By Elizabeth Grady
Promotions Editor
Recognizing the increasing presence of smart phones in the hands of college students, the Office of Communications created a blog that reviews apps for students.
According to Kait Laubscher, intern at the Office of Communications, the SBU App Review provides in-depth app reviews for students by students. Student reviewers Laubscher and Cristabell Ramdial, a junior journalism and mass communication major, explore the pros and cons of each app and provide students with tips on them.
“We started a blog as a source for students, a service that the Office of Communications is providing telling students what apps are worthwhile from a student’s perspective,” said Laubscher, a senior English and journalism and mass communication major.
The blog’s launch coincides with the introduction of the St. Bonaventure app. It provides localized content for both prospective and current Bonaventure students through Notice Board updates, local weather, links to GoBonnies.com and SBU News.
“It’s super useful for Bonaventure students and their daily lives,” Laubscher said.
SBU App Review runs on a Tumblr page, sbuappreview.tumblr.com. The intern bloggers have reviewed WebMD, Dropbox and Flipboard so far.
Each review also incorporates screenshots of the app alongside it, giving readers a sneak peak of their potential purchase.
Because the reviewers fit in their target market, the tone of the blog is conversational and casual.
“We review in a way that the common student would find useful,” Laubscher said.
Ramdial said she believes the blog will benefit the university.
“I think it gives people the chance to express themselves,” Ramdial said. “Every college campus has made a blog for their school and has students submit things. Technology is getting so advanced that I think it’s only natural that Bonaventure goes toward that now.”
The blog provides two reviews per week. Ramdial and Laubscher hope fellow students will help brainstorm content using social media, including Facebook polls and submitting ideas to their Tumblr page.
“We really encourage people to check out the blog and follow us on Tumblr,” Laubscher said. “We love suggestions.”
gradyea09@bonaventure.edu
