Towards the end of Junior fall, I entered my usual classroom in Bullfinch for English 100. There were two minutes until class was supposed to begin, yet the classroom was completely empty. Stumped, I took a seat and waited for five minutes. Eventually, I took out my computer, checked my e-mail and saw that my teacher had e-mailed us an hour before cancelling class. Often, the Andover community assumes that all students have a smartphone and thus are capable of checking their e-mail extremely frequently. Indeed, most students do: one need only walk around campus to see students with their fingers glued to touch screens. For the smaller group of smartphone-less students, however, e-mail-based communication is not as convenient or efficient. For example, teachers may e-mail students to cancel class shortly beforehand, or to amend an assignment shortly before its due date. It is not uncommon for coaches to cancel practice via e-mail during seventh period. For most students, this is a non-issue—their phone will vibrate and they will be updated instantly. For students without smartphones, it is much more of a hassle to pull out a laptop or find an open computer to read e-mails during or between classes. Smartphones are not cheap. A $30 per month data package alone adds up to $360 per year (not including the cost of the actual smartphone or other service fees). This is not small change for most people; the smartphone is not a financially feasible investment for many students. Andover accommodates students’ financial needs in almost every imaginable way, striving to foster a sense of equality on campus, regardless of socioeconomic status. Students receive financial aid for tuition and textbooks. Why do we assume that everyone can afford a smartphone? Not only does lacking a smartphone create an inconvenience, but it also creates uncomfortable social situations. Whipping out a Nokia flip phone to call home can be awkward in a group of people updating their Instagram and Twitter accounts via their iPhones. Students make disparaging comments about their peers’ low-tech cellphones without realizing the significance of their comments in the context of class divisions at Andover. It is important, however, to realize that differences as seemingly meaningless as types of cell-phones can reveal socioeconomic differences. It would be beneficial to our entire community if we were more sensitive towards matters connected with socioeconomic status. To accommodate students without smartphones, faculty and coaches could e-mail students well in advance about cancellations and the like. All students should be kept in the loop regardless of whether they have the technological and financial means to receive constant virtual updates. Let’s forgo the assumption that all students have an iPhone in hand: doing so would create a more inclusive atmosphere—and it might even encourage more direct, personal contact. Caroline Lu is a two-year Lower from Andover, MA.
