Student Issue, 1995—Elimination of the Student Activities Card

The combining of the student activities card and student ID card in 1995 caused controversy because the system in place for obtaining tickets to athletic events required presentation of the card but did not require the individual to whom it belonged to present it—a friend could take three activities cards and acquire three tickets, for example. And requests for block seating by groups required that all members of the proposed “block” submit their activity cards as well as a list of the block, including Social Security Numbers. Returning the cards took nearly a week. Being without the card would mean students could not charge meals, make copies in the library, ride the KAT system, or perform other activities. Combining the cards was, according to the Dean of Students’ Office, desirable in large measure because it would stop students’ scalping of their activities cards. The Student Government Association proposed a separate card with a magnetic stripe that would be retained throughout attendance and would be activated each quarter when fees were paid in order to preserve flexibility in obtaining tickets to athletic events. The change was implemented, but policies for block seating no longer required sending the card with the list.