The other morning I awoke to the sound of a jarring telephone ring and an irritatingly professional voice chirping, "Hello, can I please speak to Whitney? I would like to know if she wants another credit card." Agitated, aggravated, and just plain ticked off, I replied groggily, "No, I was sleeping. Good bye." The phone calls haven't stopped, and, when relating the story to fellow Wahoos, I discovered that this was an all too common occurrence on Grounds. Companies such as CitiBank and Mastercard have been bombarding students with phone calls for quite some time. This ongoing trend is widespread among first-year dormitories, and a cessation will not occur in the near future if action isn't taken.
According to Madelyn Wessel, assistant to the vice president for student affairs it is the official policy of the University not to allow any marketing in residential areas.
She was surprised telemarketers were able to get student numbers. One possible method she suggested was the 2003-2004 University telephone directory, available at Newcomb Hall. The attendants distribute the books to virtually anyone who requests them. They contain names, dorm numbers and permanent home addresses.
The first step to limiting the calls should be to limit the source. When I questioned the students working at the information desk on the third floor of Newcomb Hall about the distribution of the phone books, they told me that anyone could take one. No ID was required. When asked if someone from a business could have access to a phone book, they said yes. Directories should only be given out to those who have a valid reason for desiring one. Students, faculty and University personnel should have to show an ID when requesting a phone book. Others who ask for one should have to provide a just cause or reason for their necessity of obtaining the book. The books should not be distributed for solicitation purposes. This would help curb the telemarketing calls.
A search engine for student and faculty phone numbers is available on the University Web site, although in order to obtain the number, a name is needed (or vice versa). Also, in one particular instance, a University student received a phone call from a telemarketer, who asked specifically for her by name. When she expressed no interest, the telemarketer asked for her roommate by name. The ability to match multiple names with identical addresses is most likely not possible using the University Web site search engine, unless someone supplies a company with either a list of names or a list of numbers to input into the University search engine.
Another possible, although not probable, link is the University Bookstore. The Bookstore asks for student phone numbers with all purchases made. The shopping bags include advertisements for CitiBank, one of the primary companies calling student dorms. However, when asked if the bookstore distributes student phone numbers to companies, University Bookstore Director Jon Kates replied, "We do not." He did not elaborate any further.
Patricia M. Lampkin, vice president for student affairs, stated that in accordance with the University's official policies, the University does not provide student numbers to outside groups. She also mentioned the University phone directory as a means of obtaining the numbers, but she indicated that companies should have to purchase the phone books through the Registrar, not obtain them through the desk at Newcomb Hall. When I informed her that the desk attendents distribute the directories to whoever asks for one, she seemed surprised.
Lampkin indicated that she did not have a problem calling up the telemarketing companies and asking them to not solicit from University students. The appropriate actions need to be taken in order to ensure the termination of these pesky phone calls. Perhaps information for registering on the national Do Not Call list can be provided to students through the University Web site. More meticulous guarding of students' private information by all University offices would also be a step in the right direction. After all, college students need their sleep, not another means to spend money.
(Whitney Blake is a Cavalier Daily Associate Editor. She can be reached at wblake@cavalierdaily.com)
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