PennCards still slowing down dorms, Dining

While the situation is improving, officials have yet to fix all the problems accompanying the card. and Randi Rothberg The past few days have been frustrating for more than 9,000 people around campus who have received their new PennCards, as technological problems have continued to prevent them from quickly and easily gaining access to University residences and dining halls. Vice President for Business Services Steve Murray said last week's entrance control problems in many University residences have been "taken care of," but noted that administrators are still looking to correct recurring problems with the cards in the dining halls -- problems several officials said caught them by surprise. "Our sense was that the problems would not be of the magnitude that they are," he said. "We were surprised by the problems in the dining halls." In the dining halls, technical glitches in the software have allowed some students to eat without actually being on a meal plan, and have failed to deduct meals properly from students' accounts. When the card readers fail without notice, Dining Services employees are supposed to record the names and PennCard numbers of all students entering the dining halls, so students cannot enter twice for the same meal. But on several occasions over the past few days, students have said Dining personnel allowed them to enter the facilities without taking down their ID numbers or names. Additionally, the card readers tend to malfunction without warning, and University officials did not warn dining hall employees of possible problems with the new cards, according to 1920 Commons Manager John Henkel. "Students have never had to wait in line for a meal before this year," he said. Until such glitches are worked out, Spectaguard spokesperson Larry Rubin said, Spectaguards in University residences have been forced to work "with what's there" -- and wave students into the buildings when the card readers have not been working. And while Murray insisted the system prevents both cards from operating at the same time, he admitted that from a "visual standpoint" either card would allow access into the buildings. But because students have not been required to turn in their old cards after receiving new ones, many students have boasted of keeping and using both PennCards. The extra cards create possible security risks because students could give them to friends or visitors to allow them to bypass normal entrance procedures. Many students also complain that Spectaguards have been allowing them access to dormitories without requiring them to present a valid PennCard or even glancing at picture IDs. Telecommunications Director Laurie Cousart, who oversees the PennCard, explained that she, Murray and Associate Vice President for Campus Services Larry Moneta are working closely to incorporate the new PennCard technology -- which involved a change from Social Security number to Penn ID number -- into Penn's pre-existing card reading system. She added that a new server was recently installed to aid residential card scanners. "We would ask students to exert patience [because] it may take a couple of swipes," Rubin added, noting that the Spectaguards were ordered to check students' identification photos if cards did not swipe through due to system overload. Yesterday, lines extended out the doors of Class of 1920 Commons dining hall at dinnertime as card readers began to malfunction, and entrance control problems continued in several of the high rises. When the Commons scanners suddenly began accepting cards, Anita -- who scans PennCards at Class of 1920 Commons and requested that her last name not be used -- reacted joyfully. "Hallelujah!" she exclaimed. "I'm on a roll."