Recently, Sodexo has instituted a change in the ID card policy. Now, ID cards are required for purchases at the cafe and are heavily encouraged at the lunch lines through the sectioning of the lanes into ID cardholders and non-holders. Everyone expected this change.
Haverford, rightly so, has preached about the many merits of ID cards for years now. The only problem is that many students did not listen. I can recount many instances of waiting in the air-locked doors outside of the library with a few of my peers, each of us waiting for someone to either pull out their ID or for someone already inside the school to permit entry.
Looking back on those moments, I can easily understand why Haverford decided to enact change to their card policy. From what I remember, most students I knew through my middle school and much of my upper school career frequently did not carry ID cards.
Why did we need them? The front door was always open in the mornings and other “Good Samaritans” often unlocked the doors whenever needed. My opinion changed when I started to drive to school, during my Fifth Form year. Driving was a huge responsibility, that not only entailed bringing my keys with me everywhere I go but my wallet as well.
We too often take for granted our great Sodexo staff who can near-instantly record our names and check us out.
Having my wallet, and by extension, my ID card, in a convenient spot made it a necessity for my daily life. It made getting into the school at odd times much more convenient, but I still never used it at the lunch line. The reasons: time and convenience.
We too often take for granted our great Sodexo staff who can near-instantly record our names and check us out.
With the new keycard changes, lines have become longer in the checkout aisle. It simply takes longer for students to first put down their lunch, find their keycards, and fiddle with the scanning machines until they finally hear the satisfying beep that signifies the end of the transaction. This entire process requires much more time than Ms. Erin Bryne simply typing in your name and recording your items.
The new changes should have been instituted long ago. Even if the lunch lines are slightly longer, the burden on Sodexo staff has been significantly reduced. They no longer have to worry about properly spelling the last name of each student, hence reducing the overall stress of their hectic jobs. We should be considerate about the reasons behind the ID card changes by understanding who they positively affect. In my opinion, the changes were absolutely justified as they enhance the whole school’s safety and well being.
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