Student Leadership, Activities, & Service (SLAS) uses the new OrgSync app to connect with students and make sure they never miss out on any of the fun that happens on campus. This includes service projects, dances, Food Fest, Culture Night, other events, student associations/chapters, New Student Orientation, and the Student Advisory Council.Cary Baldwin, a senior from Utah studying business management marketing and Public Relations supervisor for SLAS, said, “I really want to make sure we are reaching the students so that they know what is happening on campus. I want to make sure that everyone has the opportunity to come and participate.” He says he never wants a student to not attend an event just because they didn’t know about it.Baldwin said students can pick exactly what events and organizations they want to hear from with OrgSync. “It’s cool because your content is specifically related to your interests.”JennieLynn Jessop, a senior in elementary education from Oregon and Student Events supervisor for SLAS, said, “It’s supposed to be almost like the school’s Facebook, where everyone can stay involved, know what is going on, learn about the events that are happening, and be able to sign up for different things.”Jessop also said there is an RSVP setting so students can say they're coming, and if students drop out of an event with limited space, the spot will open up again so other students can sign up. The app even links to the calendar on smart phones so students will have an easier time scheduling their activities.With OrgSync's poll and survey function, student associations will also have a way to get opinions from students. Jessop said, “It’s also a way for clubs to do polls for their groups. If you have a couple ideas of activities that you want to do, and you want to see who wants to go to what, you can make a poll. Each of your members can just vote on what they want to do and you can get instant feedback from them.”The app can also give students a hand by helping them create a co-curricular transcript. Baldwin explained, “[OrgSync] tracks your involvement outside of academics. So this can be a supplement to your transcript or resume.” Students will be able to print out an official record of the activities and services they participated in, which they can use however they want. The function is coming soon.Cory Park, who graduated from BYUH in December 2014 with a degree in University Studies, was previously an ASL Student Association president. Park said he feels OrgSync will make activity logistics easier. When one presidency is done and they switch out officers, everything is saved for the following semester. They can always go back and see what was there.Park said, “They don’t have to share passwords or try and pass the torch. It’s easier in that sense. It’s all in one convenient place.” OrgSync also links up with Facebook. Baldwin said OrgSync is not meant to replace social media, but it does have at least one advantage over it. He gave the example of how many student associations have multiple Facebook pages from the many different years, making students struggle to find the current one. With OrgSync, all the information stays contained, said Baldwin.OrgSync has a messenger system that can send a message to the whole group. “It’s so much easier than having to find 57 to 250 people to send a message to,” said Jessop.Park said the program is easy and the more the students play with it, the more they will learn to use it.Baldwin said the vision is for OrgSync to help the campus become more of a community involving every student association.
Writer: Kelsy Simmons
