In the past decade, many public schools and colleges have implemented required identification cards – many making students wear them as badges around their necks.
At the college level, students often possess identification cards. But instead of wearing them for everyone to see, these cards are hidden in wallets.
At most colleges, the card gives access to the cafeteria, discounts and doubles as a library card.
It also serves as an identification to prevent strangers from hanging out on campus.
And, typically, these cards have one thing in common from campus to campus – they are free, and every student is issued one.
The replacements are the ones students are required to buy.
The identification cards issued at Delta aren’t through the Admissions Office, but through the Associated Student Body Government (ASBG).
The cost is $10.
Benefits include: “Free or discounted entrance to college events, free food and prizes at ASBG college hour events, access to the ASBG food pantry, and doubles as a library card,” according to the ASBG website.
The list of vendors off campus who accept a student discount is limited. The most notable are Subway, Tapa
Taqueria and Casa Flores Miracle Mile. Other locations that offer discount or coupon services are Stockton’s Yoga Center, Delta Valley Towing and VIP Salon & Supply.
The list includes 15 total vendors, including an online bean bag store – not many of which seem to be all that appealing to local college students.
While we can appreciate the current list of discount choices, and the efforts of ASBG to pursue them, we wonder why can’t we have free identification cards?
We understand the $10 is a small fee, but at the same time, the benefit of widespread usage of the cards – and the fact that all students could then be required to have them – would be great.
Consider that not one staff member on the Collegian staff has one of the current cards. A poll of the students on our staff also shows that no one even knows a person who has ever purchased one.
We believe benefits should be available to the student body without paying $10.
As of now, it seems as though the benefits to this card do not outweigh the cost and hassle – a multi-step process – of purchasing it.
Consider, too, that if Delta implemented a universal identification card it could be linked to all aspects of our campus life.
It could be our identification, library card, link to student account information, discount card.
It could give students who as of now feel as if the school is “just Delta” a chance to feel connected to the campus.
It would make students feel as though they are actually attending college instead of just “taking classes at Delta.”
Consider University of California, Berkeley’s Cal 1 Card. It gives them discounts all over campus and tons of surrounding places. It acts as a student debit card, which can be used on campus and reloaded; it is also the students’ bus pass. University of California, Berkeley pays for their students to use the bus system to get to and from school.
If Delta has something similar, it would promote activities and help ticket sales for sports. This is worth the cost of the endeavor
Even if it’s more than $10 a person.
