How time and student ID cards have changed

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For comparison here is a 1950 CMU student ID card and my current card. 

Differences between the card: 
Rose Traines' black and white paper ID card included her birthdate and signature, cost 50 cents to replace, and the Dean of Students was the contact if someone found her lost card. There is no ID number on her card. It looks like when she was photographed that her signature and birthdate were written on a board that is attached to a string hanging around her neck. The back of her card is blank. I'm sure she presented it to register for classes and check out books.

My card is in color, has my ID #, a magnetic strip and a chip. As staff, the strip allows me touchless access into locked areas of the building. The last time I had to replace my card because the strip wore off it cost me $12 and today you notify the ID card office. You can add funds to your card to buy food in CMU buildings like cafeterias, bagel or coffee shop or at the CMU grocery store. If students buy books in the CMU bookstore it links purchases to their CMU accounts. 

This made me think about my UM card. It was hard, thick plastic, solid dark blue with University of Michigan on it in a maize block-style font. My name and social security number with a number added to it, yes my Social Security Number!, were on the front and these characters were raised. When I went into financial aid or to check out a book, the staff put paper with carbon on it on top of my card and ran a machine over it which picked up the raised letters of my name and ID#, like stores used to handle credit card purchases. That way they had a copy and I had a copy of our transactions. There was no chip, no strip, no image on my UM card, and the back of it was blank. I had to carry money on me at all times. I kept my UM card for a long time after I graduated. After years of carrying around and constantly producing your ID card it becomes part of you. Right after I graduated I used it to get into museums at the student rate. That was an awesome benefit to having my student ID card.

Another thought I have looking at these cards is I remember when my son came home from kindergarten with an student ID card on a lanyard around his neck. My first  ID card was when I went to UM. But now they are needed for identification and security in elementary school. How times and student ID cards have changed.

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