The student ID card is a mystery to some RBHS students. For some, it is merely a form of identification and has no significant uses.
However, few are aware of the potential conveniences offered by the card. A majority of students do not seem to realize that they have always had the option of using the student ID to check out materials in the media center, instead of typing in their student numbers. The same option goes for buying lunch, as students can scan their student ID instead of typing in a number.
The process to achieve this is to simply scan the student ID under the barcode scanners used by the media center circulation desk. Using the barcode located on a student’s ID card, they simply need to scan the barcode underneath the scanners, similar to the way materials are checked out. This will achieve the equivalent of typing in a student number and will hopefully be quicker than it.
“A few people have figured it out on their own,” lunch staff member Shannon Brown said. “Only about two people usually use it, so I don’t really have a like or dislike for it.”
Despite the obvious advantages that come with this scanning perk, many students still do not yet know about it. It has long been an option for students, yet it is seldom seen being used.
Sophomore Halim Mavrakis recently learned about this advantage of scanning the student ID card. He said if students begin to use it and have their card ready before they get to the scanning machine, it could be a highly successful feature.
“I think that using the student ID card for scanning is better than typing in the student number,” Mavrakis said. “It’s arguably faster, as long as everyone has their card ready before they get to the check-out counter. Sometimes I accidentally put in my number wrong, so using this card scanning system will help prevent that.”
This option is not only appealing to students, but also to RBHS staff. Media center specialist Dennis Murphy believes that this option can help reduce the constant noise that students create while waiting in line to check out materials.
“It would make the lines go faster,” Murphy said, “and it would be quieter since people will hurry up and get out and they won’t be standing around talking while waiting.”
Brown said while students might benefit from this feature to a certain degree, the same might not happen to the lunch staff themselves.
“It will be faster for the kids to get through [the lunch lines], and I think that kids won’t mistype the numbers in,” Brown said. “I don’t think it will necessarily help us because we are still going to have to punch everything on the screen.”
The simple process of scanning with the student ID isn’t just a luxury tool for familiar students. It is also a very helpful feature for students new to the CPS school district. Such students, who are not nearly as familiar with their student number as other students, can benefit from the barcode scan option, as they do not have to remember their student number; they only have to have their student ID with them.
Overall, Mavrakis believes having the option of being able to scan his student ID rather than typing in his number is both appealing and interesting.
“I would like to try this out,” Mavrakis said. “I’m sure it would be a good option to use.”