To remain on the cutting edge of the services provided to students, Iowa State has had to adjust its priorities. This time it was the voice of the student body dictating change as the landlines in residence halls were voted out in favor of wireless Internet access.

Peter Englin, director of the Department of Residence explains, “We did not advocate either. We gave student leaders a choice. Keep landlines or reallocate the money from this expense to pay for wireless, or raise rates enough to cover wireless and keep landlines.”

“The [Inter-Residence Hall Association] voted for eliminating landlines, except for keeping one emergency phone per floor and CA rooms, and to install wireless.”

Under the service change, students can still opt for a landline if they wish via a subscription service through ITS. University and Schilletter Village have already been operating with a similar subscription service.

Englin adds that “Frederiksen Court Council voted to keep landlines and not add wireless. They typically install personal routers in the apartments, so they have it already.”

In today’s digital world, cell phones have definitely found their footing. In our busy and hectic society we have the need to feel connected every minute of the day to the lives of the people and the world around us.

This was truly apparent as I wandered campus hoping to find that rare student who does not have a cell phone. I really didn’t need to ask anyone. Many of the people I approached, if they weren’t already talking on their phones, had them close or in their hands.

Are we really so dependent that we can not walk from class to class without fretting whether we have missed an important phone call or text? The more I watched people, the more I realized that the answer must simply be yes.

The dying landline is more than merely the end of an era: It is a flagrant indication that we have grown entirely dependent upon machines. No one is content to be at home anymore; we want to be out and about living our lives.

Dane, a current University Village resident, keeps his cell phone on his desk at home. “Essentially, my cell phone is my landline” he tells me. “I’m in class half the time and can’t use my phone anyway. If somebody calls me, they can leave a voice mail and I’ll call them back afterward.”

It really seems that Dane and I are the only two people on campus who don’t carry cell phones. For me, it’s more practical and economical, since the majority of my calling is long-distance to friends and family in Canada. I receive much cheaper long-distance rates with a landline. If I need to send or receive texts, I will use my computer.

Curtis Meier, of the IRHA, has had a cell phone for four years, but in terms of his cell-phone usage, he says “I don’t use it much.” When asked about expenses, he stated that he’s on a family plan so it’s really cheap. He too relies upon his computer and e-mail for his texting needs, rather than a cell.

Other students I spoke with had cell phones for longer than they could remember. They favor cells for their convenience getting in touch with people promptly, while some said it is easier to meet up with friends. A handful referred to the usefulness of emergency use.

Angela Bradley, director of networks and communications, systems and operations for ITS, says they will recover some maintenance costs on the phone systems. This will then be reinvested in the wireless conversion that started in early August and so far is only about half complete.

It is an endeavor carrying a $4 million-upfront undertaking. “There’s a use for both systems, but people want the mobility of cell phones. That’s a positive,” she adds, excited at the success of the investment so far. To date, her department has received only 15 subscription requests from students for landlines.

By day, society lives large. At night, we plug in our phones to recharge our lives so that, tomorrow, we can again lead relationships from the palms of our hands.

For his first two years at Iowa State, Kurt Schindler didn’t have a cell phone, and he survived, opting to get one when he moved out of residence halls to an apartment two years ago. “I used my landline in my dorm room for calling friends and stuff. The fact that it was included with room and board made it easy.”

Englin says national data now indicate that the number of students without cell phones “is now close to 99 percent.” This means the landline is an endangered species on campus.

Keys, wallet, cell phone — these are today’s essentials.

Are we suddenly so afraid of ourselves that we just can’t be alone anymore? Do we really have to be in touch with others all the time?

Non-cell phone users are not being left behind as I had originally anticipated by this technological shift. Rather, in the name of convenience, they are assimilated into this growing movement, becoming part of the statistical trend.

– Erin Mastre is a graduate student in landscape architecture from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.