As students across Canada break free from the confines of their campus libraries, we wanted to take a look at the 11/12 school year and shine a light on a few notable students.

Post –secondary students are becoming increasingly involved with progressives programs, challenges and opportunities that aim to make student life bigger and better.  This is something that Canada’s Next Top Ad Exec (CNTAE) has fully embraced. Started in 2007 by the DeGroote School of Business, CNTAE was founded on the principles of bridging the gap between learning’s in the classroom and application in real industry.  CNTAE brings Canada’s top students together and into the real world of advertising – or at least the world outside the classroom.

Partnered with Chevrolet, the 2012 competition challenged teams to develop an integrated marketing communications strategy for the launch of the 2013 Chevrolet Spark in major Canadian urban centers. Up for grabs in first place was the grand prize of two 2013 Chevrolet Sparks which was awarded to the winning duo who hail from McMaster University, Kailee Jaimeson and Ryan Moran!  We caught up with them in the early morning after their big win and it was clear that the excitement was fresh in their voices. “Being a part this opportunity has been so surreal” said Kailee, “it has been an absolute blast doing this with Ryan and I think I can speak for both of us by saying that it really has made everything we’ve done in the classroom become so much more significant.”

These students have been hard at work since January designing, creating, strategizing and envisioning what they would want Chevrolet to tell them about the new Spark. The amazing runner up duo of Elizabeth Harris and Emily Dimytosh from Queen’s University, and third place pair, Christopher Larryant and Veronica Yeung from University of British Columbia, all agreed. “It’s so important for companies to get involved with student life to present opportunities like [CNTAE]” declared Emily Dimytosh. This program is a great example of merging the relationships between consumer and brand to form an authentic relationship.

“If I had the opportunity to tell a first year student about the one thing they needed to do when they got to University it would be to seek opportunities and get involved outside of class” said Veronica Yeung. The CampusPerks team agrees – In the last 2 school years we have hooked up students with not only exclusive opportunities, national recognition and some fun challenges along the way. We have also been able to reward these students with over $620,000 in sponsorship and scholarships.

Stand out on campus and get involved. To find out about how to get involved with Canada’s Next Top Ad Exec for 2013 and more info on this past years program and winners head to their website here.

If you want to find out about some exclusive opportunities right now check out CampusPerks.ca or comment below and we’ll fill you in on how to get involved right now!

Photos Provided By: Lucas Scarfone

March 2012 saw the launch of CampusPerks Student of the Month Awards. Students excelling in the Arts, Leadership, Innovation and Athletics were nominated by their friends, family and professors to receive a CampusPerks Award for their involvement both on and off campus, and for their contribution to their community.

75 students were nominated for Awards and 910 Canadians spoke out about their involvement to support their nominations – after a round of interviews with our judges, 8 students were honoured with a national CampusPerks Award of achievement in their category.

“It was a really cool experience,” says Bree, CampusPerks Artist Award Winner from Wilfrid Laurier University. “There aren’t a lot of formal awards in University that recognize students for their involvement like in highschool or elementary school.”

Kyla, CampusPerks Athlete Award Winner from the University of British Columbiam said that “[The Awards are] really great because you get to learn about other athletes and individuals on campus as well as across Canada. [It's] a really cool idea and a great way to raise awareness for what students are doing in Canada.”

Get recognized on a national level means a lot to students because in a school of 20, 000 people or more, it can be hard to stand out.

“When I found out I was nominated I was really excited. I’ve done a lot and to be recognized is really amazing – sometimes you don’t realise how much you do until someone else points it out”, says Chantelle, CampusPerks Athlete Award Winner from the University of Toronto. Sadie, CampusPerks Leadership Award Winner from the University of Calgary was amazed that so many people knew about her nomination, “I even had people come up to me that I didn’t really know that well mention that they supported me on CampusPerks.ca.” 

Being nominated for a CampusPerks Student of the Month Award is really an honour. William, CampusPerks Innovator Award Winner from Waterloo University noted that, “[The Awards] give students great exposure from CampusPerks.ca and it really highlights the students that excel in each category.“  It’s an exclusive process, wherein judges go through a rigorous selection process in approving nominated students, moving them into an interview phase, and lastly, selecting the winners.

Our Award Winners have exceeded what’s required of them as students at University, having successfully tackled the busy student lifestyle while continuing to contribute to campus life, they are natural born leaders in their field.  As CampusPerks Artist Award winner Luxey puts, “University is not always about marks, it’s about making meaningful connections all the way through. It expands your network –  I met my friends Polly Leger and Yumi Rahman through Carleton’s Vagina Monoglues Production and they have inspired me every bit of the way.”

Jon, CampusPerks Leadership Award Winner from Wilfrid Laurier University believes that keeping busy helps you stay balanced while at University: “I strongly believe that hard work and collaborative development makes the most well-rounded students, and I promote this in all of my activities.  Success is all about dreaming big and acting even bigger. I aim to make my outputs far exceed my inputs, which helps provide Laurier students with the best means for working together and achieving greatness.” 

Getting involved also drives up school spirit. Chantelle plays on two sports teams at York University and is keen on showing her school pride. “I have always been a supporter of school spirit, if youre involved on campus it shows you’re proud to go to your school no matter how big or how small”, she said.

Universities themselves also influence students as a hub for idea creation, as William states, “University of Waterloo has the slogan, “Ideas start here.” Velocity would be one of the best representations of that slogan. I enjoy the community and the energy in here. Not only does Velocity connect students with each other, it also helps with mentorship. I can always count on fellow Velocity residences to motivate me during weekend Hackathons.” Similarly, Keiver, CampusPerks Innovator Award Winner, added that being involved at the University of Calgary “Gave me connections to people that I wouldn’t otherwise have been able to meet, like industry professionals.  Getting involved on campus lets you learn a little bit more about yourself and what your interests are.”

Being involved on campus has benefits outside of University – as Bree, one of our CampusPerks Artist Award winners puts it, “Being involved in student publications (Wilfrid Laurier’s award winning paper, “The Cord”) has – or will, I guess I should say, – contribute to my eventual success. I have found that I enjoy writing as more than just a hobby, it’s a huge passion and want to it for the rest of my life which is why I’m looking for work as an editor or reporter. Jon agrees, “I think that the biggest factor is, volunteering gives you a practical skill set to be able to excel in the future. It helps you understand and recognize your strengths, what you can excel at, and what you’re passionate about.” 

Although some students see campus involvement as a simple resume booster – it’s about more than that. As Keiver states, “getting involved is not just about filling your resume…getting involved lets you learn a little bit more about yourself and what your interests are.” As Sadie explained, getting involved can help you figure out what you want to do with your life, so when people ask you “What do you want to do with your life?” at your family reunion, you can answer them! “I think that being involved on campus helps you open up to so many different things – [it allows you to] explore your options of what you want to do – I didn’t know I wanted to get involved with Non Profits until I started volunteering.Now, im involved in a lot of volunteer work both in and outside of campus. ”

This dedication to bettering themselves and their community is something our Award winners all have in common, as a well as an honest desire to improve and contribute to their campus life. As Kyla put it, “Getting involved and giving back to your University is a great way to make it an even better place.”

CampusPerks fuels student life on campuses across Canada by providing students with exclusive opportunities, and as the Hunger Games neared, we thought, how sweet would it be to send a few of our Community Members to see the Hunger Games before everyone else? 

Answer? Pretty darn sweet. A few lucky CampusPerks community members had the unique opportunity to attend the Hunger Games advance screening as our CampusPerks media reps.

Anna from Ottawa University, tori from Carleton University and Steffany and Carolyn, from Dalhousie University, have given us an exclusive play-by-play on their Hunger Games experience.

What did they think of the experience? Well…

“WOW, what to say about The Hunger Games. Did I actually expect it to be as good as the hype around it? Yes. Did it deliver? Definitely, I could even say it exceeded ALL expectations I previously had. What helped exceed them was being able to say I saw it first, before many die-hards had the chance to. Feeling the anticipation and excitement of the crowd of people who were just itching to see it was exhilarating! It was also refreshing to not have to hear the opinions of others before I had the chance to experience it myself, which was one of the perks of being able to see it first; I could really claim my expectations as unclouded and my own. I have ever really experienced something similar before, and it was really nice to genuinely go based on your own thoughts!” – Anna

“To my surprise, and excitement, I was given the opportunity to attend the Advance Screening of “The Hunger Games” as a CampusPerks Media Rep. The experience was sweaty, hot, and required a lot of multitasking. Twitter updates on my phone, taking photos with my camera, carrying popcorn, and waiting in line with a bustling crowd of people…piece of cake right? Not so much. There was popcorn everywhere! It was loud, but security kept the lucky advance screening hopefuls in check.” – Steffany

“The movie was amazing, and I am so happy that I was chosen to see the advanced screening of the Hunger Games in Ottawa! It was an exciting experience, even waiting in a huge line to get tickets was exciting as people around us were re-reading parts of the book, and describing their favourite characters and wondering how accurately they would be portrayed in the film. ” - Tori

Was it an accurate representation of the book?

“Well let me just say, the Hunger Games exceeded my expectations. This movie succeeds in a way other book-to-movie attempts have not. I think this is because the director, Gary Ross, seems to not attempt to simply emulate the book but actually seems inspired by this story. The movie surprisingly tackles a lot of issues for what could easily be another shallow attempt to draw in young moviegoers.” -Carolyn 

“I can honestly say it was a great depiction of how I had envisioned it, and the book’s integrity was maintained exceptionally well. The entire experience was thrilling, kept me on the edge of my seat, anticipating the next second to see the progression of the story being brought to life. The dedication of some people in line- those who brought foldable chairs and down to the ten year old girl who was still re-reading parts of the book before the movie started- it all made the experience that much more exciting! Having such an opportunity from CampusPerks was actually one I never would have expected to have, and I really could not thank you enough! I whole-heartedly enjoyed myself and never would have thought it could be so much fun, but thanks to you I have one more thing to check off my bucket list.” - Anna

Steffany reports on the environment before the film started.

“We exited the screening only to find a huge line equal in size to the one we had been standing in a few hours earlier. I was definitely one of those people who had no idea what was in store.… fans had been lining up for the past few hours impatiently waiting for the theatre 8 doors to open and usher them into the World of The Hunger Games!” – Steffany

Things you’d like to see more of from the Hunger Games movie?

“Jennifer Lawrence. She deserves to be the new ‘it girl’. Her beauty is only exceeded by her talent. One of the best young actresses around right now, in my opinion.

Also: Braided updos and wacky high fashion. Katniss had some seriously amazing hairstyles that deserve emulation. The majority of the characters were high-class city folk of the future sporting polished yet strange versions of haute couture. I loved the color palette ranging from bright blues to mustard yellow, orange-red, and jewel tones.

It was so great to see fresh faces in a  hollywood blockbuster. Most of the cast had never previously been in a film this big, despite all being talented and experienced actors. Oh, and did I mention the Hunger Games’ roster of extremely handsome counterparts?” – Carolyn

Overall?

“Thanks again CampusPerks! I’m so glad that I had the chance to represent such a great initiative that provides students across Canada with the opportunity to promote student life on campus!” -Steffany

“A big thanks to CampusPerks for sending us to see the Hunger Games!” – Carolyn

“My Karyna and I had a great time, and loved the trivia and prizes that were given away before the movie! Thank you so much CampusPerks!” – Tori

“[CampusPerks] really is a university student’s BFF and I could not have asked for a more entertaining distraction from the midterms which never seem to end. Thank you for the kick-ass tickets and making my university experience that much more memorable, you are awesome!” - Anna

Did you see the Hunger Games over the weekend? Let us know what you thought about the film in the comments section below.

Side Note: Want to gain access to exclusive opportunities like this one? Become a CampusPerks Community Member here: http://campusperks.ca/en/users/sign_up

-The CampusPerks Team

Jordan is a third-year BBA co-op, and the co-Captain for Laurier’s JDC Central 2012 team. He’s been a participant with 5 Days for the Homeless, and enjoys being an SBE Mentor to other students. To keep a balanced life, he stays involved with athletics, reading about business and social ventures, and learning more about leadership and what motivates others.

Being Co-Captain of JDCC Laurier has been a truly transformative experience for Jordan. Seeing the other students around him develop on a weekly basis, both as business students and as all-around young people, gives great value to the time he invests into JDCC Laurier.

Jordan explains that “It’s inspiring to see the incredible levels of motivation throughout the entire 40-perosn team, and it’s a privilege to work with them so closely The reason I wanted to be Co-Captain of JDCC Laurier is for the challenge – every day I’m tested as both a student of business and as a leader. I’ve had to establish a vision for the team, choose the top Laurier business students to fit that vision, and then shape and mould them to work cohesively within a team environment. It’s been one of my toughest tasks so far to understand what motivates each individual, and to cater my leadership style to that, and as a result, every day throws new challenges my way. “

Jordan also emphasizes the importance of teamwork and how paramount it is for JDCC Laurier. “I’m inspired to be a leader by I’ve been able to develop as a person and continue to learn about myself. Most importantly, I’m constantly learning what motivates others, and in doing so, I’ve realized that the ambitions of the people around me are the primary driving force that motivates me.”

-Written by Safia & Judy @ WLU

Carleton can be like other universities in many ways: same old school stuff, different year. Unlike other universities though, Carleton is unique in that it has a thriving Greek community. By Greek community, I mean the strong presence of fraternities and sororities on campus. This month is recruitment season or as some may call it ‘rush’. Recruitment happens twice a year for most organizations – once in the Fall (September) and once in the Winter (January). During this period, organizations host brotherhood/sisterhood events, philanthropic events, and social events, inviting all students to attend. At the end of the designated period, which is usually 3-4 weeks, ‘bids’ or invitations are extended to new members who have displayed a keen interest in becoming a part of Carleton’s Greek life.

Rush is always exciting as it is a time when new friendships are made and fun events take place. It is a great way to meet new people, get involved and learn about Greek life on campus. Often times, students are unaware of the existence of Carleton’s Greek community and the benefits they can gain from joining an organization. The Carleton University Greek Council (CUGC) sets up tables at Carleton Expo during Orientation Week, and a ‘Greek Week’ event in the winter where each organization can promote their own recruitment. Furthermore, CUGC holds anti-hazing seminars each term, a Greek Gala at the end of the year, Women’s Day every year, and socials such as ‘Greek Speed Dating.’

Marika Washchyshyn, Vice President Communications for CUGC and member of Tau Sigma Phi says, “We have great parties with the fraternities, solid relationships with other sororities and genuine loyalty with each other.”

All in all there are seven fraternities and six sororities at Carleton. The fraternities are Acacia, Alpha Epsilon Pi, Beta Theta Pi, Kappa Sigma, Omega Psi Phi, Sigma Pi, and Tau Kappa Epsilon; the list of sororities include Alpha Omicron Pi, Alpha Pi Phi, Delta Psi Delta, Phi Sigma Sigma, Tau Sigma Phi, and Xi Delta Theta.

All 13 organizations are recognized by the CUGC and bounded by its constitution. Marika says, “The CUGC is body that regulates and oversees operations in the Greek Community at Carleton. They plan monthly events to promote a sense of unity among organizations, as most of the time they are competing for new recruitment, and every once in awhile, things may get sticky.”

Often times, Greeks are categorized under ‘the popular crowd’ or ‘party animal’ stereotypes, and though they may like to have a good time, Marika explains, “It is our commitment to furthering our academics and philanthropic efforts that set us apart.”

“We must maintain a minimum GPA to be a part of Tau Sigma Phi, and attend regular mandatory study sessions and learning services to achieve that. We donate many hours to different charities, and volunteer regularly on campus – as Orientation Week leaders, Carleton Serves volunteers, peer helpers and more,” she shares.

To her, being Greek is about realizing the potential you have as an individual to make a difference on campus, surrounded by an amazing support system of like-minded individuals, becoming a force together.

-Written by Janelle @ Carleton

One of the great things about being a university student is the opportunity provided to get involved with a student-run club or organization. One club at Brock University that has made an impact on the student population is the Brock Jewish Students Association. As a result of there hard work, the club was recently awarded a $400 sponsorship from CampusPerks. As a result I got a chance to sit down with Avital Sternin, President of the Brock Jewish Students Association to find out what impact this money was going to have on the club for the upcoming semester.

Avital was extremely grateful for the opportunity that CampusPerks provided her and her club. As we began to talk about her club, Avital went into great depth as to how CampusPerks had helped through publicity and club recognition in a large scale. The exposure the club had received from the CampusPerks website had opened many doors for the Brock Jewish Students Association. In addition the recent sponsorship would help the Brock Jewish Students Association to accomplish their current programs on a much larger scale.

As the second semester has begun at Brock, Avital made me aware of two major programs the club would be working on this semester. The first was the Jewish holiday of Purim and the second being a weekly lunch and learn series. The celebration of Purim is a Jewish holiday, which takes place every March commemorating the salvation of the Jewish people in Ancient Persia from Haman’s plot.

As part of the celebration the Brock Jewish Students Association will host a community food drive over the course and celebrate the week with a large celebration. At the same time the weekly lunch and learn will be open to all students with the opportunity to learn about such topics as “why be Jewish?” or “why do bad things happen to good people?” For more information on either of these events students can email the Brock Jewish Students Association at brockjsa@busu.net.

-Written by Dan @ Brock

http://www.gloriousorphanage.com/public/

The JSSS first became involved with CampusPerks when they heard about the Virgin Mobile’s On The House Campus Race. “After hearing what CampusPerks was all about, we felt like it would be a fun way for justice students to promote who we are and raise awareness about our causes. A lot of our events and projects require funding and we hoped that CampusPerks would be able to provide us with support that we could use for new and exciting projects,” says Ashley. The student club competed in and won the race and have been involved with Campus Perks ever since.

“CampusPerks has really brought the JSSS positive publicity. People who had never heard of our group began to contact us and ask how they could get involved with our initiatives. CampusPerks has certainly helped us monetarily as well. With the sponsorship and money raised [...] we were able to sponsor three children in Africa, give over $2000 to our local Food Bank, and donate hundreds of dollars to women centers in Regina. We also had a lot of fun getting involved with the challenges and really learned how to work together as a team. Thanks for everything CampusPerks!” – Ashley Major

-Written by Caitlin @ U of R

WHO?  Fashionista Robyn Barclay

Robyn introduced me to one of the many places she finds inspiration for her style; it’s a website called Pinterest. Pinterest lets you organize and share all the wonderful things you find on the web. You can use pinboards to plan events, decorate your home or find inspiration for amazing outfits. Robyn has gotten me hooked and I’m already finding inspiration for a great New Years outfit.   Robyn tells me her favorite holiday outfit would definitely include a velvet dress. “I save my velvet pieces for the winter holidays and love to make the most of them.”  She tells me she would also throw on some “sky-high heels, black tights and something furry, like fur stall or coat” to be ready to ring in the New Year.

Personally, I find this time of year hard to find a great outfit that also keeps me warm on the long trek from the parking lot to class. Robyn wears muk luks, “they’re a fun alternative to the UGG boot” and you can have them made locally.  I wanted to know where Robyn finds all of her amazing accessories. She calls it “The Bargain Hunting Trifecta!” You can find great vintage accessories at the Antique Mall, Value Village and The Blue Mantel-“Hey, I’m on a budget.”

Robyn says her go to shops in  Regina are Fazio Boutique, Stella and Sway, Winners and Le Chateau. She says not to underrate Le Chateau for a great wardrobe staple like a black pant or blazer and always check the sale rack for trendy items that you wouldn’t normally try on. She says she “loves to pick out items that other people are afraid of; they always end up being my favourite pieces.” Think outside the box and try wearing pieces in an innovative way.

Robyn always has a new and interesting outfit and I wanted to know how she does it on a student budget. She uses Rhoda’s Elegance, a local consignment store with two locations in Regina. Robyn says, “It’s a great way to clean out your closet and make a little money.” Robyn takes the proceeds from a good consignment sale and puts it towards new items. She also uses tailoring as an inexpensive way to breath new life into old items already in her wardrobe. Dean Renwick, a tailor and local designer, located in the Scarth Street Mall “has a keen eye for tailoring and always knows just what I’m looking for.”   Lastly, I wanted to know what Robyn’s top 10 fashion picks are to carry us through the winter season.

1. Jewel tones
2. Vintage Accessories
3. Boyfriend Shirts
4. Velvet
5. Siwash Sweater
6. Tuxedo jacket
7. Winter booties and snake print heels.
8. Peridot nail polish
9. Liquid eyeliner
10. 10.  Tights

Thanks for the tips Robyn and we’ll be sure to keep up to date with you and your fashion finds during your eight-month excursion to France!

-Written by Caitlin @ U of R

Amongst the hundreds of clubs at McMaster University, there was one club that particularly caught my attention this month and that was the Mac Veggie Club. It started out with a simple invite on Facebook that sparked my interest, and after a little background research, I was lucky enough to have a chat with Amanda Wright, who is the co-president (and co-founder) of the Mac Veggie Club.

This newly established club was founded in January 2010. With inspiring enthusiasm, Amanda explained that she realized that there wasn’t anything like Mac Veggie Club on campus, and that it would help fill a void. She continued by saying that, “A lot of people are interested in vegetarianism, whether they want to become vegetarian or vegan or simply want to reduce their meat consumption.” I was able to get a gist of the club through Facebook and the website itself, but those combined few lines doesn’t even come close to the magnitude of awesome that this club encompasses. The Mac Veggie Club provides a valuable service on campus, they not only educate people who are interested in vegetarianism, but also provide resources such as information pamphlets on nutrition, a free recipe book, a recipe browsing program, and vegetarian cooking lessons among others.

After a little quality time on Google, I did a little research to back up my assumption that most people are not vegetarians. Statistics show that 4% of adults in Canada follow a vegetarian diet. This lead me to my next question for Amanda, and that was how do you motivate students to join your club, seeing as non-vegetarianism is such a dominant way of life? Now the answer to this question surprised me as it turns out that the club doesn’t really have a problem motivating students to join, as a lot of them are already vegetarians, or are interested in learning more about vegetarianism.  Although that doesn’t stop them from creatively inducing students about their causes as a lot of their events are socials! They host tons of potlucks, cooking lessons, outings to vegetarian restaurants, bar nights and next year they plan on having a banquet and a movie night!  Also to clear any pre-assumptions about the club – you don’t have to be a vegetarian/vegan to join!  You just have to have an interest in vegetarianism. If anything, Amanda confided that her biggest challenge is, “getting the word out there that we exist!” Currently, the club actively participates in advertising around the school, giving away free buttons and having regular information tables in the student center.

Now remember I mentioned a Facebook invite earlier that initially intrigued me about this club?The event was the International Meatless Day!! “The purpose was to get people to pledge to abstain from eating meat for one day, November 25^th.  The goal of the initiative is to raise awareness about the way that animals are mistreated and to get people to really think about what they are eating”, said Amanda. This was an amazing cause and being such an avid meat eater myself, I pledged to be meatless. In all honesty, it was definitely an experience! You don’t realise how much meat you drift towards in your daily meal choices!

Being a part of such a great event, I was definitely interested in what the club had in store for the rest of the year and Amanda filled me in by letting me know that one of the most important events of the year that they have been running since the club’s inception is Meatless in March. She explains that, “It’s based on the International Meatless Monday’s campaign.  During the month of March, we encourage members of the McMaster community to abstain from eating meat on Mondays,” and continues by adding that, “The goal of this initiative is once again to raise awareness of the many benefits of reducing one’s meat consumption.” This sounds like a great cause, and we wish you the best of luck Mac Veggie Club! Don’t forget to visit their website www.macveggieclub.com for more information!

-Written by Nisha @ McMaster

In October BlackBerry embarked on a hunt to discover the most passionate campus leaders and student trailblazers to inspire the BBM Generation and lead the BlackBerry Messengers. Over a hundred Canadian students applied for the chance to lead their generation into the future with the BlackBerry Messengers program, and after much deliberation, 17 Finalists were chosen. 

This diverse group of student leaders hail from Vancouver, British Columbia to Montreal, Quebec, and everywhere in between. These students have backgrounds that range from social planners, arts and dance groups to leaders of student clubs on campus. The one thing they have in common? A desire to make an impact on their campus and motivate their peers to do the same

Over the past two and a half months, these BlackBerry Messengers have taken their campuses  by storm; the students and their respective extracurricular involvements have been published in countless campus and local newspapers, featured on radio stations, and interviewed on campus TV stations.  They have inspired their campuses through student run flash mobs, campus lip dubs, unreal choreography and happiness challenges, that illustrate how creative and dedicated to success they are..

BlackBerry along with Rogers, Koodo Mobile, Bell and SaskTel swagged out these students with a $500 dollar scholarship and the latest smartphone technology –a new PlayBook, a new BlackBerry Bold, four BlackBerry smartphones for their top supporters, and tons of accessories to share with their campus.

10 weeks later, it all comes to a close. Crystal Lo and her STEP CREW from Queen’s University has been awarded with a $4000 scholarship  to lead the BlackBerry Messengers.

Crystal demonstrated her great leadership, creativity and organizational skills from the outset of the program when she was uniting her networks to support and vote for her, all the way through each event which she pulled off successfully with the help of her STEP CREW. From candy giveaways and dancing in the caf to a flash mob that brought out 500 students, a classy hors d’oeuvres social, and countless viral videos that included the infamous Shuffle Bot, Crystal excelled at instilling a sense of fun, spirit and unity amongst her whole campus. The tech-savvy STEP CREW not only stood out to the judges, but the media as well with many radio, blog and newspaper features from campus and local media. Crystal’s imagination and vision is truly an inspiration to students and communities across the country.  Thank you to all of the BlackBerry Messengers for inspiring your campus and a special congratulations to Crystal and the Queen’s STEP CREW!

 “We believe in the essence of equal opportunity, community and individualy…. anyone with a passion for dance can come together and be valued as individuals and be supported through self-growth and  self-exploration.” –Crystal Lo

-Written by the CampusPerks team