By Allison Estremera
The Forest has become a literal zoo with the help of the new Drew Zoo application. The app, which launched this summer, encourages Drewids to attend on-campus events in order to gain points and win prizes. These prizes include a $10 gift card to Chipotle, a chance to win raffle tickets to see Broadway plays like “Fiddler on the Roof,” and a variety of Drew merchandise. As of today, user ShadySquirrel is currently at the top of the Leaderboard with 178 points.
The app was the brainchild of campus faculty as a way of boosting school spirit in the Forest. “The offices of Student Activities, Residence Life, Campus Recreation and Athletics have all been looking for ways to increase attendance at our events. We decided to work with a company called SuperFanU who has created similar campus program loyalty apps for The University of Michigan, The University of South Carolina, Boston College and many other campuses,” said Kerry Klug, the Campus Recreation Coordinator for Campus Life and Student Affairs.
A calendar feature lists all the events and their designated point values. Upcoming events include Drew’s Women’s Soccer vs. Delaware Valley, the Theme House Block Party, and Drew Field Hockey vs. FDU-Florham. Additional features include a FanPoll, which allows players to earn more points by answering trivia questions. There is also FanCam feature, which allows Drewids to upload pictures of themselves at the events for their fellow competitors to see.
When asked about the app, Drewids commented on the innovative nature of the game, which proved to be especially popular with club leaders. “What I like about the app is the simplicity of it. Just go to an event, register on the app and you get points towards free stuff, bam!” said Tiana Rosa (’17), the President of Anime Club.
They agreed that the app was exactly the push Drewids needed a push in order to become more active. “The app is pretty much a message from the higher ups saying ‘Dear Drew community, please start going to stuff,’ and I agree with that,” said Jonathan Ruiz (’17), the President of Gaming Club. Ruiz also praised the variety of prizes offered. “Also, big plus for adding food-related rewards!”
Drewids also had some helpful advice with regard to improving the app for the future, including better promotion, as many remain unaware of the app’s existence.
“I think the biggest issue with the Drew Zoo app is that a lot of club leaders aren’t aware that this app exists, and are not able to put their club events on the app. We just need more promotion about the app to really get all the events on there so that students don’t miss a thing,” said Iliana Mendez (’17), the Treasurer of Ariel.
Some also expressed concern about how the system will work in the future. “I’m not sure if the points carry over into the next semester, but if they don’t then they should change that,” added Ruiz.
The app is available to download for free in the App Store, and is compatible with the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch.
The Forest has become a literal zoo with the help of the new Drew Zoo application. The app, which launched this summer, encourages Drewids to attend on-campus events in order to gain points and win prizes. These prizes include a $10 gift card to Chipotle, a chance to win raffle tickets to see Broadway plays like “Fiddler on the Roof,” and a variety of Drew merchandise. As of today, user ShadySquirrel is currently at the top of the Leaderboard with 178 points.
The app was the brainchild of campus faculty as a way of boosting school spirit in the Forest. “The offices of Student Activities, Residence Life, Campus Recreation and Athletics have all been looking for ways to increase attendance at our events. We decided to work with a company called SuperFanU who has created similar campus program loyalty apps for The University of Michigan, The University of South Carolina, Boston College and many other campuses,” said Kerry Klug, the Campus Recreation Coordinator for Campus Life and Student Affairs.
A calendar feature lists all the events and their designated point values. Upcoming events include Drew’s Women’s Soccer vs. Delaware Valley, the Theme House Block Party, and Drew Field Hockey vs. FDU-Florham. Additional features include a FanPoll, which allows players to earn more points by answering trivia questions. There is also FanCam feature, which allows Drewids to upload pictures of themselves at the events for their fellow competitors to see.
When asked about the app, Drewids commented on the innovative nature of the game, which proved to be especially popular with club leaders. “What I like about the app is the simplicity of it. Just go to an event, register on the app and you get points towards free stuff, bam!” said Tiana Rosa (’17), the President of Anime Club.
They agreed that the app was exactly the push Drewids needed a push in order to become more active. “The app is pretty much a message from the higher ups saying ‘Dear Drew community, please start going to stuff,’ and I agree with that,” said Jonathan Ruiz (’17), the President of Gaming Club. Ruiz also praised the variety of prizes offered. “Also, big plus for adding food-related rewards!”
Drewids also had some helpful advice with regard to improving the app for the future, including better promotion, as many remain unaware of the app’s existence.
“I think the biggest issue with the Drew Zoo app is that a lot of club leaders aren’t aware that this app exists, and are not able to put their club events on the app. We just need more promotion about the app to really get all the events on there so that students don’t miss a thing,” said Iliana Mendez (’17), the Treasurer of Ariel.
Some also expressed concern about how the system will work in the future. “I’m not sure if the points carry over into the next semester, but if they don’t then they should change that,” added Ruiz.
The app is available to download for free in the App Store, and is compatible with the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch.
