Their schools banned phones. Out came the iPods and cassette players.

A locked magnetic pouch, one of the ways New York City schools are having students store their phones, in New York. Enterprising students have been bringing the contraband of yesteryear to school in what they see as a ‘loophole’ in cellphone bans. — Shuran Huang/The New York Times

When Sebastien Wall found out that cellphones were about to be banned from his New Hampshire high school, he began making preparations.

Sebastien, 17, said he thought the policy was a good idea to keep students focused during class. But what about his lunchtime soundtrack? So, over the summer, he bought a used fifth-generation iPod for US$80 (RM336) and loaded it with songs by Pink Floyd and Rage Against the Machine.