tendencies, including hallucinations that once left her terrified and isolated. “I started to hear voices of people I knew calling my name or whispering things I couldn’t understand. It went on for months,” she said.

Eventually, she turned for comfort to Schmalacker, who provided her with important guidance and reassurance. That turned out to be a turning point in her life.

“I got a new perspective: if I could work through my issues that left me unable to ask for help, I could find a way to give voice to others that couldn’t,” Lisseth said.

On her personal social media platforms, Lisseth encourages people to speak out about their beliefs pertaining to recent social and civil rights issues.

“Ultimately, hardship is always the biggest motivator to keep pushing forward,” she said.

Her support system includes her parents, Melvin Hernandez and Lissett Hernandez Cruz, and two younger sisters, Allison, 14, and Genesis, 9. “They encourage me to explore my interests and are proud I’m going into this program,” she said.

Lisseth’s best friend, Kamila Sarmiento Romero, said “writing has given Lisseth an outlet to talk about her experiences and bring awareness to issues that have personally plagued her and her community. It gives her a voice in a place and an environment where it is so easy to feel voiceless.”

For Lisseth, journalism isn’t just about reporting facts. It’s about hope, connection and finding light in the darkest moment. “If I can keep pushing through the barriers in my own head, then I know I can give a voice to someone else who feels they can’t speak up.”

Lisseth said she’s determined to keep writing because “it’s helped me build confidence. It’s like a gateway into a lot of what makes me good in conversation, too.”

From zero to journalist

By: Emily Soriano

I woke up excited for the day. I brushed my teeth and put on my formal attire to get ready for the day. We walked towards breakfast where I ate some vanilla yogurt and granola. Then we headed to the newsroom to start our third day at the Robert W. Greene Summer Institute or High school Journalists with a pep talk.

The pep talk was from the Ditch Weekly, a newspaper created to cover the Hamptons from a different perspective by middle- and high-schoolers. We heard from Billy Stern and Harry Karousos. They explained how the paper was born.

After the pep talk we headed over to the broadcasting room. There we created a prompt of giving news. The Greene team received an experience of being on camera, having a script to read, holding the cameras, controlling the graphics, etc. It was a moment to learn what it’s like to broadcast.

Once we finished the prompt, we headed over to lunch around 12 p.m. We were then ready to head over the WUSB radio station as a group. Frank, Gavin, Shirley, Araya, and I walked around campus and enjoyed the scenery. A wall stood out to me. The wall had many words of reassurance and important powerful messages.

As we entered the radio studio, we saw where the magic was created. We met DJ Drew, who spoke to us about the importance of having a radio station. It was an opportunity to gain knowledge of the beauty of music and the history of it.

At the end of our interviewing with Drew, we began to walk to Mount Hall to meet up with the rest of the group for a field trip! In our matching Greene Team shirts we walked to get on the Wolfie bus to be on our way towards Nassau County for our trip.

We arrived at News12!! It was an unreal experience to see my childhood in front of my eyes. Something that I believed I would only see on television. To learn the fact on how they function, the behind the scenes work and visit where they record was a surreal experience I could have only dreamed about.

After learning about News12, we got on the bus to head back to the school. Once we arrived on campus, we headed towards the dining hall to eat dinner around 5:30 p.m. There I ate tater tots and water for a light dinner. To conclude the day we began to walk towards the dorms. My dorm mates and I took turns showering. Then I went to my bed to rest for the next day ahead.

Let the adventure begin

By: Emily Soriano

As I woke up for my first full day at the Robert W. Greene Summer Institute for High School Journalists, I woke up energized for the day. I brushed my teeth, put on a t-shirt, pants, and some crocs. Then as a group we all headed down to the East End dining hall for breakfast.

Breakfast was at 8 a.m. I ate hash browns, a bagel, eggs with ketchup, and water. Then we walked towards the newsroom to meet with Ray Weber, community affairs liaison for NY state Senator Anthony Palumbo, who represents many communities on the North shore of Long Island. There we learned about Palumbo’s mission, like how he wants more first-time home owners on Long Island.

Then we had lunch around 12 p.m. at the East Side dining hall. I had garlic spaghetti pasta and water. Once lunch was over, my group — Gavin, Shirley, Araya, and I — walked over to the game theory convention. There we learned about the importance of Game Theory and what it is. A term that stood out to me was when Tim Chin, head organizer of the convention said, “What would happen if you played the game in equity and everyone wins?” It was an interesting analogy on how what would happen in the world if everyone just helped each other. To give aid to those who have less to be equal.

Following the trip, we headed over to the dining hall at about 5. There I enjoyed penne spaghetti pasta, a pizza slice, chicken parmigiana, and French Fries. As a beverage, I had Coke and water. For dessert, I had a tasty vanilla doughnut.

Once dinner passed, the real fun began. We headed to the stadium and watched a movie titled “Moana 2.” There we received many cool freebies. For example, hand sanitizer, Moana stickers, Ashwaganda gummies, a blow-up ball that we played volleyball with and many other cool items. I sat with my good friends Shirley, Hennie, and Allison to enjoy the movie.

After the movie we ended the night walking towards the dorms. I took the first shower. Once I was done, we recapped about our day and then lights out for bed. Ending the night on a great note.

Finding my place

By, Emily Soriano

What is the word to describe my experience to this moment? I was mixed with my emotions of being fearful, homesick, and worried. All these feelings ventured through my mind during my first few moments at the Robert W. Greene Summer Institute for High School Journalists. This was the case until I started interacting with my fellow green peers.

I began to speak with my suite mates, Lisseth and Hennie. I was initially hesitant about being alone but with their comfort and reassurance, I now feel secure. As the day went on, we met with all the other Greene Team members at 11 a.m. in the dorm lounge. There, friendships were created. Although I may not know them on a personal level, I am looking forward to continuing to get to know them. I started to get settled in. Then we went on to meet the other Greene Team members in the main lobby.

As we were walking towards the news room, rain struck us. Although we were soaked, it was filled with many smiles and laughter as we ran towards the building. We created a memory that we will cherish. It may not be ideal to some but, to us on the Greene Team, it was a beginning to a story to be told.

Once we entered the newsroom we learned about “The inverted pyramid.” It’s the ideal in writing journalism where the first paragraph is your lead and all the important information you want people to read while the next paragraphs are adding on more facts. I believe it is very interesting on how journalists go about the fact knowing that due to some of the readers’ attention spans they may not want to read an entire story. They just want the main idea.

The day continued to be filled with more knowledge to be learned but by the time we knew it, It was time for lunch at 12 p.m. As we walked through the campus we saw the beauty of nature and the environment. At lunch I ate pinto beans, grilled cheese, sweet potato fries, mac and cheese, water, as well as a salad. There I created a bond with Hennie and Shirley. We sat together and had great conversations.

After lunch we went back to the newsroom. We continued learning. Another thing that stood out to me was the tips for shooting video. I was unaware of the ideal of having a two finger space above the person’s head and right next to the sternum (rib cage) on the bottom half. I also learned about the 7 angles in shooting. Wide, Medium, Tight, Super Tight, Action, Reaction, and Capture the Moment. This peaked my interest as I never have heard about it before that moment that it was introduced.

As the lesson continued, we were taught how to spot out propaganda. A video was shown about a guy skydiving, but the guy is never seen falling to the ground. We were asked the question, “Would we share this video to our friends yes or no?” The video was created to be an advertisement for a trampoline park and to appease the public eye. We learned to ask ourselves these questions. “Who is making this video?” “Are they identifying themselves?” and “Is this accurate?” These questions allow a deeper thought process while watching. The lesson was filled with thought-provoking ideals.

Once the lesson was over we walked over to the dining hall for dinner around 5 p.m. At dinner I enriched myself with some tomato penne pasta and French Fries. As a beverage I had water. For dessert, we had a cheesecake, which was very delightful. After dinner, we walked back to the dorms where we finished unpacking and took turns showering.

In conclusion, the first day was an introduction of all the fun expected for the rest of the week. My Dorm Mates — Sorbs, Allison, Hennie, Gabrielle, and I then finished the day up by saying our goodnights.