The anti-cell-phone, pro-BlitzMail culture that once existed at the College has dissipated following improvements in cell phone coverage and smart phone technology. Students are now likely to communicate via text messages or use iPhones or Blackberries to check e-mail instead of making pitstops at BlitzMail terminals.
Upperclassmen interviewed by The Dartmouth said they think younger students have a seemingly insatiable obsession with text messaging. Ryan Church '09, who is an Undergraduate Advisor, said when he attended several of the freshmen programs during Orientation week with his first-year residents, he observed many students sending text messages.
"Freshmen text way more than my friends and I ever did," Church said. "Even during the programs, many students were texting like crazy the entire time. It was pretty amusing, actually."
Several freshmen students interviewed by The Dartmouth said they did not frequently use BlitzMail because they have found it easier to reach other freshman by cell phone.
"If you want to get in touch with [a freshman], texting is generally the safest bet," Brynne Weeks '12 said. "If I'm trying to reach an upperclassman, though, I usually [use BlitzMail]."
"I think I expected [BlitzMail] to be more of an interactive forum-type system," J.P. Gorham '12 said. "So far it's basically been a one-way news tunnel."
"Sometimes it feels as if we're just constantly being bombarded by a million [e-mails] a day from every possible organization," he added.
Annabelle Cone, a French professor who has taught at the College since 1987, said until four or five years ago, "virtually no one" on campus had a cell phone.
"When I first saw students using cell phones at Dartmouth I asked myself 'Why? Why do they feel the need to communicate by cell phone when there are computers everywhere on campus and it's so easy to reach each other by BlitzMail?'" Cone said.
Cell phone coverage was originally limited on campus, David Bucciero, director of Technical Services, said. He explained that in 2003 national cell phone providers including AT&T Wireless and Verizon Wireless drastically improved their service coverage on campus, which may have contributed to the rise in cell phone popularity.
The number of students with "smart" phones that can receive and send BlitzMail has also increased, Bucciero said.
Several students reported the increase in smart-phone prevalence has resulted in less-busy BlitzMail terminals.
"It used to be a given that if you wanted to use a Blitz terminal, especially in [Food Court], you would have to wait in line," Church said. "This year, though, I don't think I've seen too many long lines."
Several students who have smart phones said they feel having mobile access to BlitzMail makes the system more useful, as they are able to receive timely bulletins immediately and are able to attend events advertised by BlitzMail with short notice.
Cell phone owners may also find less-obvious reasons to use their phone, Cone said.
"It seems as if some [users] use their phones as a way to avoid having to make eye-contact with anyone else or to just give off the appearance of being busy and in demand," she said.
While cell phones have become more popular on campus, there are several advantages to using BlitzMail, Bucciero said. Although he estimated that 60 to 70 percent of campus has adequate cell phone coverage, mobile phones may still be unreliable.
"How many times does someone say, 'Where were you for lunch? I texted you but you never showed up,'" Bucciero said. "Then later that night you finally receive the text your friend sent several hours ago.'"
He added that when Dartmouth hosted the Democratic debates in fall 2007, the College called major cell phone service providers to ask them to bring additional cell service trucks to ensure service would be available for those in attendance, he said.
The BlitzMail software program has not undergone major changes since it was introduced in 1987.
"BlitzMail is pretty antiquated," Church said. " I could imagine it having a bunch of other features that it doesn't have right now," he added, citing a built-in instant message feature included in his boarding school e-mail program.
Upgrades to BlitzMail have been planned for 2009. The new design, which has not yet been finalized, will be decided by the Task Force on Collaboration and Social Software, The Dartmouth previously reported. New student-suggested features may include a built-in calendar or a search function.
Some students said that while BlitzMail is a tradition at Dartmouth, it may slowly be replaced by other methods of contact.
"Friends talk to friends through texts and teachers talk to students through Blackboard," Church said. "A lot of BlitzMail's traditional roles are being taken over by other forms of communication.
