New app connects students with campus events

As Penn clubs begin to churn out new events and notifications for their members this fall, one app has come in handy: Ublend. 

The app allows college students to explore the various events on a college campus. Created at Oxford University, this is one of Ublend’s first steps across the pond. Though the app has established itself at many European universities, its presence in the U.S. is limited to Yale University and Penn, chosen specifically because of their wide-ranging social networks with student communities across the globe.

Just a few weeks after the beginning of the academic year, the app has garnered over 400 members and 60 undergraduate societies. 

Far from satisfied, Ublend has big plans for its U.S. operations. According to Penn ambassador and college sophomore Roberta Rique, Ublend plans on becoming “the one platform” between students and campus clubs across the country.

Wharton sophomore Mariana Repsold, another of its chief ambassadors, said that the app’s unique features — including options to upvote, confirm attendance and contact members of a specific club — ensure easy navigation. Ublend saves users from the hassle of continuously checking emails or event pages on other social media. She added that event organizers should also save time and effort thanks to detailed analytics reports.

Beyond that, Ublend hopes to capitalize on Penn’s pre-professional environment by displaying corporate events on campus. In a turn of irony, the app has partnered with several of the companies at which its founders turned down job offers, and users can now confirm attendance at on-campus recruiting events. 

Although apps similar to Ublend — such as Hangify — have already made a reputation on campus, Rique emphasized the difference between the two. 

“We are focused on academics and University-sanctioned clubs,” Rique said.

While Ublend’s web portal invites users to discover more about “parties you’ll never forget” that does not, at least for the moment, seem to be the app’s main purpose on campus. The ambassadors said one of their immediate goals was to strengthen relationships with umbrella organizations such as the Wharton Council.

For now, Penn’s team is focused on increasing the app’s exposure on campus. Beginning next semester, users will be able to access the app from their Androids. 

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