By Brittany Wiscombe
Nuisance, trend, or necessity - this advance in communications is everywhere on campus.
Cell phones are attached to many students'' ears during breaks, in the Cougareat and even during class.
Some students say cell phones are a distraction to the learning process, while others say this form of communication is mandatory for success.
Students suggested two tips for cell phone usage: set the phone to vibrate when in class and don''t talk on cell phones in the library or other study places.
The Testing Center is one of the quietest places on campus - except when a cell phone breaks the silence.
Lewis J. Wood, manager of Testing Center Services, said cell phones are a problem.
'Those students caught answering their cell phones in the Testing Center are reported to the Honor Code Office and to their instructor,' Wood said. 'In most cases, students are smart enough not to answer, but the ring is still a distraction.'
Wood said cell phones are necessities, but there is a time and place to use them.
'I would not be able to function without my cell phone,' Wood said. ' But, there is a sense of respect that should be applied when in places such as the Testing Center.'
Cell phone distractions do not just apply to students.
'I think that cell phones are helpful when used in the right way,' said Melissa Clegg a senior majoring in linguistics. 'It is a nuisance when people bring them to class and fail to turn them off - including teachers.'
Clegg said she had two teachers who stopped class to answer calls from family. One call consisted of the teacher telling his wife how to turn the computer off at home.
'I believe that cell phones are for emergencies,' said Valerie Strasburger, a sophomore majoring in health sciences.
Yet, many students use their cell phone as a social reference.
Walking in between classes, many students talk on their cell phones. Some students said this limits the chance to meet new people.
'It''s too bad,' said Veronica Wright, 20, a sophomore with an open major. 'You can''t walk 20 feet without seeing someone on their cell phone.
'If you''re on the phone at school, you are missing opportunities to socialize with people you usually wouldn''t talk to.'
Students, like Wright, don''t have the budget for a cell phone.
'I don''t have a cell phone. I think it is a trend,' Wright said.
'Some students use their phones as an attention-getter and to alienate others,' said Ethan Ide, 18, majoring in zoology. 'I was distracted in the library yesterday by some guy talking really loud on his cell phone.'
Some students decorate their cell phones with fancy faceplates to describe themselves.
Others use their phones only in emergencies.
No matter the purpose students carry a cell phone, it is common courtesy to use them in the designated places on campus.
When students speak on their phones, other students are always watching.
'You can judge a person by their cell phone,' Strasburger said.