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Phone Baskets Introduced in Paresky Commons

Diners in Paresky Commons on Tuesday night witnessed a peculiar sight: many students sitting in the dining hall had placed their phones in little baskets on every table.

Student Council announced the placement of small baskets for cellphones on Commons tables to promote technology-free meals last Tuesday in an email to the Andover community.

Student Council believes that cellphones have taken over a significant portion of student life on campus, preventing the growth of meaningful student relationships, and often serving as distractions.

“In our lives, we waste too much time on our phones. It prevents us from talking to people. I hate how [when] you’re walking on the path, and it’s you and one other person, alone at a random hour… you’ll wait and see if you make eye contact with the person, and 80 percent of the time, they grab their phones and look down,” said Rebecca Somer ’15, Student Body Co-President.

In an email to the student body, Student Council members wrote, “Our mealtimes are some of the few moments we have an opportunity to truly let go of our work and unwind. By having conversations, we build more meaningful relationships, which can increase our happiness and decrease our stress.”