CELLULAR CULTURE

Jack Morris' cell phone resembled a concrete cinder block before it resembled a modern mobile device. But his famous phone, which was repeatedly confiscated by Mr. Belding, was just one of the tools which made him "Preppy," the most popular and trendy kid in the whole school. \nIf only Zack were around today. Zack's famous TNBC character died after the prime-time "Saved By the Bell College Years," when the show finally lost its edge. \nToday, cell phones are everywhere. If you are a student without a cell phone, chances are it's because you're violently opposed to them, or cannot afford one. For an invention which has been eaten up so rapidly by an entire generation, it certainly has its opponents. \nThe technology of cell phones has advanced so rapidly, even the title these days for cell phones is out of date. First off, they're all entirely digital now, not using cellular signals at all. Secondly, they're hardly just phones anymore. Would you call your computer a "word processor?" Today, they have ring tones, text messaging, entire CDs stored on them and even tiny digital cameras. \nIn case you haven't heard, camera phones have been responsible for a little mischief in the School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation lately. It was bound to happen. Camera phones are much more convenient than having to tote an expensive digital camera around. And like a frisky freshman boy in Wright Quad with his webcam, these cameras can be very sneaky. Students were taking pictures of naked students in the shower, and now if you need to call your roommates for a ride, you better do it from outside. \nSenior Emily Curtis believes the HPER may be overreacting banning cell phones entirely. \n"It's a little over the top," Curtis says. "But if it's an issue, it needs to be enforced. It's too bad for those who don't have a camera phone or don't use it for bad purposes. What if they're waiting on a call from their boss?" \nSales Representative at the Communication Station in the Indiana Memorial Union Frances Crowley agrees that camera phones can cause harm. \n"Nobody wants to have their undie's snapped," admits Crowley. "I don't blame [the HPER] for saying it's intrusion of privacy." \nCrowley points out one phone sold at the Communication Station. The only way you can tell someone was setting up for a picture is by a small dial on the side of the screen. \n"You think they're messing with their phone, but you don't even know what they're doing," she says. "I find that intrusive."\nJon Dilts, a professor in media law, notes that what the HPER is doing is constitutional. \n"Of course, the government can't stop you from speaking," Dilts says. "But the First Amendment can control the time, manner and place. You can't prevent people from talking on cell phones, but you can from using them in certain places." \nBut the HPER incident only scratches the surface of all the insidious activities possible with newer cell phones. The addition of cameras and text messaging to newer models creates another medium which gives students a way to cheat on tests. \n"It's possible, but I've never seen it," admits Dilts. "I don't go out of my way to look for it but I am observant. I wouldn't search students or make them empty their pockets. But with text messaging it's definitely possible." \nThink the gadgets on cell phones couldn't get any more advanced? Swing by the Communication Station and pick up an AT&T mMode magazine. \nAmong the features coming to a phone near you is a Nokia MediaScreen. Have you ever been sitting in class in the morning but too irritated you were missing "Cold Pizza" to pay attention? Well, digital cable isn't just for TVs anymore. This phone, resembling a mini laptop, is complete with digital audio and video, as well as wireless internet of course. \nWith Kurashi Net, users will be able to use their phone to control appliances in their homes without being there. One call of the phone will preheat your oven or turn down your air conditioning. \nAnd further down the road, technology is being developed to place a tiny phone chip inside your tooth. The phone sends sound vibrations through the jaw and to the ear. The target audience is for stock brokers in need of up-to-the-second quotes, or naughty students who need their roommate to relay answers during their midterm. \nLike any technology, there will be people who exercise bad etiquette with it. Curtis, who works as a waitress at the Jungle Room, sees poor etiquette regularly. \n"I don't like it when people are sitting with someone else and are talking on their phone," she says. "It makes the other person just sit there like a jackass."\nCurtis also notes people can't sit by themselves anymore. Once the person they're with gets up to go to the bathroom, the other person whips out their phone and starts going through their phone book. \nSo every student has a cell, right? It seems like it. Curtis notes most of her friends don't even have a land line in their house or apartment anymore. \n"I never use our home line," she says. "We only have it for DSL. I don't give it out to anyone." \nDilts is in the minority of not having a cell phone at all. \n"I have no reason for one," Dilts says. \nIn a generation where students feel naked without one, Dilts nonchalantly admits, "I'm around a phone all the time, either in the office or my house. And I do most of my contacting by e-mail anyway." \nFor Crowley however, having a cell phone has been a lifesaver. \n"I have juvenile diabetes, so it can be especially crucial in certain situations," she says. "I've gone into several comas. At times, it takes that last ounce of energy [to call for help]."\nCell phones certainly cover the entire spectrum of wants and needs from sporting hot new ring tones to managing a family. Curtis' favorite features on her phone are her ring tones, and she proudly sports the '80s hit "99 Luft Balloons" as her signal for an incoming call. For Crowley, mobile technology has helped her stay healthy and be a more efficient mother. And, of course, Dilts is getting by fine without one.