As Crusaders returned for the new year, they were surprised to learn that they would be using a new app called Minga to access student IDs and hall passes.
This change is meant to be more convenient for students. Now, they do not need to carry lanyards or sign out when going to the restroom, nor do they need to carry a plastic ID with them. Everything is now on their phone, tablet, or any other device. There is also a plan in the works to implement house points and personal points into the app, which would be exchanged for Riordan gear.
The addition of longer passing periods was tested last semester with the extension of the period prior to Block 2 and 6. This year, all passing periods are 10 minutes long, with the exception of the period after morning break.
Still, some students have their doubts about the app. Many feel that Minga does not make student life any more convenient than past years. Others have said that it will not keep students out of the hall during class.
Eamon McCarthy ’25 said, “I think other than the fact that your ID’s are on it, it doesn’t matter too much.”
Operations Manager Cara Garcia responded, “We’re seeing a decline in how many students are in the hallways during the class period and I don’t know if it’s because of Minga, or if it’s because of the 10-minute passing periods.”
With this rise in technology use, some teachers are also raising concerns over students needing to have their phones on them.
Mathematics teacher Anthony Dunn mentioned, “We had [asked] for years, ‘Should students be able to keep their cell phones or should we put them in a bin?’ and now everybody needs their cell phones. It’s kind of like an acceptance that the cell phone is now just part of people’s lives.”
Again, Garcia responded by saying, “What we told teachers is that, ‘If you found yourself using Minga a lot, we weren’t using it right.”
Riordan implemented Minga to help students and keep up as the world becomes more digital. However, other schools are not up to the same standard yet. Garcia explained that a student was recently not allowed into a football game at Saint Ignatius because they were using a digital ID, but the problem has been taken care of. Administrators encourage students to reach out with other concerns or questions.
