MC, USA TODAY to launch mobile app on Jan. 26

This spring, Maryville College will be joining a select group of universities to become one of the first-ever partners in USA TODAY’s customized mobile news app, The Buzz. MC will launch a trial version of the app this spring to bring students campus and national news like never before.

So, what’s all the buzz about anyway?

In its initial launch last November, USA TODAY described the app as “a first-of-its kind”:

“The Buzz reinvents campus news by offering college students access to targeted and relevant information, incorporating national, world and personalized campus news into one, easy-to-use mobile interface.”

Now, SGA and The Highland Echo have teamed up with USA TODAY to offer MC students a one-of-a-kind mobile news app that will incorporate content from The Echo, USA TODAY, USA TODAY College and MCScots.com—for up-to-date news about MC athletics, student bloggers and more as development progresses.

The idea behind the app is simple: all the news you want in one place.

The Buzz will be a hub for national, regional and campus news, where students can keep up-to- date on happenings at MC and around the country with the click of a button. The categories on the app will allow students to personalize the news they want to see, browsing through topics such as news, sports, campus life and opinion.

“When we first launched the Collegiate Readership Program, our goal was to encourage global awareness, media literacy and civic engagement among university students,” said Derek Murphy, executive vice president and general manager for USA TODAY. “The Buzz is a natural progression of that program, re-imagined for the way students are consuming and sharing news today.”

Maryville College will roll out its personalized version of the app on Monday, Jan. 26, making it available for download on both the App Store and Google Play. A launch event will be held from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Alumni Gym during Enrollment Confirmation with giveaways and prizes.

The Buzz has previously been launched at the University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh University of Wisconsin Steven’s-Point, Texas A&M-Kingsville, Sam Houston State University, Carnegie Mellon University, Montgomery County Community College, Villanova University and Syracuse University.

The Buzz will be available on iOS and Android platforms and also offers the ability to share stories via social networks, e-mail and text message.