Photographic ID Cards Will Be Issued Next Year

The purple and pleasant plastic bursar's card will soon go the way of mastodons, maid service, and the nickel beer. Starting in September, all Harvard students will be issued identification cards carrying the bearer's photograph, signature, and board contract status.

The move to a new bursar's card was decided on by the committee on Houses and Undergraduate Life, after it received complaints from the Food Services of abuse of bursar's cards.

Massive Cheating

The Food Service Administration reported that 1000 meals a week "are now taken by unauthorized persons." C. Graham Hurdburt, director of the Food Services, refused to comment when contacted at his home yesterday.

The idea of using a photographic card originated with a student subcommittee of the CHUL, according to Dean Dunlop. "The subcommittee is the group that developed the idea in detail," he said, adding that the subcommittee had been asked by the Food Services to develop a solution to the problem.

The new cards will be manufactured by the Ommicard Company, of Woodside, New York, which already handles identification cards for other schools, including the University of Massachusetts, the University of Connection and Rangers. The Omnicard process does not make use of the controversial Polaroid ID2 system.

Registration Photo

Next September, each student will be photographed as part of the registration day process. In ten days to two weeks, he will receive the completed card, as well as the negative of the photograph. Student members of the CHUL will oversee the picture-taking procedures to make sure that no unauthorized use is made of students' photographs.

Besides helping cut down on dining hall losses, the new cards will also be used to tighten security in athletic facilities, and in the University Library system.