Cell phones are more powerful than students recognize. Everyday unwanted cell phones aren’t being used to their full potential, and are thrown out like a bag of trash.

Mathematics major Ea Vue said that she has three old cell phones lying around her house. She didn’t realize that those old cell phones could be used to improve or save someone’s life.

“I didn’t know where to take them,” Vue said.

She also said that she kept her older cell phones because she was worried that her old cell phone may have a feature that her newer cell phone didn’t have.

There are many charities that would gladly accept Vue’s old cell phones. “Cell Phones for Soldiers,” a non-profit organization that was created to help turn unwanted cell phones into prepaid calling cards, is one charity that welcomes old cell phones.

United States soldiers who are overseas could then use the prepaid calling cards to phone back home to family members and friends.

“Cell Phones for Soldiers” has several drop-off donation boxes in the Clovis and Fresno area. Unwanted cell phones can be dropped off at multiple Liberty Tax and Coldwell Banker locations.

A drop-off box is also located on campus in the Alpha Gamma Sigma Zeta sorority house on University Avenue.

Business information system major Elvis Bean said that he has heard of “Cell Phones for Soldiers” before. However, he has a more practical and profitable solution for his cell phone once he no longer decides to use it.

“You’re talking to a business major, so I would just turn it around and sell it for myself,” Bean said. “Being in the IT area, I can disassemble this phone, put on a new casing, and make it look brand new.”

Bean also said that his BlackBerry phone is very important to him because it’s his business line that directs him to customers.

Psychology Department Chair Constance Jones said she agrees with Bean. She said that cell phones are important to students if they believe they are important.

Jones isn’t a cell phone owner, but she said it’s possible that students could be addicted or attached to a cell phone ”” making it less likely that they would donate their unused item. She said an emphasis on making the donation process simpler would make it more successful.

“Make it easy for people,” Jones said. “That’s why they have barrels out and boxes and ways to donate that makes it easy, because people have to make a special effort to drop things off.”

Jones added that people could forget to donate their unwanted cell phones, and they figure the garbage is the easiest way to get rid of them.

Donating cell phones don’t just benefit soldiers overseas; they also have an environmental impact.

According to Nation’s Health and the Environment Protection Agency survey, only 20 percent of unwanted cell phones are recycled annually. When cell phones are thrown into a landfill, the toxic materials in them could leak into the ground water. They may also pollute the air if incinerated.

The donation of cell phones also helps save lives. The Federal Communications Commission mandates that cell phones be capable of making emergency 911 calls regardless of a monthly subscription.

The 911 Cell Phone Bank is a non-profit organization that receives old cell phones. The organization sends unwanted cell phones to be refurbished so they are capable of making 911 emergency calls.

The cell phones help partnering organizations like The National Association of Triads. The NATI assists seniors by providing them with a cell phone capable of calling for emergencies.

A cell phone is capable of doing more than what meets the eye. Texting, calling and taking pictures are one feature that gives a cell phone an edge, but remember the feature that could benefit people more is the phone itself.