​Cell Phones In Schools Topic Of Community Debate In Bucks

PERKASIE, PA — The Braver Angels Southeast Pennsylvania (SEPA) Alliance and the League of Women Voters (LWV) of Bucks County will host the first-ever local community debate this week on the issue of cell phones in schools.

The event will be held from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturday, March 22 at St. Andrews’s Lutheran Church, 20 Dill Avenue, Perkasie. The event is open to the public and there is no charge to attend.

“This event is unlike a traditional debate where points are scored and someone is declared a winner," said Julianne O’Neil, Braver Angels SEPA Alliance co-chair and debate organizer. "Instead, we follow a tightly moderated and modified form of parliamentary procedure where any attendee can be invited to share their opinion on the question of whether student cell phone use should be banned all day during school. The debate format offers an opportunity to convene citizens in a community conversation around a complex topic by facilitating information sharing from a variety of viewpoints.”

Lee Rush, a member of both the LWV of Bucks County and the Braver Angels SEPA Alliance will serve as the debate chair. “This event is sure to draw notice as this question is being considered nationally in many communities,” said Rush. “My own interest in the issue grew after reading much of the current research on the impact of social media and youth development, along with my decades-long career as a youth advocate and adult educator."

After attending a different debate last fall sponsored by the Braver Angels SEPA Alliance, Rush, who is also a member of the Education Advocacy Committee for the League of Women Voters, approached the League to see if they would be interested in co-sponsoring an event.

“This topic is sure to generate a wide range of opinions on the matter from both youth and adults alike," Rush said.

Added Jean Weston, chair of the Program Committee for the LWV of Bucks County, “This will be an opportunity for Bucks County residents to participate in a civil debate on an issue that could affect many students in the county. By hearing all sides of the issue, we have a chance to consider the pros and cons of students’ cell phone use during the school day.”

For more information on the March 22 debate and to register click here. For more information on Braver Angels click here.