Brianne Kane and Kelsey Mix – Special to Southern News and Online Editor
The Hoot Loot. The most important card you will possess throughout your college career. Everyone remembers learning about this card on their first tour of Southern, not knowing how crucial it would be. The most common use for the card is to either swipe into a residence building or to eat on campus, but not everyone knows all of its uses.
Buying books for your courses is one of the most tedious parts of any new semester, but using your hoot loot card at the bookstore will make it that much easier. Ordering online and picking up in the store is one of the most efficient ways to do that. Go to the Hoot Loot office page on the Southern website and deposit money on your card to start using it. To do this is very simple, find your credit card and follow the instructions: the first of which is to enter your student ID number, which is found at the bottom of your Hoot Loot card.
Once there is money on your Hoot Loot, you’re free to go to the bookstore website and pay for your books with your Hoot Loot, just like a credit card. You may deposit money on the card as you wish, but you cannot withdraw any cash from the card. There is a refund option but you need to meet the qualifications, which are found on the Hoot Loot office page as well.
Having money to spend on your Hoot Loot is extremely beneficial throughout the year. For example, doing laundry: the only way to pay for laundry on campus is through swiping your Hoot Loot card. Also, you can buy anything from the Adanti Student Center, the Bagel Wagon and the Dunkin Donuts on campus and on Blake Street.
On the Hoot Loot website, there is a list of off-campus merchants who take Hoot Loot, such as Denny’s on Whalley Avenue and Pizza Heaven on Blake Street. A convenient perk to the website is that you can always quickly check your balance on your Hoot Loot. There are also machines around campus to use if needed.
Not only those, but your Hoot Loot is a necessity for getting around campus on a daily basis. In order to take books out of the library or print in any computer lab on campus, you will need to swipe your card first. It’s advised that you keep your card on you at all times because you never know when you’ll need to refer to it for your student ID number as well.
A more recent addition to your wallet is the Owl Choice Card. It is similar to the Hoot Loot and the debit card that you may already have. It is true that you do not need the Owl Choice Card, but it’s recommended in case the school needs to refund you for any reason. If the school is refunding you, the only way to access the money is through this card. However, there is an option on the Owl Choice Card website to opt for a paper check to be sent to your house if that is what you prefer.
Ultimately, the list of reasons for needing your Hoot Loot will continue to grow, so do your best not to lose it. One piece of advice from Nick Carlino, Senior Student worker in the Hoot Loot Office – “don’t lose your card on purpose to try to get a new picture.” If you happen to misplace your card once, the fee is $10—and $20 every time after that—and you can go apply for a new card at the Hoot Loot office located in the Wintergreen building. And if you’re debating if a new picture is worth a 10$ fee – its not – you don’t get to take a new picture when you lose your card, you just get a new card. No one really cares about your picture, so don’t let it bother you if the zit on your forehead is noticeable than you thought, just keep the card hidden away in your wallet like any other card. Don’t worry, it happens to the best of us.
