Correction Appended
Can you believe that cell phone use wasn't all that popular just a few short years ago? The freshmen issue given to the '10s advised: "Don't use your cell phones in public, you'll only be ridiculed and wont even get good reception." Cell phone use was deemed one of those things that freshman, oblivious to the ins and outs of Dartmouth culture did. Before new cell phone towers were built, it was next to impossible to get reception on cell phones and blitz was the main mode of communication. With the entrance of the class of 2009 cell phones became more popular around campus. However, the evolution of Dartmouth's modes of communication began way before this recent change from blitz to cell phones.From the telegraph office in 1852 to the invention of the telephone in 1947 to the creation of Dartalk, modes of communication at Dartmouth have been far from stagnant. Due to the lack of cell phone service in Hanover Dartalk was invented as an alternative for long-distance calls. Managed by Department of Telephone Service, Dartalk charged students a flat fee per month to be able to make and receive calls, as well as an additional charge per minute of conversation.However eventually long distance cell phone plans became stark competition for the Dartalk. Once cell phone reception improved students began to turn to cell phone use as a less expensive and more convenient alternative to Dartalk for long distance calls.In a 2007 article from The Dartmouth, an '06 reminisced about crossing West Wheelock Street her freshmen year when she "heard yelling and honking on the street and I noticed that this guy was leaning out of a pickup truck screaming at me, get off your cell phone!" As a member of the class of 2012 I have never experienced any semblance of the uncomfortable situation described above for using my cell phone. One of my fellow classmates, Kelley Crisp '12 said "I literally use my phone all the time. If not for texting or calling then I'm using it for the calendar or just to see what time it is. It's probably not healthy but there you have it."Nowadays it's not uncommon to be walking across the Green and only pass people with their cell phone glued to their ears. We all know that cell phones are a more than an acceptable means of communication around campus in 2010.
