Yes, during class, they did'nt even have them when I went to school.
My son's high school allows them, and it surprised me at first. But one of the reasons they used in explaining is that kids no longer wear watches, but use their phones to check the time. Each teacher gets to set the rules for what is allowed in their own classroom (turned completely off, set to vibrate, even just left on the teacher's desk, etc.), so the teacher's authority is not undermined there.
The students have to follow each teacher's guidelines. I have been very relieved that I have a way to get in touch with him, even when it is not an emergency (and face it, there are actually relatively few real emergencies). Another matter that the school mentioned is that, whether we like it or not, cell phones are a part of current culture and will be until something else comes along.
All kinds of changes have come about in schools because of new inventions and new technology, through the years.
In high school; they shouldn't be on during class, but if there is an emergency I personally think that is the only time it should be allowed. In college; I think it's fine as long as it is on vibrate or silent and the student -- or teacher even -- steps out to take a call OUTSIDE the building. Because a phone call taken next to classrooms is very distracting.
I don't think it is enforced enough in schools that people should have phones off, or on vibrate. It drives me crazy when i'm in school and someone's phone goes off. When I went to a local community college, I was taught by my teacher to not have it on.
And then people really made me mad at times because of how rude they were with phones going off. Anyway, that is my take on it.
I think they should be on vibrate, but not casual talk in class. There could be an emergency or some other important call you may need to take so they should at least be on vibrate. My one teacher says we can take calls, but need to have them on vibrate and leave the room when we get them.
Of course this is a community college. I think thats the proper way.
I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.