SFD eliminates ‘scanning out’ in response to chapel discrepancies

Beginning this semester, the Spiritual Formation Department will no longer require students to scan out of chapel in order to receive credit. This change comes about after a week-long scanning error last semester, in which students did not receive credits for chapels already attended.

Bryan Rouanzoin, Director of Chapel, made small announcements during the first week of chapel informing students about the new policy. Rouanzoin explained that SFD hoped the change would alleviate the rush to leave, allowing time for students to get to class as well as foster a better space for community.

Kristen Ginn, the administrative assistant of Spiritual Formation, believes that this new change will help students, as well as minimize issues with scanners that previously lead to immense chapel discrepancies.

Last semester, students did not receive credits because of a programming error within the scanners. Other times, students have not received credits for chapel because of human errors, such as students not scanning in or out properly or students leaving too early. No longer scanning out is expected to minimize both human and technological issues.

However, SFD is still aware of the risk of students abusing the system by scanning in to chapel and immediately leaving.

“We are not babysitting you. We are asking students to have integrity. We are helping students out and trust that they will honor that,” Ginn said

Sophomore Madison Mouw was one student unaware of the change in chapel but was excited to hear about it.

“It [Not scanning out] should cause less of a stress to get out of the door so fast and help everyone enjoy the last bit of chapel,” Mouw said.

Senior Maranda Idoni often helps SFD handle chapel petitions and sees issues with the new chapel procedure. She has rightfully earned her chapel credits, and believes that other students should do the same.

“Overall, it is a bad idea. Students can just cheat their way out of chapel,” Idoni said.

Sophomore Annalee Toutges works for SFD and this semester will be her second semester scanning students into chapel. Not scanning students out takes some stress off of the scanners, as well as students. Toutges recognizes and accepts that some students will unfortunately cheat the system, therefore has mixed feelings about the change in chapel.

“We [SFD] want students who are hungry to be here, but you can’t force it. We are slowly learning the balance,” Toutges said.