So I saw on my main campus news source (definitely not Yik Yak) that there was a new app I should download that would make life at Davidson so much easier. Intrsect Davidson was unveiled a little bit before spring break, and I spent a lot of time poking around it over break… instead of doing work. Whatever, it’s fine.
Ignoring the fact that I don’t know why the S in Davidson is a 5 (am I missing something SUPER obvious here?), I really like the initial layout of the app. It’s kind of kitschy, kind of modern, and very usable. I love things that are organized into categories, and they did a great job figuring out which ones to include:
1. Campus Events is split into 4 different subcategories, and from what I can tell pulls directly from The Crier, but doesn’t make you feel like shit when you get that Crier e-mail and you should just be in bed. Each event has a MUCH more user-friendly way to get more information as opposed to the weird links that The Crier/Inside Davidson use.
2. Eat has all the campus eating spots and town eating spots AND THE MENUS AND THE TIMES THEY ARE OPEN AND ALSO WAYS TO CHECK YOUR CATCARD BALANCE, aka, it has everything but a way to call the restaurants in town… which would be nice, but isn’t absolutely necessary I suppose. The only thing I think it’s missing is a way to see how long the #$%^*$@# wait line is at Brickhouse.
3. Laundry Availability is split by building and not only gives you a sense of what’s available, but also how much longer it will be before the occupied machines are empty (or at least done with the cycle). For the stats nerds out there, there is a weekly usage chart so you can avoid high traffic times. There are also ways to text you when the laundry is done. Yes, I know this is all available online, but it’s just so much easier this way.
4. Health Services is straightforward… but again puts the hours, numbers, and options for help all in one place so you can see them without searching through the Davidson website. You can call with a push of one button!
5. Business Hours is also pretty straightforward. The hours and brief descriptions of what each on-campus service does can be found in this space.
6. Transportation includes both the Vam van, taxi services, and the bus schedule. If Uber could be made any simpler, they’d do that too I’m sure, but Uber is just… pretty much perfect as is. It also connects you to the Davidson Zipcar page, which helps with knowing if there’s a car available for last minute vehicle needs. I wish it could help me apparate from place to place, but I guess technology isn’t there yet.
7. Davidson Outdoors is a list of each of the upcoming trips, their dates, their prices, a description, and a way to call DO to book your trip/figure out when you have to stand in line for hours to sign up. This is all I really need to know about the DO schedule unless they can figure out a way to get me some gorp.
8. RLO finally offers a place to call the Duty phone with EASE! It’s still just as awkward to call for the umpteenth time to say you lost your key AGAIN, but now you can just get it over with. I feel like this would be a good place to link to some of the online forms like the Hate Crime reports or the Work Order requests, or, for the hardcore, a schedule separated by building of the upcoming RLO events they’re trying to get off the ground.
9. Tech Services just reroutes you to the Davidson Tech Support website, which is annoying because you have to log in and wait for it to load. Yes 21st century, first world problems, I know… but still can’t I just call student IT services in the library for quick questions?
10. Course Catalog is good. Helpful. Takes you to the registrar’s website with ease. And that’s pretty much all there is.
11. Emergency is a good one, reminding you to not call the on-call officer, counselor, or nurse for more serious emergencies. It’s a compilation of all of those numbers and then a reminder to call 911. Props for not including a link to that; it makes people think for a minute before they dial 911/reduces the risk of accidental calls.
12. The Davidsonian‘s link isn’t currently working… but I’m assuming that when it does it goes to the The Davidsonian’s website, which comforts me in the fact that it totally gives me that “real college paper” feel like the Yale paper under Rory Gilmore’s reign.
All in all, I like the app a lot. I think it’s definitely worth downloading, and super helpful to have all of these resources in one spot. I just need to remember to use it more.
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