The new Florida A&M University Rattler I.D. card, which features a new design and a new banking partner in Wachovia, is now the official card for university services.
Students have easy access to their meal plans, game tickets, direct deposit with financial aid and more through the use of one card.
“We want to officially introduce students to the new rattler card,” said Helen Eason, coordinator and manager of the Rattler Card Office. “It features a bold new look where the orange fades into the green.”
Charles Collins, a graphic designer from the Office of Development and Public Relations, designed 10 different cards for students to observe and vote on.
The card designs can be viewed at FAMU’s website and also includes results from the online poll that was conducted. The winning card is tagged as design 1b with 683 votes out of 1861 participants.
Camille Daniels, 19, a sophomre general studies student from Queens, NY., said the design chosen was okay, although she chose a different design. “I wanted the one with Coleman Library in the background, but I guess its okay.”
The reason for the new design was to keep up with the times. FAMU has kept the same design for the rattler card for 13 years.
In the summer of 1993, FAMU graduate James Cole, first designed the rattler card.
“Back then the cards were real plain,” Cole said. “I drew the snake by hand using the Freehand program by the Aldus Company, which was bought out by Micromedia.”
Cole’s feelings toward the new design are positive.
“I went online a couple times and I was proud of the fact that students had a voice on what to choose,” Cole said. “It was very well done.”
Cole is now in design management at Media Sharp USA.
Along with the new design, FAMU has changed its banking agreement from Capital City Bank to Wachovia.
Although FAMU originally banked with Capital City Bank, the university decided to look for other options after their contracts expired.
The University issued an Invitation To Negotiate (ITN) the banking services for the campus. Through this competitive bid process Wachovia was selected by FAMU, Eason said.
FAMU’s choice of Wachovia is meant to benefit the students, as well as the college as a whole.
Students can receive a free student checking account and faculty members receive a Wachovia At Work Premier Banking Package.
In addition to having a free student checking account, Eason said some added perks include no monthly service fee, free Wachovia check cards, free online banking and more.
“Because FAMU has recently changed its banking agreement the terms are to re-card each student, new and old, and faculty members,” Eason said. “In an effort to eliminate long lines, most cards were pre-printed and can be picked up at student services.”
While the rattler card has a new design and banking partner, the process to receive a new one or purchase a new or lost one is the same.
The student fee for rattler cards will not be raised and the fee to replace a lost or stolen card will remain $15.00.
Students can pick up new rattler cards at the students services center open Monday through Friday from 8:30 am to 5 pm.