New gym technology reads students’ veins

The Recreation and Wellness Center has a new efficient way to enter the gym with the touch of a finger.

Instead of swiping student ID cards, gym-goers will now be able to register their fingerprints at the RWC; when students go to the gym, they will place that same finger on a touch pad that reads their veins.

RWC facilities coordinator Jaime Morales said the urge for a new system came after too many unauthorized people were caught sneaking into the facility.

"This is one of the different attempts we are making to ensure that the RWC is a safe place for everyone who is supposed to come in," Morales said.

Member service leader Jonecia Mahan said that some students have mentioned they liked it and even referred to it as something that might be at Disney.

Mahan also said that others have called it an invasion of privacy.

"A lot of students have complained that we are breaching their privacy and some way keeping their personal information," Mahan said. "In fact, it's not a fingerprint scanner: It's a vein reader."

Cuts, scars and dry or aged skin aren't a problem for the new system because unlike a fingerprint scanner that scans the surface of the user's finger, a finger vein reader takes images of the veins below the skin.

Mahan said that no information is actually kept, just a code that comes up on the screen and a green check mark when you check in.

The RWC is currently going through a transition with the new system, and Morales said longs lines and system errors are expected at first.

"I'm not a fan of it; I think it takes way too much time," interdisciplinary studies major Ricki Hansen said. "Before with swiping it was easier; sometimes there are a lot of difficulties going into it. Sometimes your finger doesn't work and you have to wait a while and do it again."

Hansen would rather have the old system back with swiping the cards so she can get in, workout and get out quicker.

For those who want to get their veins read, they can head into the RWC and register their finger.

Morales said students need to remember to use the same finger that was registered in the beginning and that they shouldn't press down too hard or it might not register properly.

"Some issues that we've been having are people trying to put their hands in differently, use a different finger or press down harder," Morales said. "We ask that people still bring their IDs just in case."

Mahan said that all the front-desk employees have been properly instructed on the system and are able to answer any questions at any time.

"We educate them and tell them it is simply an express lane," Mahan said. "If people don't want to wait in line, you can scan your vein.

The RWC is partnering up with the Student Government Association to help get the word out and start a campaign about the system. It will also update its website website, and the information on the system will be available soon for students to learn more.

"We've spent years researching this system talking to different universities across the country," Mahan said.

According to surveys that SGA has done, this is a system that students wanted.

"It hurts my feelings when someone says they don't like it or we wasted their money," Mahan said. "Even if you don't like it, sometimes you should be able to see the good in it."

If a student doesn't like the new system, the RWC still has the old system in effect and will keep it.