Jacob Deprimo puts down his book – “Too Good to Be True: The Colossal Book of Urban Legends” by Jan Harold Brunvand – takes a Tiger Card and swipes it.
Deprimo, mechanical engineering junior, works the register at the front entrance of the Highland Dining Hall. He works the lunch shift – 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. – every weekday, swiping the Tiger Cards of students, faculty and staff alike. He does not do his job for fame, fortune or glory. He does it to brighten the lives of those he meets and to ensure their culinary desires are fulfilled.
“I started here last September, when a guy I knew that worked here got me the job,” he said.
Dining Services pays Deprimo approximately $60 per week, but he said the perks of the job mean more to him than the money.
“I just did it for study time and stuff,” he said. “I also do it to meet people. For me [the lunch shift] is a break. I’m not full-time, but I have classes in the morning and afternoon. It’s a good time I can read and talk with people, and it doesn’t feel like a job at all.”
While Deprimo’s official duty is running the register, he sometimes goes above and beyond his job description.
“I’ve worked once or twice in the back when asked,” he said. “I’m an all-around handy guy.”
Deprimo’s congeniality and dedication have endeared him to the Highland regulars.
“He’s a very nice, dedicated young man,” business freshman Brandon Cole said. “He gives the impression of a man who has an unrelenting desire to achieve something and impact the students’ lives above his own.”
Of course, all heroes have weaknesses and imperfections, and Deprimo is no exception. Sometimes he’ll press the wrong button, or the card just won’t swipe, and once he burned his hands when helping to cook pizza.
“He’s an iron man. He comes back every time and does a better job,” Cole said. “And he has never swiped my card wrong. His card-swiping skills are unmatchable.”
An ultimate sign of respect on college campuses these days is the creation of a Facebook.com group in honor of someone. Anthropology freshman Michael Rhea created the group, “We Salute You, Mr. Student ID Card Swiper In Highland Dining Hall.”
“Every day my girlfriend and I went to the dining hall he gave us a smile and a nod, a ‘How are you doing?'” Rhea said. “It seemed like he was one of these really nice guys that nobody really knew about, so I figured it’d be funny and nice to make a group about him. I know [the job] is not a lot to do, but it’s definitely the gateway to the food. Even off the job, he’ll come sit and eat with you.”
The group description gives a brief story behind Deprimo’s fame.
The Facebook group’s description reads, “Each day we come to you, mouths watering and stomachs rumbling as you flex your fingers, take our cards and confirm our right to eat and eat well.”
“We thank you, oh gatekeeper of the gravy, sentinel of the sub sandwich, protector of the pepperoni, for tirelessly swiping hundreds of IDs everyday, with a smile.”
“Whenever there’s a hungry person in need, they know to come to you, for you swipe smoothly and without delay, never putting it in the wrong way, and you open the doorway to the feeding trough, just beyond those hateful little turnstiles.”
Deprimo could testify to his fame by pointing to the group, but he is too modest.
“The fame just came with the job, but it was quite flattering,” he said. “The most rewarding thing is that everybody’s happy. I’m not a very popular person, and I think that’s very rewarding.”
Deprimo is slated to graduate in the fall of 2007 and wants to keep his job as long as possible. As long as he does, he will have the student body supporting him.
“He’s an inspiration that, whatever you do, you can do it your best and have fun doing it,” Rhea said.
Swipe on, Jacob. Swipe on.
 
Contact Parker Wishik at [email protected]