Campus Events Via the IPhone (or other mobile device)

I spent the entire day in a wonderful, thought-provoking division meeting at work. We got to do ice-breakers and meet with committees. We ate cafeteria pizza and drank high-test. It was great fun. At the end of the day, we were treated to a session run by the student activities director, who taped poster board calendar months at the front of the room and asked us for dates of events we wanted to add for the fall semester. She wrote things in green marker on a large flip chart. It was very productive.

At one point in this session, we were showed a professionally printed version of the entire semester's worth of events on one 22 x 28 poster, which was brightly colored with a border of cute butterflies and flowers. The text was impossible to read - unless of course you stuck your face right up next to it. Discussion of not overlapping dates ensued - as the tiny blocks were so jam packed with information it was impossible to make sense of them. Stay tuned for the fall calendar, we were told. Sigh.

Does anybody even look at these? I've seen them on campus, but really, the only time I look at them is when I throw away the big stack someone inevitably leaves outside my office (for ME to hang up?)

I can't speak for everyone, but I'm pretty much not going to any campus event - even if it involves food - unless I'm reminded pretty soon beforehand. A nudge is nice. Otherwise the computer screen sucks me in.

So I took the opportunity to ask the group (about 40 people) if they would be interested in having a text nudge about the day's campus events. Apparently, they've been tossing that idea around for a while, but no one has done anything about it. They want it. The students in the room said they'd like that more than a website they actually have to go to on their own - but a text with a link, or something mobile, they would use. And so they shall have it.

Now I just have to figure out how the heck to make that happen.