Steps taken to make students’ EagleOne more useful

By MATT KLINE 

Due to a recent Student Government decision, EagleOne cards are getting an upgrade. Previously, users were not able to tip on their EagleOne card, now this is possible. The upgrade was made to make it more helpful to students who use their EagleOne like a credit card.

Now that students can tip, they will no longer need to carry around cash, whereas before if you didn’t have cash on you then you had to use a different credit/debit card to pay instead of EagleOne.

An EagleOne card allows students to get into their residence hall, Fitness Center and more on-campus amenities. It allows students to swipe into the University Center, get a snack from a vending machine, pay for laundry, print papers and it allows students to pay for their purchases at several retailers around the Fredericksburg area.

The fact that EagleOne allows students go out into Fredericksburg and eat something outside of the University’s dining options is a great perk for students.  By adding money to an EagleOne card students can make purchases at McDonald’s, Chipotle, Home Team Grill and countless other retailers around Mary Washington.

“Now that I can tip with my EagleOne I won’t even have to carry my wallet and risk losing it when I go out to eat,” Josh Filchock, a sophomore business administration major said.

Although EagleOne is very useful, it isn’t used by all students.  Many students do not think it is useful to add money from their debit card onto their EagleOne to pay for the same things they put on their debit card.

Baba Ganoush Mediterranean Grill, Chipotle, Country Cookin’, CVS Pharmacy, Domino’s Pizza, Greens & Grains Café, Home Team Grill, IHOP, McDonald’s, Pizza Hut, Pancho Villa, Subway and Sheetz are just a few of the places that accept EagleOne. With so many options however, many students still wish that there would be more to choose from.

“Although there are good options to use my EagleOne at, I wish I could use it downtown at Mercantile and I really wish that I could use it at Carl’s,” Davis Schmudde, a sophomore, political science major said.

Not everyone is pleased with the encouragement of the use of EagleOne.

“As great as Eagle one is, I do not see the point of moving money from my bank account to my EagleOne account when I can use my debit or credit cards at all the places I could use my EagloeOne at,” Valerie Gibson, sophomore history major said.

Valerie is not alone on the belief that EagleOne is a lost cause, “Why should I take my EagleOne out of my backpack and risk losing it when the only times I really need it is when I’m on campus such as getting into my dorm or getting a meal from the University Center,” said sophomore psychology major Samantha Lang.

The EagleOne upgrade is an attempt by the university to make the card more useful. With the option of tipping on of the card, the university hopes it will make it an even greater resource for the students.