Hey everyone! I'm Vanessa Varela, but you can call me Madame Director.

I'm in charge of all videography for RoomSync, and I'm especially excited right now to not only be composing my first blog post (yipee!) but to also introduce the first installment of a documentary series on RoomSync.

The powers that be requested that I capture the various aspects of RS' work culture which sets it apart from conventional businesses - the ones where everyone sits at a cubicle in two-inch heels, belts, ties, and all other manners of discomfort, and where eating lunch is practically shameful. 

In this first episode, you'll learn who we are, why we are, what we aspire to achieve, and how each of us contributes to the continuous growth of this awesome company. Enjoy the show!

 

We've all heard or seen "What Not To Do" examples; but how about one leaning towards the last things you want in a roommate? In the video below, College Humor jokes about The Six Monster Roommates you could have in college. We are all different and everyone has a match; RoomSync helps you find yours whether you're a Zombie, Ghost, Vampire, or other. 

 

 

Instead of giving the vampire a call, maybe you should just use RoomSync!

 

Best,

Emily

Hello!

Kevin Wu here, with RoomSync! I am a student at the University of Florida, studying information systems and operations management. My projects here at RoomSync has ranged everywhere from making icons, business cards, and the like, to creating a new landing page for a client. I don’t really fancy having a concrete title, but a common theme for my working title is: "The person who makes everything look good."

My deep passion for design and aesthetics has been within me for quite some time; as a little kid, I used to draw Dragon Ball Z characters from video stills on my TV. After all, where is the value in something if it isn't functional and also aesthetically pleasing? I'm hoping here at RoomSync, I can add value through my design skills, whether it's decorating the office, creating business cards, or improving the RoomSync app user experience (commonly referred to UX in the tech world). I love the idea of diving into office design and functionality, even though I'm traditionally a Graphic Desginer.

Besides my fondness for design, I enjoy playing piano, guitar, sports, performing magic, and doing other fun things. I consider myself a lifelong learner who, from both professional and personal life expereinces, continues to enhance his skills and knowledge. We get true value from our experiences when we elegantly take the thought processes from one subject and apply it to a completely different area.  

They say, "You can’t teach an old dog new tricks." I urge you to prove this statement wrong by learning something new each day and taking on a challenge into your lifetime and building continuously on each of your experiences.

The words "You have total artistic freedom," make me happy. It’s the kind of happy that makes me excited.

Art is a complicated thing to define, understand and fabricate into something tangible. "Total artistic freedom," means the possibilities to make something expressive, funky and, of course, aesthetically pleasing, are endless. When I was given total artistic freedom to redecorate the RoomSync office, every wall became a blank canvas, and I take blank canvases very seriously.

For my first project I wanted to dive right in to these possibilities so I created home-made wallpaper.

Let me explain. We have a main wall with two large dry-erase boards where we brainstorm and flesh out our ideas. In other words, this is where the "magic" happens. Below the boards there is a space large enough for some design, but not big enough for a masterpiece. RoomSync had a couple boxes filled with postcards and through some cutting, pasting, and a lot of tape, the birth of the RoomSync wallpaper took shape. I won't bore you with the details of design and execution, but basically, in a week the office went from a lot of blank walls to an inspiration and idea-fostering office.

RoomSync's environment allows for creativity, new ideas, and forward thinking to flow. Every task here is a blank canvas that we are always working to innovate and improve for our clients.

Keep it artsy,

Diana

Yesterday was a very interesting day for the Internet.

The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) is a U.S. House bill to fight online trafficking in copyrighted intellectual property and counterfeit goods. While the bill has good intentions, it poses a serious threat to emerging startups as well as established websites such as YouTube, Wikipedia and countless others.

To this end, a coordinated day of protest among websites occurred on January 18th, where each company took their own spin on how to let visitors know of the threats that SOPA presents. TechCrunch compiled a list of top onilne SOPA protests, which were particularly extensive and interesting.

While there were some memorable ones and also a few that were very effective in getting the point across, my favorite was done by The Oatmeal. Granted that the comic is a bit immature, you have to admit that it explains the risks that SOPA represents beautifully.

I believe that the best way to get through to most people about important issues is with humor. That is why I watch The Daily Show every day, because they deliver important news through the lens of comedy. It makes me more receptive and wanting to know what is going on in Iraq or what stance Ron Paul is taking on foreign policy.

What is the best SOPA protest website that you saw? Leave a comment below and let me know! 

 

Here at RoomSync, we take education and student success seriously. Below is a glimpse into the world of educational oppression and what higher ed institutions in the US, including two of our own clients, are doing about it.

Imagine if you were teaching a class and suddenly the police barged in and took you to jail. That is what a religious minority in Iran has to be careful of.

A video called Education Under Fire (EUF) tells the story of Baha’i youth in Iran who are banned from college and arrested just because of their religious beliefs. The Baha’i Institute for Higher Education (BIHE) was created to give those students a chance for a better future.

The showing of the video is slowly spreading to colleges all around the United States. It has already been shown at Columbia, M.I.T., University of Oregon, Boston University, Harvard and Wheelock College. I am lucky enough to be involved in the showing at the University of Florida this semester, and one of my close friends is also organizing a showing at Temple University.

When I heard about this video last semester, I was amazed at all the talk this video started. If these well-known colleges in the US are supporting it, then it must be a big deal and having this type of involvement from influential institutions means a greater chance for positive change. Harvard already announced that it will now accept credit from the BIHE, which is a huge step forward.

These innocent youth and professors are in need of support from everyone. You can help by signing the "Drive to 25" petition to Iranian officials to end persecution of the youth and BIHE. To take action and learn more, visit www.educationunderfire.com.

Thank you guys for helping out!

-Niaz

 

We are starting a new series of blog posts featuring our fantastic clients to learn more about them and how they use RoomSync. Thanks to Sean Killion, Assistant Director for Assignments & Billing and Temple University Housing and Residential Life, for being our very first interviewee! 

How did you get involved working in higher education, and specifically, Temple Housing?

I went to Philadelphia University for business. I spent 6 years in advertising and marketing then went back to school for long-term career opportunities. I earned my MBA while working in Business Services in the Housing Department at LaSalle University. It was during this time that I switched from the business world to the higher education world. In March 2007, I left LaSalle for Temple University.

 

What unique things have you done in the past 5 years at Temple?

Residential Management Systems (RMS)

At Temple we had a homegrown system but in past three years, we moved from our IBM Mainframe, implemented an ERP system called Banner, and now use Residential Management Systems. Using the RMS StudentWeb Self-Assign, we can give students more flexibility in choices and inform them about the resources available to them earlier.

Roommates

Three or four years ago we were looking to satisfy our need to inform students about resources and technology for roommate selection. We have been with RoomSync for two years now thanks to their RMS partnership.

Housing on Demand

At Temple University, we’ve created “Housing-On-Demand,” a homegrown internal web application that gives students a user-friendly format to more easily communicate with the Residential Life Department. It consists of about 20 different apps including those specially tailored for students staying over breaks or moving onto campus early.

What does Temple University's Housing and Residential Life's social media presence look like now?

We use RoomSync to ease roommate selection and we have a Facebook fan page. We are mainly a resource for students to provide information about their interests on the fan page, however, in the coming fall semester we are planning to engage more people by running our Annual Room-Decorating Contest through Facebook.

How did you hear about RoomSync?

We were using RMS but were looking for more roommate-matching solutions. RMS recommended RoomSync because you specialize in this area. In addition, your application is integrated into Facebook so students didn’t need to go through a whole new system just for housing. 

What have you found to be the most efficient and effective way to inform students about RoomSync and get them to use the application?

We combine promotional mix strategies to get the word out about RoomSync and the entire housing selection process. We issue publications to provide concise information to students and communicate electronically through links on our Facebook fan page and emails. Specifically at Temple, we have direct marketing opportunities like our open house program where students signing up on campus receive tutorials on our systems.

Would you say there is a time commitment?

From my understanding, the set-up process was very easy with sharing interfaces and it basically manages itself. RoomSync makes my job a lot easier because the students have been given that opportunity to feel good about whom they are matched up with.

 

Before RoomSync, did you experience a lot of Facebook related calls from students/parents about their roommate assignements?

Yes, we saw The Facebook Effect*!

After the implementation of RoomSync, did you see a change in the number of Facebook-related calls?

RoomSync definitely drastically reduced the amount of calls and complaints. With RoomSync, we provide more information for our students to make them more informed consumers. It also helps to deflect complaint problems. If a student chooses not to use the resource, they should be ok with getting a random roommate.

What percentages of your students currently use or have used RoomSync within the past year?

We only upload our system with people who have made the commitment to live on campus with their housing deposit to target eligible potential roommates. Temple had 806 freshmen users this past year with a total of 25,183 visits (Approximately 31 visits per user to the application).

What shifts have you seen in time spent on and frequency of roommate conflict, room changes, and complaints, etc.?

Roommate conflicts due to random matching at Temple have definitely decreased with the increased use of RoomSync as an information tool.

 

On a different note, what is your favorite movie? 

I love so many, but if you're going to make me narrow them down, you should at least say favorite per genre! Star Wars, The New Hope”

What is your favorite musical artist? 

Again, so many on my iPod. But I'll go with the Beatles and Eric Clapton.

 

 

Additional Resources:

Sean Killion Biography

Temple University Residential Life Fan Page

*The Facebook Effect: Receiving a number of calls from randomly matched roommates dissatisfied after looking at their future Roommate’s Facebook profile 

 

Happy Holidays from RoomSync!

Still stuck in the office? So are we! Take a break and enjoy this little holiday video we threw together for your viewing pleasure.

Starring (starting top left, counterclockwise): Ariel, Anjali, Michael, Alex and Rob

Merry Syncing,
The RoomSync Team

PS. Our hard-working RoomSync elves have been slaving away in their workshop on the new RoomSync mobile app, which will be debuting in early 2012. Look out for an announcement, complete with more details, coming soon!