Since the beginning of Spring Semester, Gustavus students attending the Dive dances on Friday nights have been required to present their Gustavus IDs to the staff. There is no admittance to students who cannot provide their IDs from now on.

“It was putting too much stress on people checking in guests and people who aren’t from Gustavus,” Campus Safety Officer Heather Wilmes said. “There’s only supposed to be one person to do that, and there are too many students who have to be looked up individually on the Gribly. Even when we do look up these students, some students don’t have their pictures on Gribly, and we can’t know for sure that they are who they claim to be.” Wilmes emphasizes the convenience of each student having their IDs on them to make the Dive entrance less crowded and putting less strain on the staff.

Although there has not been much forewarning about the recent change, most students do not find much conflict with the policy change. “Whenever I go to the Dive, I usually have my ID on me,” First-Year Beka Jimenez said.

“It’s not that big of a deal, but even so, I don’t see why people can’t be looked up if they just want to go to the Dive and have misplaced their IDs.”
Jimenez, along with most other students, has not found the change to be extremely stressful. She does not, however, find much fault in the former system either.

Junior Biology Major Alicia Edstrom, who has worked at the Dive as part of the staff, has seen the hassle caused by students who do not have their IDs with them. She sympathizes with those who may not be able to get into the Dive but pointed out the ease that the new change creates for those handling the entrance. “It really does take forever, and you get huge lines,” Edstrom said. “Everyone complains when one or just a few students have to hold up the line simply because somebody doesn’t have his or her ID.”

Although Edstrom believes this change will benefit both students who have their IDs and those working the entrance, she also understands how inconvenient it can be not to have your ID on you. “I couldn’t find my ID for the first half of the year,” Edstrom said, “It would suck to miss out on some fun just because I didn’t have my ID on me.”

“I can see where it would be a good thing, as far as safety,” First-year Meghan Bedsted said.

To clarify, no other changes have been made to the Dive dances on Friday nights.  Guests are still welcome. For those of you who want to go to the Dive, don’t forget your Gustavus IDs. For those of you who do not know where your IDs are, you can obtain a new one in the Dining Service Office.