When is the next rugby game? When is the end of the add-drop period? Where should I go to find out about volunteer opportunities on campus? I dare you to answer all these questions without asking around. If you can’t, there’s a problem. Every student should be aware of key dates and campus resources, however, when lengthy listservs are the only means of communicating that information, a lot falls between the cracks. That is the problem which Tom Zheng (founder of Wildcard) and Randeep Singh, developers of a campus-wide information application, seek to remedy.
Tom and Randeep, who are both U3 students studying political science and materials engineering, respectively, have been tirelessly working alongside the AUS, MUS, and EUS to develop their idea. Together, they have created three apps – AUS McGill, MUS McGill, and EUS Events – which deliver updates and reminders relevant to each of the aforementioned organizations. Students can subscribe to receive specific types of updates, as well as, have access to a calendar section and a general information panel. Tom is also hoping to collaborate with campus vendors to set up a coupon redemption system to be integrated into the apps.
Last year, Tom led the development of the Wildcard mobile application, which connects Montreal businesses with customers by means of special deals and Wildcard-exclusive events. The AUS, MUS and EUS apps seek to achieve the same level of connectivity between McGill organizations and students. Tom, who served as VP Academic on the AUS last year, found that similar problems were faced by both the businesses he worked with at Wildcard and the organizations he collaborated with on campus.
“We’re looking for a solution to apathy,” says Tom. “Why is there such low voter turnout for school elections? Why is our community so disengaged? Because students have a very hard time getting the information they want, so they lose interest in the campus community altogether.”
Imagine this: you walk by Dawson Hall, and you get a notification on your phone about that week’s drop-in advising hours. You walk by the gym and you receive a reminder about the upcoming lacrosse game. With these sorts of specific updates, students will have no trouble finding out about campus events, opportunities, and important dates.
Another key feature of the app will be the ability to receive updates from your Facebook friends about their participation in campus events. For example, when varsity athletes check in at their games, their Facebook friends with the AUS, MUS, or EUS app will be notified. Each of these features of the app seeks to increase student awareness of, and interest in, campus activity, ultimately leading to a less apathetic and more involved student body. This dream is the reality which Tom and Randeep hope to establish before they graduate.
Search AUS McGill, EUS Event, or MUS Now! to download the app today from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store
