By Nicky Niedermeier ’12, Contributor
When students from a different school bring their student IDs and get a discount on their popcorn at a movie theater, it can be irksome to CCDS students who can’t receive the same discount because they are not endowed with those coveted cards. With a few extra dollars, one could add gummy worms or a pack of Sour Patch Kids to their order. If the administration allows the creation of CCDS student IDs, CCDS students will soon be able to receive those movie discounts as well as a multitude of other benefits.
According to senior Baldur Tangvald, President of Student Council, the administration and student council are considering creating student IDs for the student body. The cards would only take about one week to make and, if all goes as planned, will be finished by December.
“It’s always good to have some kind of I.D,” Tangvald said.
“The cost [of the IDs] will be minimal,” said Upper School Head Stephanie Luebbers. “I don’t think we have any intention of making this a fundraiser.”
“I think the cost of production isn’t all that much and it could definitely be done in-house,” said Fred Carey, Senior Dean of Students. Mr. Carey also thinks a small charge of ten or fifteen dollars to the bookstore bill of card receiving students would be sufficient.
New pictures would not even have to be taken for the cards, as the ‘tree’ pictures could be used, albeit with more head and less tree, Mrs. Luebbers stated.
There are a plethora of benefits for having student IDs for Upper School students. Student identification cards can be used as visual ID. They can also be utilized to log into computer networks or to track attendance—not to mention providing a discount at movie theaters. In the past CCDS students have brought the school directory to the movie theater to receive the discount, an action no longer necessary with the addition of student IDs.
“It may be useful to have student ID cards that could also be used to activate the copying machines,” said Mr. Carey—a potential use of those who are in a hurry to make a copy.
However, the benefits of student IDs come with a few drawbacks. If many school services begin to rely on student IDs, any student who happens to lose or misplace his or her card will be out in the cold. An additional expense might be incurred from the replacement of worn-out or lost cards.
“Replacement cards could be created and billed as needed,” said Carey.
Concerns have surfaced about the necessity of identification for each student at a school as small, and academically unique, as CCDS.
“Identifications are used to show someone who you are,” Kyle Kistinger ’12 said. “Such is unnecessary and unequivocally useless in a place where someone should be viewed based on their academic credentials rather than a card with a picture and face.”
Anthony McDaniel ‘12, agreed with Kistinger. “We don’t need ID Cards. What’s the point of having one if we have such a small school and we will all come to know each other?”
Student Council and by extension, Mrs. Luebbers, are currently considering whether Student IDs are worth the trouble that they may bring.
Photo courtesy of rediker.com
