Three members of Columbia’s Student Communications teamed up  with two Columbia students to amp up this year’s Manifest celebration to produce a unique, new feature geared toward student interaction for the annual celebration.

Crediting the Internet’s popularity, the group collaboration created Pop-Up Manifest, an interactive Web site aimed to keep those not in attendance connected with events happening throughout the South Loop campus.

Manifest, the college’s annual urban arts festival, is scheduled for May 14 and will feature several events aimed at displaying students’ work and connecting them to industry professionals. Large scale installations, photography exhibitions, fashion shows, forums, plays, improvisation routines, presentations and concerts by Columbia students will be showcased in the one-day, student-run celebration.

According to Matt Green,  Columbia’s Online Communications director, key words will be assigned at each student showcase and event so those attending Manifest will be able to either text message or e-mail photos to the live Web site.  The texts and photos will pop-up live on a Google map so viewers can see what’s happening at each location. Each person that participates will automatically be entered to win up to $1,000.

Green, along with Susie Kirkwood, coordinator for Print Communications, and Web developer  Brendan Metzger, worked with students Daniel Zarick, junior interdisciplinary arts major and Julie Atty, senior marketing communications major, to create the site.

Students are asked to send a text message to (312) 869-4954 or e-mail a note and a photo to Photos@Colum.edu. Ten students will be randomly selected for a $100 prize, and one student will be chosen to win the grand prize of $1,000. Each submission increases the chances of the participants to win the monetary prizes.

Green said the Manifest Web site, like any other site, is built for the users, but on the day of Manifest, users can be the ones adding feedback to it.

“Students will be the ones putting content in as far as what they’re seeing and experiencing,” Green said. “We built it the way Web sites should be—there are chances for the user to be involved, not just messages from us as the builders.”

According to Green, the idea for Pop-Up Manifest was inspired by a scavenger hunt initiative created for incoming students called “Urban Challenge.” During the fall 2009 orientation, interested students were asked to fill out an application form.  The first 100 students to apply for the scavenger hunt were split into teams and submitted photos that were tracked live on the Urban Challenge Web site.

Green said the success of Urban Challenge inspired the team to do something similar to the scavenger hunt with students for the Manifest celebration.  He added that this is the first time live feed of the event will be posted online,  which is what makes it one of-a-kind.

Mark Kelly, vice president of Student Affairs, said he is excited over this year’s new campaign.

“I think it’s really cool,” Kelly said. “I think the Manifest Web site overall this year has a real buzz and I love these new features.  I don’t think there’s any event as important in the life of the college. It just captures the brilliance of our students.”

Michael Cage, junior animation major, said he likes that the Web site will allow students to stay connected and give people who aren’t attending Manifest the opportunity to stay posted with what’s going on.

“I think it’s a great idea,” Cage said. “In case anyone wants to see something specific, they know where to go and they know who else is [going to] be there.  And you can win $1,000. Who could be mad about that?”

Shardae Smith, junior journalism major, said she thinks the idea is unique but isn’t sure if people will contribute to the site throughout the day.

“The thing is, it’s only going to work if people use it,” Smith said. “They are going to have to let everyone know how it works beforehand, but if people use it, it’s a great idea.”