“Take those out. You cannot use those things in here,” explains and an angered study hall proctor. But what is such the big deal with listening to a little bit of music when you work,” asks the many ODA students.

We all know that those little white apple earbuds are a study hall proctor’s worst enemy, but why?

“I think that using headphones in the library shouldn’t be a bad thing. First of all it stops us from talking which is probably one of the biggest problem in the library at the moment. Secondly I can concentrate a whole lot more if I’m listening to music while studying. I do it at home and it works, why not do it here,” asks sophomore Chris Robinson.

“I think we should be able to have them in the library because I focus better with music while I study,” says sophomore Tess Siciliano.

But faculty seem much clearer about the idea.

“Well right now they are not allowed in the library and those are the rules and we must abide by the rules. The faculty as a whole has discussed and revisited this topic multiple times. We all seem to have different and mixed opinions on the topic. But my opinion is that many young people seem to be using their earphones far too much which could lead to ear problems. And also a brain study shows that humans are not as good at multitasking as we think we are. So if you are trying to study for a calc test and also listen to music, chances are it’s not a good idea. Although I do believe there are special cases when headphones should be allowed in the library, some students need them if they are doing special projects or doing some type of foreign language homework,” offers Miss Mandel, ODA librarian.

“It depends on what you are listing to. If it’s a podcast [for a class], that’s one thing. If you’re listing to your pop music, it’s a different thing,” says World Language teacher Mr. LeBras.

So is there anywhere a student can simply veg out to some ear candy? Yes.

You can use them basically anywhere except in the library. In class, you must have permission from you teacher to use them.

Why are ear buds such a big deal in the library?: Believe it or not, teachers actually want you to do well. They want students focused in the library and not to be goofing off watching Netflix.

Though this year’s policy is clear, like many things, ODA is interested in a debate. If you’re a student who wants to voice her opinion on this issue, talk to Mrs. Dougherty. Or offer your input here, in the comment section of this article.