By Jessica Lewis, News Editor

In February, 2008, the Student Government Association (SGA) passed a resolution to make all University vending machines Dutch Debit compatible. They were hoping to have all the machines running by March, 2008. As we approach March, 2010, many of the vending machines still read, “Use Cash Only.”

“I always use my debit card, so it is hard [to get drinks] when I don’t have change, and I work six hours [in RSR] in a row, so it is even worse,” junior Lauren Houlihan said.

Brent Weitzberg, former SGA president and current fundraising chair told The Chronicle, “things did happen with the resolution [to make vending machines Dutch Debit compatible], it was looked into and I do think that the start date did happen as of March 2008, because the machines were all looked into.”

“Certain machines do accept Dutch Debits, but it is a tedious process to get it done because there is a programming chip that has to be compatible to the vending machine; and to the best of my knowledge, the machines are being rebooted, if they have not all been already,” Weitzberg continued.

Some vending machines are currently Dutch Debit compatible. The drink machines in the Student Center, Memorial Hall, Breslin Hall and Calkins Hall are a few that do accept Dutch Debits. However, machines in Brower Hall, Dempster Hall, Enterprise and Constitution residence halls still read “Use Cash Only.” In a few of these cases, the snack machines work with Dutch Debits, while the soda machines do not.

Luke Miedreich, the Student Government Student Services Chair, said that, “the issue with the vending machines had been brought up, but I was under the impression that Resident Student Association was working on it.”

“It is our [Resident Student Association] responsibility… it was working for a while but it doesn’t anymore because students steal from the vending machines, and they break them, and it ends up costing Hofstra University time and money to fix them. Also, the companies don’t make money, so in the end the students are to blame for their own losses,” Dana Pizzi, Resident Student Association President, said.

“As an addict of Diet Pepsi, it is horribly inconvenient for me since I don’t have cash on me. It doesn’t make sense on a college campus where people don’t carry money around to feel it necessary to not be able to use our swipe cards…We pay enough money to come here, I think we should have a working vending machine, especially in the dorms,” junior Marissa Saparnis said.

A vending machine’s card reader tells customers to “Use Cash Only.” (Sean M. Gates/The Chronicle)