App debuts at Humber to connect students

Nov 6, 2012 | News

By Heather VanAndel

Humber College mobile application OOHLALA is available to iPhone and android users. PHOTO COURTESY HSF

Humber College is now offering students a new virtual interactive way to connect with other Humber students.

The online mobile application called OOHLAHA allows Canadian college and university students to connect with others at their institution, participate in events on campus, and get the full value of their time at school, Nick Farnell community manager for HSF, told Humber News on Tuesday.

“The big components are putting events online and encouraging people to attend and participate in the events,” said Farnell.  “You can start conversations online and virtually meet other people on campus.”

Humber has been apart of OOHLALA mobile since the beginning of October and was hosting a virtual treasure hunt through Humber Life starting Tuesday.

Treasure hunt

“The treasure hunt is a fun way to get people using the app and participating within the app,” said Farnell.

The treasure hunt will go from Nov. 6-8.  There will be a virtual treasure on campus, and when an individual on the app comes within 50 meters of it, they can claim it.

If someone who has the app installed on their phone comes within 50 meters of the individual who has the treasure, they will be given the opportunity to steal the virtual treasure, said Farnell.

Prizes include an iPad mini, iPod Nano and Tim Horton’s gift cards.

Ontario College of Art and Design University in downtown Toronto has had the OOHLALA mobile app available to their students for the past two years.

“I think it is a great app,” Brent James, a campus life coordinator at the school told Humber News.

“I have been seeing more benefits from the app this year then last year.  Mostly because of the virtual treasure hunt event we hosted.”

Popular at OCADU

The art school held an event on Oct. 16-18 and experienced a good turn out by online users, said James.

“A lot of the app downloads have happened as a result of that game,” said James. “Now we are seeing a lot more people posting events and activities on the app.”

Farnell said that Humber’s North campus currently has 240 students active on the app.

But Humber News found that some students were unaware of OOHLALA.

When asked about the new app, Shevon Morgan, a first year General Arts student, told Humber News: “I have no idea,” but added “I would download it if I knew more about it.”

Judine Dawkins, a first year tourism and hospitality event planning student, told Humber News she had “never heard” of the app.

“I would use an app like that if it were interesting and there were other students using it. If not, then it is just taking up space on my phone,” she said.