Freedom of Press ?!?

The following article was rejected by the College Magazine for reasons they refuse to mention...

Fascism in VIT?


I write this article in the wake of a new and inane rule brought into effect by the new Dean Academics of our college. This rule states that no student may use his/her mobile phone anywhere in the college campus. Any student caught doing so will have his/her mobile phone confiscated.
Anyone who thought this rule was too ludicrous to be enforced was in for a rude shock as within the first week itself of it coming into effect several students had their phones confiscated by the faculty. By faculty I mean Dean Academics, and by confiscated I mean rudely snatched away.
The objections I have against such a rule are multi-fold. Firstly, if students are to be banned from using cell phones in college then why not teachers and other staff too? Are they divine creatures expectorated onto this planet by God himself? How is it that teachers are not only permitted to use their cell phones in college but they have the temerity and insolence to leave them in the ringing mode during lectures and even during exams? If one is going to ban students from using phones in college then I suggest that everyone including the principal be banned.
In all fairness, the initial notice that came to our class clearly stated "students and teachers are prohibited..." but it seems to have had little effect on them. In fact now all notices that are currently displayed on notice boards around the college mention only students being prohibited. The teacher's part has been conveniently omitted. Ridiculous! And in any case, even if it was prohibited for teachers, it still begged the question of who was going to confiscate their phones. The seems to be only one logical solution - if the faculty go around confiscating phones from students, then students should be given the right to return the favor!
However, I would like to address the more relevant issue of why such a rule should come into existence in the very first place? Why is it that students should be prohibited from using cell phones in college? There seems to be no logic whatsoever in such a farcical rule. I can understand ensuring that students do not use their phones during a lecture or practical, but what is the sin in using them in corridors? Mobile phones are a welcome technological gadget and their use must not be hampered by such asinine behavior. The past few weeks have seen a spate of inter-collegiate events as well as the Annual Social Gathering being organized in our college. The success of these events was in part due to the use of mobiles and other such technology. Sure, one may argue that 10 years ago such events would have been organized and co-ordinated sans mobile phones so why the need for them now. However such an argument is about as sensible as a ban on TV's and cars would be. Any advancements in technology must be welcomed and not rejected.
I would like to conclude by hoping that by the time this article is published this rule would have been abrogated and if it hasn't then that this article helps in its rescindment.