It seems SGA President Steve Glickman’s ill-advised attempt to incorporate SmarTrip chips into student ID cards may have finally hit a welcomed dead-end. A combination of issues, from costs to logistics, has plagued the initiative since Glickman took office. And now with fare increases, new safety regulations sparked after numerous accidents starting last June and the resignation of Metro’s general manager, university officials have deemed it not the best time to work with Metro on this project.
As we’ve stated before, the initiative is nothing more than a waste of time and money. The university originally agreed to fork up $17,000 to jump-start the program’s first year. But now with fare rates increasing, it’s unknown whether that price tag will remain the same. This program simply doesn’t compare to our other problems nor is it likely to be utilized by a large number of students. For the university to be spending such a large amount of money on it is silly.
Glickman, however, says he’s thinking about future students. But the fact remains that students who wish to go to Washington already go. SmarTrip cards cost a mere $5 and offer no real benefits other than convenience. But if the special chips used by the Metro were implanted in student IDs, the cost of a replacement ID, which right now sits at $20, would have to increase.
He has also lauded efforts to integrate the university more closely with the District. He claims the new IDs will enable UNIV100 courses and others to utilize the city. But in reality classes already do utilize the city without a $17,000 price tag.
An introductory anthropology class, one of the most popular lab sciences on at the university, takes students to the National Zoo each semester to observe the primates. And a history class on communication in early America taught by Richard Bell brings students to the National Archives and Newseum. Professors and students have done just fine in making the city their classroom without the help of an expensive piece of plastic.
Despite these setbacks, Glickman vows to press on. He claims when Metro “gets their act in order” he will continue to push the initiative. But if Glickman is looking for the one who needs to get their act together, he need only look in a mirror. The program has hit a brick wall, and that should give him time to reevaluate his priorities. With rising tuition costs and serious financial problems at the university, Glickman should focus on issues that truly affect the students who voted for him, not those of the future.
The proposal is certainly modern and cool, but it lacks practicality. The program brings little benefit to students and would deplete funding that could be spent more wisely. The campus will be no closer to Washington nor the Metro ride any shorter with a fancy student ID. All that will be accomplished is students’ wallets will be a bit thinner — both because of one less piece of plastic and the thousands it cost to get rid of it.
