They can be seen in restaurants, in the car, on the street, in the store and even in the classroom – people talking on their cell phones.

With college students constantly on the go, it’s only natural to many of them to have their cell phones with them when they come to class.

Ashley Eckhart, sophomore elementary education major, said she hears a cell phone ring in class at least twice a week. She’s the owner of a cell phone, but said she’s been fortunate enough not to have hers ring during class. She said she always “feels bad” for the person who’s scrambling to quiet his or her ringing phone during class. When she hears one go off in class, she said she always checks to make sure hers is turned off.

Eckhart said she has one instructor that has answered a cell phone in class.

“It didn’t really bother us,” Eckhart said. “I don’t think it’s that disrespectful.”

Dr. Vickie Roettger, associate professor of biology, looks at cell phones differently.

“I think they’re extremely rude during class and very disrespectful to the instructor,” Roettger said.

She instituted a policy three years ago in all her classes that if a cell phone goes off during an exam, it will cost the owner of the cell phone 10 percent of their grade on the exam.

“The students have been really good about following the policy,” Roettger said.

She still has some cell phones ring during her lectures, but she said she doesn’t remember any going off during an exam since she instituted the policy.

With so many students carrying cell phones (the Federal Communications Commission estimates that nationwide 61 percent of 18-24-year-olds have one) some instructors think instituting a policy in their classrooms is a wise choice.

Dr. Juan Vazquez, department head of mathematics, said he outlines rules on cell phone use on the first day of class.

“If they have a cellular phone, they must turn it off or put it on vibration,” Vazquez said.

He discusses his policy with other faculty members in his department and tells them that they are welcome to institute similar policies if they think it is necessary.

The Missouri Southern Student Handbook says, “Cell phones, beepers and pagers, etc. can be obvious distractions and generally should be turned off or set on silent or vibrating options. These items are expressly prohibited from being turned on in all classrooms, the library and during any University programs where they could be disruptive.”

Sarah Ayres, sophomore undecided major, doesn’t think it’s a big deal when cell phones ring during class.

“I don’t care,” Ayres said. “I think it’s bad when they answer it though.”

Ayres admits her phone has gone off repeatedly during class, because she forgets she has it with her. She said instructors act like they are going to be strict about cell phones, but then when one goes off in class, they just shrug it off.

“There’s not a lot they can do about it,” Ayres said.

Andrea Smith, freshman undecided major, said she’s heard many cell phones go off during class.

“I think it’s funny,” Smith said. “I’m just glad it’s not me.”

Ayres said she’s only had one instructor who seemed to be strict about cell phones. She said the instructor told the class if someone had a cell phone go off, he would make them stand up and do a dance to whatever strange ring they had on the phone.

Dr. Tom Simpson, associate professor of political science, said a student might as well be wearing a fire alarm if he or she is going to let their phone ring during a lecture. But, he said he doesn’t have any sort of rule against cell phones in class, because “it’s the rarity not the common thing” for them to ring in class.

“These are adults and you have to treat them as adults,” Simpson said.

He doesn’t think he has to compete with the phone for students’ attention.

“My subject’s more important than a cell phone,” he said.