When I got my CampusLink phone bill today, I noticed a few long distance charges that didn’t really make sense: I was charged 10 cents a minute, CampusLink’s exploitative rate for long distance calls within the state of California, to call such places as The Student Life’s printer, in nearby Corona, and my roommate’s cell phone, the number for which was listed in Riverside.

Both of these locations are within Claremont’s 909 area code. I called CampusLink to inquire, and a condescending definitely-not-older-than-me employee asked me to read him the number for which I’d been charged. "Oh, that’s a local toll call," he said, completely frustrated with my inquiry.

Excuse me, what? A local toll call? The representative took the time out of his busy day to slowly, faux-patiently explain to me that calls that are made within the area code, but to places over 25 miles from school, had been deemed by CampusLink "toll" calls, and are charged the same as in-state long distance calls. Didn’t the state already create the divisions within which local calls are local? I asked. Isn’t that what area codes are for?

Apparently not. In yet another move in which the Claremont Colleges have chosen their own economic well-being over dedication to their students, the Claremont University Center (CUC) is forcing CampusLink on us in order to, presumably, cut their own daytime business telephone bills. Instead of letting students choose their own long distance plan, and allowing us to decide which works best for us, CUC has decided to forgo the opportunity for cheap night and weekend rates for its students. Is it possible that CUC provides itself with a deal in which students are charged stupendous long distance rates (10 cents a minute in state, 15 cents out of state) in order to subsidize the colleges’ daytime business phone calls?

And don’t even get me started on the obviously fabricated concept that long distance is something we should have to pay for. Jesus Christ, go to dialpad.com. Then you’ll know what I mean. Boy oh boy!

It is unbelievable to me that when I was abroad in England a year ago, my phone plan allowed me to call the US for 4 pence (6 cents) a minute, far less than it now costs me to call within my own area code. The colleges need to rethink the CampusLink monopoly, which is constructed specifically to play at young college students’ weaknesses: the recently employed $20 flat late fee target students (and there are many of us) who call so few people each month that our $5 phone bill is easily forgotten, and quickly turns into a $25 phone bill. Give us a break. This is freaking college. Don’t insult us by making us subscribe to an exploitative monopoly, and then telling us it’s just like any other phone company.

Sincerely,

Nora Lawrence

Editor-in-Chief