College Rings with Cell Phone Boom

Author: Bob Wainwright

It appears as though the Middlebury student body has gone wireless. In the first few weeks of the new school year, one of the noticeable changes around campus has been the increase in number of Middlebury students talking on cell phones during the class day. And what had previously been frowned upon by the majority of the campus has suddenly gained a measure of acceptance. Interestingly, Middlebury is on par with schools across the nation in this respect. According to a recent CollegeClub.com survey of 850 college students, 61percent currently have a wireless plan, up from 35 percent last year. The survey mirrors the results of a random survey conducted yesterday of 200 Middlebury students, in which 67 percent of those polled said they do own cell phones.
But where Middlebury has deviated in the past few years from most of the larger colleges and universities is in the number of students who carry their cell phones on them during the school day. For instance, of those Middlebury students who do have wireless plans, only 16 percent carry the phones on themat most times. Yet, based on the talk that has been going around campus this year, one would conclude that the number has increased dramatically.
While it may seem as though cellular usage has been around for quite some time, the dominant trend it has become among college students is relatively recent. In an article from Youngmoney.com University of Massachusetts senior Regan McKendry writes, "I remember when I first got my phone in the fall of 1999 and my friends were still in the dark. Now, the unusual college student is one who doesn't have their own mobile phone."
That sentiment is also held by a large number of Middlebury seniors who feel as though they have witnessed a complete turnaround in their four years of college. Jeff Martin '03 explained, "Three years ago, you wouldn't see a single phone on campus. Now it seems like it's everyone and their brother [using them]."
Senior Erik Gilbertson is one Middlebury student who carries a cell phone at all times, but is quick to point out he is not a huge fan. "I wish it were freshman year again," Gilberts explained. "But the simple fact is that you need them when you're living off campus. This is the only way people back home can talk to me."
For students living off campus, cell phones have certainly become the method of choice for keeping in touch with people who are long-distance. In an August 24 Washingtonpost.com article, Travis Larson, a spokesman for the Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association explained that for students renting houses or apartments with numerous friends, cell phones are logical. "Just imagine the nightmare at the end of the month trying to divide up the phone bill," Larson said.