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On Monday November 18, Milton Academy participated in the second official “TextLess, Live More” day. “TextLess” was started to honor Merritt Levitan, Class of 2013, who was tragically hit by a car and killed while on a cross-country bike trip in July. Three seniors, who were close to Merritt, wanted to pay tribute to her by establishing certain days for students, staff and faculty to turn off their phones from 8 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. The purpose of these days is not only to prevent texting and driving, but also to foster an awareness of what is happening in the present world, not simply in the virtual one. Merritt “embodied life in its truest form” and the goal of the “TextLess” campaign is to establish this throughout the school community. “TextLess” was so successful the first time that other ISL schools and high schools and colleges around the country were eager to join.
The idea of being disconnected from constantly texting, calling and checking Facebook, Instagram and Twitter is daunting, but proved to be surprisingly easy and refreshing. I left my phone in my room in the morning and left for classes as usual. Although I felt myself subconsciously reaching for my phone throughout the day, I realized that there was nothing of utter importance that I needed to check. I only wanted to hold my iPhone in my hand because of some strange dependence I had developed for it. The Milton campus felt more vibrant and connected; everyone was greeting friends and strangers in the hallways and students were loudly conversing in the student center, laughing at real jokes instead of a funny video or a Tweet. People were living in the moment and realizing that they did not need their phones to have a conversation with friends or find someone to eat with in the dining hall. The “TextLess” days are forcing students to think before reaching for their phones and are creating a safer, more connected environment.
Hi, and thanks for visiting us! We’re the leaders of Milton’s Orange and Blue Key (OBK) Society. OBK is the group of about 160 students who give tours to students and families visiting our campus. We work closely with the admission office to make sure you get a good sense of what it’s like to be a student at Milton. We hope that you’ll visit us in person, and until then, enjoy this “insider’s” view of the School we love.
