An online community making Saint Louis University student life both more enriching and engaging may not be too far in the future.
A videoconference hosted by Information Technology Services Director of Activity Charles Green last Thursday, Feb. 7, brought SLU students in touch with the student creators of SIN, a student information network, at the University of Oklahoma.
SIN is a Web site that provides access to services such as online test files, a virtual market and a book exchange.
Other features include a ride board, a roommate finder and restaurant ratings in addition to the most commonly used features of e-mail, calendar and other daily content.
Jonathon Lunardi, a fifth-year student at OU, has been with SIN since its beginning as a software program designer.
“It’s the entity that does it all, including program, design, content, video and marketing and advertising,” he said.
SIN has the potential to take information from students and make it available to other students. “Students have interest in investing in other students,” Lunardi said.
With SIN, students have the opportunity to personalize their own home page through their university. For example, a student in the choir could make all the announcements about the choir appear at the front of the page. Another student, in a fraternity, could have all of his fraternity postings available as soon as someone accesses the site online.
OU has invited SLU to be one of the first universities to participate in this program. “Our school would be known as a pilot school nationwide,” Green said.
About three years into SIN’s creation, only three or four other universities currently have access to it.
“The more schools that get in on it, then we can share content,” Lunardi said. “On a grand vision, our student organizations would work with yours.”
SLU students could see the effects of SIN at SLU as early as next August. “We’ll discuss it with student groups,” Green said. “If they’re excited, we’ll start looking for funding.”
If the basic program is set up soon, it could be up to “play with” by the end of the semester, according to Green. The bulk of the work for the site could be done over the summer, with the big opening at the beginning of the next academic year.
Mike Cappel, president of the Student Government Association, and Phil Lyons, director of Student Life, have envisioned what life.slu.edu could be like. “He (Cappel) and I are both very excited about what this could do to the community and activity at SLU,” Lyons stated.
The OU student government posts a daily online survey, which garners 400 responses a day. “Students can tell the student government what they really want,” Lunardi said. “But it only works if people come to the site.”
SIN’s biggest victory was OU’s online elections last year. “We wanted to do it right last year,” Lunardi said. They received more than 7,000 votes, doubling what they usually receive in the student elections.
Part of the success was that OU was able to post candidates’ names with photos and profiles, along with their stance on issues and even a video commentary. It was the second largest online election in the world.
In addition to the student government, OU used the online election for its Homecoming voting as well. “We made it work, and it worked beautifully,” Lunardi said.
According to Green, the possibility of SIN arriving at SLU is not as much a technological question but an organizational one. “I’m really enthusiastic, but I’m not going to push for it unless the students say they want it,” he said.
SLU students interested in finding out more about SIN at OU, can go to my.ou.edu or to sin.ou.edu.
