Tap That

We applaud the College’s decision to issue new student identification cards, which contain a chip that can be read from a short distance. Not only do these new “tap” cards eliminate the cumbersome process of swiping, but they bring Harvard up to date with modern security and forgery-protection present at most of our peer institutions. While these long overdue changes are quite admirable and long overdue, one major concern remains: sensitivity.

Excitement surely captured us when we first felt the thicker, stiffer, more robust cards in our eager hands. We assumed that, armed with this new technology, we would only have to touch our hips, gently, to that magical spot in order to secure a smooth entry. We soon learned, however, that it requires a good deal of awkward fumbling to find the sweet spot that turns on the reader and causes the door to yield. Worse yet, to do it with our wallet still in our pants requires a great deal of pelvic thrusting, prolonging the moment when, finally, our impatient rubbing provokes that high-pitched shriek of welcome entrance.

More frustrating still is the ease with which our fellow schools have introduced such measures. To our knowledge, their devices all seem so much more sensitive, and unlocking doors doesn’t require nearly as much effort. Our cards make entrance more like a chore rather than something to enjoy. Fraught with insecurity, we are left to wonder: Is there something wrong with our cards? Or are we just using them wrong?

The downright impotence of these new cards has proven highly frustrating. Perhaps if we could pierce a hole in the card for a keychain ring, easy access would mitigate the problems with sensitivity. But alas, the College will not let us.

Surely, no one wants loose readers that work at too long a range, else concerns over security and safety may dominate. But in its attempts to provide protection, the University need not tighten up so much. After all, increasing the proximity within which the cards can be read will make the experience of opening doors much more pleasurable.