Issue date: 8/19/07 Section: News

Media Credit: Jason Williams Stephen Jarnagin exchanged his old ID card for a new one in the ID office last week. Old ID cards became inactive Aug. 6.

After two false starts, two cards have finally become one to make life easier on Truman students.

Truman and U.S. Bank have come together to make Truman ID cards more useful to students by having them double as a debit card and an ID card. The switch to the new ID cards was to originally take place in early January 2007, but two batches of faulty cardstock and too little time to convert equipment caused a postponement of the exchange.

Roberta Santee, the branch manager of the McPherson Street U.S. Bank, said the students who opt for the debit card feature most likely will be incoming freshmen.

"I don't expect to see a huge rise of accounts opening at U.S. Bank," Santee said. "We will probably have the usual amount of accounts opening at the beginning of the year."

In addition to the benefits enjoyed by students, Santee said the ID cards will also be good for parents because there might be a U.S. Bank in their hometown.

Freshman Felipe Vasquez said he already is using his ID card as a debit card and that he thinks other students should, too.

"It's a lot easier to carry one card than several cards," Vasquez said.

Not only do the ID cards offer the use of a debit card, but they also are updated with a new look. They feature a larger picture of the cardholder than the old ID cards did. The background of the card is royal purple and in the foreground is a picture of one of the bells located between Kirk Building and Ophelia Parrish. At the bottom of the card, "Truman" is written in bold, white letters.

All incoming freshmen will receive a new ID card, and upperclassmen will also get a replacement card. All old ID cards became inactive Aug. 6 when new equipment was installed to accommodate the new cards in residence hall cafeterias, Pickler Memorial Library and the Student Recreation Center.

Dennis Markeson, director of food services, said he doesn't anticipate big changes as a result of the new cards. He said there are still a few kinks in the new equipment, but everything should be running smoothly by the time school starts.

When the new ID cards are scanned, a different stripe on the card will be read. Markeson said he thinks the student would most likely not even know the difference.

The ID office has extended hours Aug. 25 and 26 from 2:00 to 7:00 p.m., according to a statement issued by David Hoffman and Kaye Davis of Student Affairs. During these hours, U.S. Bank representatives will be in the office to activate the card so that it can be tied to a debit account.

Beginning Aug. 27, the ID office will resume its normal hours: Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Students may still exchange their ID cards during this time but must go to U.S. Bank to get their cards activated for debit purposes.

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