Trent Students to Launch Exclusive Social Network App this Fall
Knack will help put Trent students in the know
Trent student users of a new online platform called Knack will be interconnected in a social way that no other university community ever has – except maybe Harvard, à la The Social Network.
Inspired by the desire to get involved on campus, upper year students Jeremy McConnell, Noah Wilson, and Nicholas Connelly created Knack, a social network for anyone with a Trent email address, to make it easy for students to be in the know with what is happening, where it is happening, and when it is happening.
“We decided to design a better way for students to find events and to talk to other people in their courses,” Mr. Wilson explains.
Coming together at Trent
Although Mr. McConnell, Mr. Wilson, and Mr. Connelly are in different academic programs – Computer Science, History, and Geography, respectively – their interest in collaborating to better the student experience has brought them together. Created by the students, for the students, Knack works closely with student groups and College cabinets.
“It’s been beneficial working with the groups and clubs on campus. Not only have they said they like using the platform, which is currently in test mode, but many have committed to using it in the fall,” says Mr. Wilson.
Growth is in the cards
When Knack launches this fall, the student inventors hope to rapidly gain users and engage with about a third of the student body within the first year. The long-term goal is to have their platform available to other universities. After Trent, the Knack team will launch their social network app for students at Fleming College in Peterborough and UOIT in Oshawa, with content remaining separate between the institutions.
“There’s a social network for every use. There’s even a social network for private jet owners,” says Mr. Wilson. “We want to be the social network for students.”