Texas Tech lets students swap IDs for portable chargers
10 August, 2018
category: Mobile, Privilege Control
A new initiative at Texas Tech is letting students trade in their student ID cards in exchange for portable phone chargers. The program is intended to help students keep their devices charged during home football games when devices often run out of juice with limited opportunity to recharge.
As reported by the Daily Toreador, the program is the result of a partnership between Texas Tech Athletics and the university’s Student Government Association. Starting this season, 500 portable chargers will be available for students to check out at the university’s Jones AT&T Stadium.
“We are going to this year, on the student side, provide chargers,” said Robert Giovannetti, senior associate athletics Director for external operations and strategic communications, in a Daily Toreador interview. “They’re remote chargers they can take back to their seat, they’ll just have to use their Student ID to check it out. Hopefully that’ll be something that addresses that need.”
The need for the portable chargers was raised to the university’s athletics department by the student government, citing several complaints of phones dying as students recorded video, texted and otherwise used their phones while in the stadium during games.
Students looking to pick up a charger during games will simply exchange their student ID card at one of the designated stations and pick up a charger. To get their ID card back, students must first return the charger.
The chargers will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Each portable charger is roughly the size of a standard smartphone, and will include various cords for the most common phone types. The units also have USB ports for students to plug in their own cords.
“The additions of mobile chargers to help students’ phones last throughout games is just another step toward improving the student experience at football games,” Giovannetti added. “The inspiration came from other schools trying similar methods around the country.”
