Take Action: Get Husky Gold Accepted Off Campus

By: Alison Scott, Eric Sellix, and Gina Fanelli

Husky Gold BUNow! from Eric Sellix on Vimeo.

Currently, on campus, there are five major dining facilities to choose from. Although these facilities offer a variety of different foods, there is a way to get even more choices without major construction. The answer is Husky Gold. If Bloomsburg businesses started to accept Husky Gold as a form of payment, students’ options for eating in Bloomsburg would double, possibly even triple. It doesn’t stop there. Not only could Husky Gold be accepted at restaurants but also participating stores that offer other services such as haircuts, clothing items, tanning, and other forms of entertainment.

After questioning 60 Bloomsburg students via an online survey regarding the use of Husky Gold off campus, here are the results that were found:

1.    Would you use Husky Gold downtown if local businesses accepted it as a form of payment?
a.    98.3% of students said yes
2.    How often would you use it as your primary form of payment?
a.    45.8% said they would use it often
b.    33.9% said they would use it very often
c.    and 10.2% said they would always use it
3.    What kind of businesses would you like to see accept Husky Gold as a form of payment?
a.    98.3% said restaurants
b.    71.2% said Dollar General
c.    59.3% said the movie theater
4.    Do you think being able to use your Husky Gold account will lessen the likelihood of bringing your wallet or purse out with you in town? (Bringing only your student I.D.)
a.    only 5.1% said no with 94.9% saying yes and maybe sometimes
5.    How would the availability of using Husky Gold downtown decrease from eating on campus?
a.    59.3% said they would still eat on campus but a little less
6.    How much more often would you think you would eat/shop downtown if Husky Gold were accepted at cooperating businesses?
a.    50.8% said a little more often
b.    49.2% said a lot more often
c.    no one said not more often at all

The results show that there is definitely interest among the Bloomsburg students to pursue this idea. At the end of the survey, there was a blank space that allowed students to share their opinion on the issue. The feedback was anonymous and of all 12 students that left opinions, all 12 were in support of this issue.

One anonymous student wrote, “so many other colleges accept things like husky gold at off campus businesses, why not here? I’ve been wondering this for my past two years here and would love to see it get done.” Another interested student wrote, “I’m always jealous how at Temple and Penn State, they can go to Wendy’s or Taco Bell or any other places in their town and use their “diamond dollars” (the equivalent of our husky gold).”

There would be major benefits to businesses, the university, and students if Husky Gold were accepted off campus. Students would have a lot more options of where to eat and where to shop. It would be an impressive perk if the university could offer this to prospective students of Bloomsburg. Also, current students would have the option of carrying less off campus with them. Instead of a purse or wallet, there is always the option of just bringing your student I.D. This could potentially reduce the risk of losing valuables or getting them stolen while going out.

A lot of students are excited about the idea of bringing Husky Gold to downtown businesses. Krissy Borowski said that she would definitely take advantage of such a great opportunity if Bloomsburg were to work with other businesses to allow Husky Gold to be accepted.

“I actually think it would be really helpful for everyone to use and I know I would definitely be one to use it.”

Many schools surrounding Bloomsburg offer such a program where local businesses accept a form of payment off of the student’s I.D.. Penn state, Millersville, Kutztown, and Temple are just a few schools that allow students the freedom to eat and shop off campus and use a single reducing balance, much like a debit card. Students who live off campus, who may be closer to eating at other places rather than on campus, have more convenience when it comes to dining. The bond between Bloomsburg town and Bloomsburg University would strengthen with such a change.

Come on Bloomsburg, strengthen the bond between the university and the town, accept Husky Gold off campus!

Bringing Husky Gold Downtown from Gina Fanelli on Vimeo.