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EDITOR IN CHIEF
Ryan Frank
EDITORIAL EDITORS
Kameron Cole
Slefanie Knowlton
Going cashless^
New University debit system
and similar services are wel
come conveniences, but they
may get us in over our heads.
Even as you read this, the world
is getting more convenient.
Students today can buy every
thing from books to pizza
from the comfort of home. It seems
like there is nothing in the world that
can not be delivered right to our doors.
Yes, this is a boom time for the
young and lazy. And now we don’t
even have to carry cash.
Starting next term, University stu
dents will have the opportunity to
sink even further into the contempo
rary morass of convenience. That is
when the EMU will institute the Cam
pus Cash system.
It works like this: starting Jan. 4,
students can go to the EMU card of
fice and for a $10 minimum deposit,
/V
trade in their current ID’s for newfan
gled debit cards.
The cards can be used at an EMU
food service outlets, cafes in the li
brary and Lawrence Hall, and the
EMU recreation center.
Eventually, the University would
like to see the program branch out
into other aspects of campus life, like
on-campus vending machines and
the bookstore.
This is a great idea. Quite possibly
the best idea the EMU Board ever had.
We anxiously await the day when we
can toss out our measly ID cards and
emerge with a tool of fiscal flexibility
in hand.
See, the problem with college stu
dents and cash is that we often don’t
have any. Unfortunately, though, that
is not always a deterrent to spending.
For an especially relevant example,
take a look at the massive bad check
list that’s posted just above the cash
register at the 13th Avenue Taco Bell.
V
/ I )
A college town is one of the few
places where one can find droves of
people willing to risk their credit rat
ings and $15 to $25 in bounced check
fees over a 99 cent taco.
With the Campus Cash system, stu
dents still have to pony up the funds
for their debit accounts, but they can
do it at times when they actually have
money.
There are plenty of other places on
and around campus that can follow
the EMU’s lead and make life easier
for the student population.
For students in the residence halls,
expanding the Campus Cash service
could mean an end to trekking to the
arcade change machine every time
they wanted to do laundry. No more
pleading with the area desk staff for
quarters, which by the end of the
week are like gold.
And what if students could get rid
of those embarrassingly large library
fines before parents spotted it on
their Oregon Hall accounts? A slide of
the card and it’s gone.
Other colleges and universities
have had similar systems in place for
years, with much positive feedback
from students.
The move towards a cashless soci
ety is not a new invention. Many fi
nancial institutions, including U.S.
Bank and U-Lane-O Credit Union of
fer debit cards to customers as part of
their account packages.
Too much convenience, however,
can be a bad thing. Many people with
bank issued debit cards sometimes
find themselves being less cautious
about their spending habits than they
are with cash.
In fact, between bank cards, credit
cards, phone cards and now Campus
Cash cards, unwary students could be
in for a lot of trouble.
One of the greatest perceived bene
fits of debit cards is that consumers
never actually see the cash leave their
pockets. This is also the root of what
is potentially the biggest problem
with the system.
Consider this: most people feel bet
ter about using a debit card to buy
lunch each day than they do about
making daily withdrawals from the
ATM machine. The money is coming
from the same place in both cases, but
there’s something about not actually
having the person on the other side of
the counter wrench our precious dol
lars out of our hands that makes the
day a little bit brighter.
We applaud the spirit of the Cam
pus Cash system and other innova
tion meant to make life a little easier.
Hopefully, people will remember that
just as having checks doesn’t equal
having money, having cards that sub
stitute for cash doesn’t mean you can
afford to use them.
This editorial represents the opinion of
the Emerald editorial board. Responses
may be sent to ode@oregon. uoregon.
edu.
Said
&Done
"i’m friendly with
him. But I don't think
I've ever had a true
connective conver
sation with him. I
just cant, i'm still in
the ‘Jeepers creep
ers, he’s talking to
me'kind of thing.'
-actor Tom Hanks
on his relationship
with President Clin
ton.
"I don't know whose
problem it is, but it
sure as hell is cost
ing me money. This
is some real hog
wash.”
-Indiana gun store
owner Doug Kiesler
on the new federal
firearm policy that
requires stores to
preform instant
background checks
to sell guns.
“He learned from 80
minutes with Presi
dent Mubarak more
than he could possi
bly have (earned
from reading text
books on the Middle
East.”
-Former President
George Bush on his
son Gov. George W.
Bush’s visit with the
president of Egypt.
Yes George, we
also favor the direct
approach.
“He’s obviously
founda pretty good
hiding place."
-tarry Fitzgerald,
spokesman for Hie
Texas Department
of Criminal Justice
on the still-at-large
Death Bow inmate
who escaped earii
er this week.
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