By SERIAH
SARGENTON
Distribution Manager
Just like you can check in at an event or location on Facebook, The College of Saint Rose now has an app that you can “check in” to campus events and access relevant resources.
On Friday Jan. 26. the college celebrated the launch of their new app Experience Strose, which is available on google play and app store.
“The Saint Rose app is an app that encourages students to get involved at campus activities,” said Darcy Kemp, assistant vice president for student success and engagement at Saint Rose. “This is definitely something incoming freshmen can benefit from, but that upperclassmen can interact with as well.
By checking into events on the interactive app, students can earn points to redeem for prizes such as a Saint Rose water bottle or even a $50 gift card to Ruby Asian Bistro.
The app calendar is set with the days clubs meet and their events, sporting events, concerts, etc. According to Kemp, this is a great way for students to stay organized and remember all the opportunities they have to get engaged with the school on the palm of their hands.
“I initially thought it was just going to be athletics, but I’m happy the clubs are represented too,” said Sonia Morreira, junior and director of social activities for the student association at Saint Rose.
Morreira explains that an app like this will help bring not just resident students closer, but hopefully commuter and off campus students as well who may feel disconnected from the campus at times. Some of the benefits that Morreira enjoys are the easy navigation and incentives that are offered. She said that the app offers huge incentives that many students will find interesting.
Upperclassmen may find this beneficial especially for finding out when the next networking event might be, but for freshmen students Karamjeet Kaur, Adriana Guerriero, and Arianna St. John, networking is only one of many benefits they will gain from this.
“It’s a small school, so it gives you opportunities to stay connected,” said Guerriero, who plans to use the app as a way to remember specific events she has to attend for her pre-law major. She said the point system was “cute” and “smart” because it convinces her to go and attend some of the upcoming events and games.
“It’s very organized and has a lot of options and opportunities for you to attend events,” said St. John. “I see some of the lectures that one of my teachers asked me to go to that’s coming up.”
St. John described how prior to the app she didn’t really know about when clubs were meeting, but now with the app she might attend some meetings of the clubs that she’s interested in.
“Since we’re in a technology based world, our world merely revolves around tech,” said Kaur, who is looking at the app as more of a networking tool. She plans to attend more networking events or general events to meet people she can connect with and use for the future.
Though there are some great features to the app, there were some concerns. Ryan O’Dea, an orientation leader at the college enjoys the apps easy interactive features very much, however he hopes that club e-board members will get access so they can update the calendar for more events and activities to come.
“The point system creates a good incentive and is a great, but it would be good if clubs could add stuff to the app too,” said O’Dea.
The app proves to hopefully bring the school to the modern age.
“There are a lot of other colleges with apps, and it’s good that Saint Rose is on it,” said Morreira.
