The Harvard ID is an often overlooked but essential mark of studenthood and privilege. The cards have been around for at least the last four decades, and were most likely in use during the World War I and II. With the advent of the magnetic stripe and the electronic card card-reader, the humble ID card has been transformed into the powerful and ubiquitous "Swipey Card," allowing Harvard students to access every manner of building, library, photocopier and snack food with a simple swipe. FM recently spoke with Dave Wamback, of Harvard University Identification and Data Services, who explained the complexity of symbol and significance that lurks below the surface of the Harvard ID.

1. Picture

Unless you have it changed, the ID picture you had taken as a freshman will remain your ID picture throughout your time at Harvard. ID and Data Services (340 Holyoke Center, 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Monday to Friday, 495-3322) will take a new picture for you free of charge. You're always welcome but to avoid waiting in line, it's best not to come in during registration season.

The next card produced, whether it is a lost card replacement or the annual replacement, will automatically include the new image as will any facebook created subsequently. Immediate replacements cost $5, but if your current photo is unrecognizable, they'll replace your card for free. If you're one of those people who thinks their ID picture is one of the best they've ever had taken (and we know several), you can get your very own copy in a wide variety of digital image formats (JPEG, GIF, Targa, PCX, BMP or TIFF), or you can have the ID folks print you a copy. It will not be in color and won't look very good. To get a copy of your picture, bring a high-density diskette (PC-formatted, unformatted, or PC-formatted Zip disk) to the ID office, or call and ask them to e-mail it to you as a MIME attachment. For more information, see the ID web page at www.huid.harvard.edu.

2. Last two digits and school label.

The last two digits to the right of your ID number indicate your school affiliation within the university.

3. Bar Code

The bar code on your ID card contains only your Harvard ID number.

4. D.O.B.

According to Wamback, the inclusion of students' birth dates was requested by the Faculty of Arts and Sciences as a convenience to undergraduates for the purpose of "backup to other proof of age where drinking on campus is concerned." The date was printed on the card until 1995 when the date began being embossed along with the rest of the digits on the card. Ancient, grizzled members of the Harvard community (seniors) have surmised that this transition was made in order to thwart the efforts of students attempting to transform their cards into fake IDs by altering their birth date information. When asked about this theory, Wamback seemed surprised to learn that students had been altering the cards and declined comment on the reason for raising the birth date digits. If the birth date on your ID card is incorrect, take another form of ID showing your correct birth date to the office of the registrar.

5. Expiration Date

Cards wear out, people graduate and getting a new card each fall saves the trouble of having to remember where you put your ID in June.

6. Classification

ID cards are issued with a number of different classifications:

Student: full-time student in a degree program

Officer: faculty, administrators and research professors

Staff: other University employees

Special: on-campus contractors, consultants, students on voluntary leave and non-resident GSAS students

Special Borrower: those who would not normally be considered library borrowers but who have either purchased or been granted borrowing privileges

7. I-9 Designation

According to Wamback, "There is a Federal regulation instituted in 1986 by the Immigration and Naturalization Services which requires anyone who works for pay in the U.S. to submit various forms of identification and indicate citizenship. I-9 signifies that a student has filed an I-9 form with the Payroll Office or with a previous Harvard employer. It exists on the card for the convenience of the student.

"Students may apply for casual positions in various departments, so having an indicator on the card alerts a hiring department that the student and the University have already met this obligation."

8. Embossing

The numbers and letters on the card have been raised since the early 70s. They allow smaller libraries and University Health Services to take impressions of cards rather than copy down information. The reason the ink doesn't stay on your name for long is, according to Wamback, that "to protect the image and other graphics on the card, a very thin film of overlay is put on the card when it is generated. The chemical composition of this overlay is very different from the base card, and to date, the manufacturer has not come up with a topping that will adhere for long periods to the overlay." With the increased use of card readers, rather than impressions, Wamback sees the possibility for a card with a "simple flat font sometime in the near future."

9. Number

Ever wonder why most ID numbers start with similar digits (504, 304, 604, etc.)? Ever think there might be a conspiracy to rank students according to social status (104=in FM nearly every week, 304=cool, 604=not antisocial, 904=Science Fiction Association)? Wamback assures us that "There are no personal, social or academic attributes hidden in the number. This is simply a numbering convention based on a custom generation algorithm. Numbers are assigned at random based on the next available number whether the individual is a student or an employee. The first numbers issued back in 1974 began with 100, 200, through 900. Then, after all numbers with these three integers were used, numbers beginning with 101, 201 through 901 were issued. The 3,4,2 format of the number on the card is intended for easy readability, and so it won't be mistaken for a social security number 3, 2, 4." Phew.

The last digit of your ID number indicates how many times you've had your card replaced.

10. Misconceptions About the Card

One of the biggest misconceptions about our trusty cards is that Crimson Cash is actually contained on the card itself. In fact, Crimson Cash balances are recorded in a central database run by Harvard University Dining Services. Your Crimson Cash is safe from wily ID thieves desperate for that 10 percent off at the Greenhouse and 75 cent loads of laundry.

11. Random I.D. facts

Card Production: A single card can be printed in under a minute. When doing batch production ID and Data Services produces them at a rate of 350 per hour. Total recarding of undergraduates can be done under 20 hours after all pertinent production data is available.

That's a whole lot of Swipe-ability: Including all card types, ID and Data Services prints a total of approximately 120,000 cards per year.

12. Card Care Instructions

Ever use an ID card to spread peanut butter? Wamback reports that he has "seen cards chewed up by dogs, run through a dish washer, burned, dropped in a paper shredder. Holes have been punched through the magnetic strip. Some have been broken when used to scrape ice from windshields. (Cards are more brittle at lower temperatures)." So don't confuse your card with a Swiss Army knife or you might find yourself out in the cold.

13. Lost Cards

The bar code on your ID card contains only your Harvard ID number.

If you have lost your card, you can go to 340 Holyoke and have it replaced. Charges are as follows:

Lost Card: $20 each for the first two, $40 after that

Stolen Card: Free with police report

Broken Card: Free with pieces of card

Credit: $15 credit if you find and return a card that you reported as lost before it expires.

All charges may be termbilled.

14. Background

Undergraduate ID cards may all look the same, but the Harvard ID comes in many colors. Wamback informs us that there are no fewer than five major color schemes:

GREY: "Employee and Student cards all use the same gray card with the image of Massachusetts Hall and Harvard Hall circa 1790."

GOLD: "Cards with the same image in gold indicate significant contribution. The criteria include longer service staff and officers who have either 15 years of continuous service to the University or 25 years with periods of absence or what we call "broken service," professors emerita and emeritus and, of course, full retirees."

HUPD: "Harvard Police photo cards have a white background, a silver badge, and the signature of the chief of police. The rank and badge number are also included on police identification."

PINK: Continuing Education degree candidates

BLUE: Summer School students