Cultural event scanner responsibilities encompass time, patience, rules at WU

By Shatesha Scales

scaless@mytjnow.com

Graphic by Shatesha Scales • scaless@mytjnow.comAt 8:01 p.m., mass communication major Norie Young turned off her I.D. scanner and let out a sigh of relief. Her first night as a cultural event scanner went smoothly. 

At least until three students arrived late expecting to get their IDs scanned.

Unfortunately, Young had to turn them down. 

One accepted her defeat humbly, the other pleaded desperately and the last one stomped away in anger. 

These three different emotions are what Young and other cultural event scanners must deal with every time they pick up their scanners. 

“We would love to give everyone credit and we understand why you’re upset, but it’s not our fault,” Young said. 

It’s a job and, like any other job, there are rules to follow. 

The rules

By now, students know that Winthrop requires them to have 18 cultural event credits in order to graduate. 

For seniors especially, those two beeps of a scanner can determine whether or not they will walk across the stage at the end of the semester, and as many cultural event scanners witness, when seniors are denied this credit, tensions may run high. 

But the rules are simple. 

Students must arrive to the event on time and get their card scanned both before and after the event. 

The scanners are instructed to arrive at the event 30 minutes before it starts. Once it begins—the performer walks on stage or the lecturer begins to speak—the scanners are supposed to turn off their devices and may only turn them back on at the end. 

Senior theater major Eric Gaston, the student responsible for the scanners’ scheduling, said any scanning in between that time period is documented, which is why they are unable to scan late students. 

“The scanners are time stamped, and we can tell if they are scanned after the event starts because of that,” Gaston said.

However, just ask the scanners and they can attest that, while the rules are straight-forward, a number of students don’t think it’s so easy. 

Some students, particularly first-semester freshmen, are unaware of the protocol.

Young agrees and said when she was a freshman she was only aware that students needed 18 cultural event credits. 

“I did not know that we needed to scan our IDs,” Young said.     

Senior psychology major Lashera Hayward enjoys her job as a cultural event scanner but said it can get a little tiresome when students don’t know the rules. 

“It’s frustrating because people really don’t understand that you have to scan your ID before the event starts,” Hayward said. 

The biggest problem most scanners run into is students who attend the event late. Rules are rules, and even one minute is too late. 

“If there’s a line it’s one thing, but if there’s no one there and you come in late, oh well,” Hayward said. 

Junior English major Danielle Broodie is a rookie and, like Young, just started the job this semester.

Still, she echoed the same simple advice as the veterans: be on time.

In Broodie’s opinion, coming in late is just rude. 

“If you’re late it’s the same thing as leaving early. You have to stay for the entire program,” Broodie said. 

They’re students, too

When students follow the rules, the scanners agree that they enjoy their jobs. 

Young said, now that she’s one of them, she realizes that cultural event scanners sometimes take a lot of flack.

But, at the end of the day, they’re just students. 

“We would love nothing [but] to scan everybody and give everybody credit because some of us are in the same boat,” Young said. 

However, bending the rules for just one student can cost them their job and they’re just not willing to take that chance. 

 “We’re really nice people but we can’t break the rules because you’re just a minute late,” Hayward said. “Just be on time.”