A big hello to the East Coast!

We’re heading to the coast - the east coast, that is - to join forces with Memorial University of Newfoundland Students’ Union. With a student body of more than 13,000 undergrads, Memorial boasts a wealth of student clubs and societies, including the Romance Writer’s Society, the MUN Judo Club and the Juggling Club. Plus, Memorial’s St. John’s campus just happens to be located in the oldest English-founded city in North America - how cool is that?!

Clearly, we’re very excited to be teaming up with MUNSU, and we can’t wait to see what the coming academic year has in store for our friends on the east coast.

 

Your voice matters

[caption id="attachment_331" align="aligncenter" width="639" caption="Click here and check out Apathy is Boring's latest take on youth voter participation"][/caption]

You might feel too swamped with midterms and pub nights and job applications to even think about it, but politics is a hot topic this fall - especially for post-secondary students. A whopping six provincial and territorial elections will soon be upon Canadians. Whether you find yourself in Manitoba or the Northwest Territories, Saskatchewan or Newfoundland, PEI or Ontario, you’ll be heading to the polls in the coming months.

As a student, you might be thinking ‘so what’? Does the politicking that goes on in provincial legislatures really have an effect on my everyday student life? The short answer is ‘yes.’ With postsecondary education falling under the purview of provincial governments, everything from student loans to campus infrastructure can be affected by what goes on in Toronto or Winnipeg or Charlottetown.

The OOHLALA team is proud to include members of all political stripes, and there’s one thing we can all agree on: voting. Casting your ballot is not simply a drop in the bucket; it’s a real way to voice your opinions, and it can have a tangible effect on what goes on in your province.

So whether you’re a first-time voter or seasoned political veteran, be sure to pencil Election Day into that agenda. Stop by a polling station around or on campus - you can even think of it as a study break! Want to learn more? The folks over at ApathyisBoring.com produce fantastic non-partisan resources on all things political engagement.

Happy voting!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Money, money, money

It’s with a heavy heart that I acknowledge the beginning of autumn today. No more beach trips, sunburns or orange popsicles - at least for another year. Instead, students are starting to be swamped with study sessions, extracurriculars and research papers.

[caption id="attachment_304" align="alignleft" width="640" caption="Mo' money, mo' problems?"][/caption]

Added to this already overloaded plate is the stress of student debt. On average, the debt accrued by students upon graduation now hovers close to $20,000, according to a recent article from The Cord, Wilfrid Laurier Univeristy’s student newspaper. As economic turmoil worldwide shows no sign of abating - and youth unemployment is still sitting uncomfortably high - the outlook for the classes of 2011 and beyond is bleak.

What does a smartphone have to do with all of this, you ask? Well, whether it’s a sandwich shop, a local pub or a new retailer, OOHLALA can help you save on those everyday purchases with the help of our Rewards function.  To be sure, a 10% savings here and there won’t erase your money woes, but those extra dollars saved can go to good use paying for beer down student debt.

Happy saving!

Photo courtesy of The Library of Virginia/Flickr

Here's looking at you, Regina

This just in: OOHLALA has landed in the heart of the prairies! We're very excited to announce that we are now partnering with the University of Regina Students' Union, extending all of the services offered with our app to nearly 12,000 more students.

The URSU has a long history of representing the voice of students - we're talking roots dating back to your parents' college days - making us even more excited about the coming year in Regina.

To all the UofR students out there, boot up those smartphones and check out how we can energize your student experience!

Welcome to Winnipeg!

The city of Winnipeg has a lot going for it these days. Not only is its football team, the Blue Bombers, the one to beat this year, but the city has also welcomed back its beloved NHL team, the Jets.

Now there’s another piece of news Winnipeggers - or at least Winnipeg students - can cheer about. That’s right, we here at OOHLALA are thrilled to announce a new partnership with the University of Winnipeg Students’ Association. By collaborating with UWSA, we will now be able to offer a student body of more than 9,000 undergrads a unique set of services right from their smartphones.

To be sure, we can’t do anything about the freezing temperatures in the Peg. But we can at least offer a trove of mobile coupons for local pubs - just one of many, many deals - so you can warm up with a pint this coming winter.

Stay tuned for further exciting announcements!

 

McGill, we want you to win an iPad 2!

My favourite part of September has to be shopping for new school supplies. It’s hard to beat that feeling of a freshly sharpened pencil, a crisp notebook, and, back in the day, a new box of Crayola crayons. This September, OOHLALA wants to send you back to campus with the one school supply that just might top the 64-crayon pack...





That’s right, we’re talking an iPad 2.

Today through Friday, the OOHLALA team is jumping right into McGill University’s Orientation Week through a partnership with the Students Society of McGill University. Along with 400 campus clubs, we will be hosting booths where students can stop by to learn more about our mobile app, and - you guessed it - enter into our contest to win an iPad 2. Talk about going back to school in style!

Adding to the excitement, this is only the first of what we hope to be many forays onto the vibrant Montreal campus. We are delighted to announce that OOHLALA is launching at McGill this fall through partnerships not only with SSMU, but also with the Career Centre, the Bookstore, and the Undergraduate Societies for Engineering, Arts, and Management.

À bientôt, McGill!

Photo courtesy of mcgill.ca

Back to school with Ryerson U

This fall, we’ve got 31,000 more students covered in downtown Toronto. That’s right, Ryerson University, we’re now partnering with the Ryerson Students' Union to bring you an even better student experience.

Over the years, Ryerson has produced some of Canada’s most prized personalities. The Daily Show’s Jason Jones and Will & Grace’s Eric McCormack both studied at Ryerson, as did famed photographer Ed Burtynsky. Even WWE star Gail Kim is a Ryerson alumna.

With such a talent-packed campus, we can’t wait to see which Ryerson student shoots to the top next. For now, we’re working hard to ensure that all Ryerson students get the most of their student experience. Just boot up that smartphone and let OOHLALA take care of the rest.

Need a study buddy at the library? Looking for some great downtown eats? Trying to alert your fellow club members to a campus event? Fear not, Rye students; OOHLALA is at your fingertips.

Go Rams!