When seconds count mandate a cell phone

Via reader Rob:

Montclair State Unveils Mandatory ‘School Phone’

Students Must Carry And Pay For GPS-Based Cell Device

MONTCLAIR, N.J. (CBS) ―

College students at Montclair State University are all talking about a new requirement that will require students to have a cell phone.

CBS 2 HD has learned more on this required feature that is forcing students to dig into their wallets.

At Montclair State, there is no excuse for being out of touch.

“‘School Phone’ I use for campus e-mail, different things like that,” freshman Angela Vuocolo said.

That’s right.

First-year student Vuocolo said ‘School Phone’ — as in a Sprint-operated cell phone — is now mandatory for all students. It’s the first program of its kind in the country.

The cost: $420 a year for a base plan which is bundled into the tuition bill.

It includes just 50 peak voice minutes a month, but unlimited text messaging to any carrier, unlimited campus-based data usage, and student activated emergency GPS tracking.

“What it does is allow students to have an extra pair or group of people watching over them when they’re going from one location to another,” Montclair Police Department Chief Paul Cell said.

The positive impact is already being felt across campus.

“It makes me feel comfortable,” MSU freshman Ricky Bodtmann said. “I guess if people want to feel safe.”

As Rob pointed out, “It makes them FEEL safer. I’m thinking that the phone won’t stop a bullet.”

And it won’t do much good against a knife or superior strength either. If safety were the goal that $420/year would be better spent on a gun, ammunition, and some range time. But this is New Jersey where, “When it comes to firearms, the citizen acts at his own peril.

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2 thoughts on “When seconds count mandate a cell phone

  1. Someone at Sprint is a great salesman. Either that or they offered someone at Montclair a big kickback.

    What happened to the urgent need for getting all the schools wired for internet access, after which life on Earth was going to be paradise? Wasn’t that one of Algore’s big things?

    “At Montclair State, there is no excuse for being out of touch.”
    (heh)
    With what– the superior performance and moral superiority of a free market in education?

    “I guess if people want to feel safe…”
    ……..what?

    I guess if Montclair had an entrance exam that included a test of language skills…

  2. I’d be going with “kickback” there. Mutiply the number of students times the $420 cost (for a phone that could be gotten at any Wal-Mart for $20) and see what you come up with.

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