We’re back with another instalment of Open For and this time we are working with Down With Webster! Here’s how it works:

Submit videos displaying the awesome talent of you or your band, and get your school on board to vote for you as their representative. Your fellow students will vote over four weeks in June to determine the finalists. Then, if our judges agree that you’re the best, you could win a Down With Webster concert for your school, at which YOU’LL be the opening act!

Early registration is now open at www.openfordww.com. Drop your email there to get the latest updates on the contest.

If you have any questions, please get in touch with us at chris.baxter@studentlifenetwork.com.

“I am so grateful for this experience. It was awesome getting to interview Rob Stewart. He did a great job with the movie and I’m looking forward to showing it to my friends and family!”

– Rhiannon Parry, a first year Public Relations student at the University of Ottawa

Rhiannon won our Ultimate Revolution Experience contest and had the chance to interview Rob Stewart — the director of Revolution — at the movie’s premiere last Friday night in Toronto. She had to get an exam changed to do it, but she managed to convince her profs that this opportunity was too great to pass up!

The prize included round-trip train transportation from Ottawa to Toronto, 2 nights hotel accommodation, a spot on the green carpet (environmental, right?!) interview line, and VIP access to the advance screening and the premiere’s afterparty, all courtesy of the good folks at D-FILMS. She also won two new commuter bikes from our friends over at Gears Bike Shop for her and a friend!

Here’s what Rhiannon had to say about the experience:

“When I got the “Congratulations you won” e-mail from Student Life Network, I had no idea that The Revolution Experience would actually have as huge an impact on me as it has. In fact, when I first saw the email I thought it was spam. After my friend reassured me I won, I did a little celebration dance because I’ve literally never won anything before (not even roll-up-the-rim!). I looked at the date of the trip and my celebratory dance ended; it was on the date of one of my exams.I played a bit of phone tag with different departments of the University and eventually they told me they would move the exam for me. I am grateful we have such wonderful staff at the University of Ottawa!

On the day of the premier, the VIA Rail train ride from Ottawa was smooth and I was in Toronto in no time. A staff member for Student Life Network, Chris Baxter, met me in Toronto and showed me to the hotel. That’s when the fun really started. I spent most of the day getting ready for the interview and premiere. When the time came, my hair was curled and my heels were on, and I was picked up by Chris from the hotel and driven to the theatre where the premiere was being held.

I was a little nervous about the idea of interviewing a celebrity, but once I started talking to him I really enjoyed it. Rob Stewart, the director, producer and writer for the movie Revolution, was a very friendly guy to talk to. Might I add he dresses well too! Overall, the scariest part was that I was being video taped and I’d eventually have to watch myself do the interview on replay. After the interview we all went in to watch the movie, of course accompanied by the classic theater snack, popcorn! I found the movie/documentary was well executed. Rob Stewart presented a convincing perspective that humans need to pick up their act and start taking care of the planet.

After the movie we went to the after party, which was a great time with Chris and his friends. After the long exciting day I got to crash on the king size bed in my hotel room; I am so spoiled! The next day was an adventure in and of itself. Chris drove me out to Mississauga where the specialty bike shop “Gears” was. Along with the premiere and interview, I was lucky enough to win two bikes as part of The Revolution Experience. The bikes went with the trip’s theme of being environmentally friendly. I am so excited about the bikes because I will be using one to get me to and from work all summer. Since there were two, I took the opportunity to give one to my younger sister as well.

I am currently working on my degree in Public Relations. This experience showed me that I really want to work with the media to promote being environmentally friendly. The movie Revolution also gave me an informed view of ways I can to promote green living in my university. After coming back to Ottawa, the experience gave me extra incentive to study extra hard for my exams to make sure I will be successful in PR and ensure I will be given more opportunities like this. Thank you Student Life Network for The Revolution Experience!”

The Revolution film is now playing in theatres across the country so we hope you all check it out and join the revolution! For more info head over to www.TheRevolutionMovie.com.

A couple of months ago, we worked with Universal Music Canada to send a Canadian student and a friend to Los Angeles to check out the GRAMMY Awards. Flights, hotel, tickets, all that jazz. What we weren’t expecting was to pick a winner from Inuvik, NWT.

It was so hard to get in touch with Dustin Gordon-Ruben, a student at Aurora College in Inuvik. I emailed, messaged him on Facebook, messaged any of his friends with the same last name on Facebook, and finally called his school’s reception before I heard back from him on a Tuesday — just 3 days before he had to be on a plane to Los Angeles. That Friday, Dustin and his friend Lauren hopped on their first of five flights, and 20 hours later touched down at LAX.

We also partnered with Los Angeles Urban Adventures, who provided local transportation in LA, along with some tours of Venice, Santa Monica, and took the winners on a Stars and Bars tour of Hollywood.

They had the time of their lives. Fun in the sun. All the clichés! Check out some photos from their GRAMMYs experience below!

We’re nearing the end of our winners’ meet and greets with Billy Talent on their Dead Silence Tour featuring Sum 41, Hollerado and Indian Handcrafts, so I thought I would start to share their thoughts on the experience. Check out our winners below!

Vancouver, BC (March 14)

Sydney Mitchell
Langley Secondary School

“My whole experience with Billy Talent started when I was twelve. I am so grateful it has carried on for almost six years. I would like to thank the Student Life Network for granting this dream of mine and to anyone who was a part of the concert; because I can honestly say it was one of the most intense and epic experiences I have ever had. I didn’t even mind the ringing in my ears at the end. Thank you so much for everything! I would have never been able to go without this.”

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Calgary, AB (March 20)

Morgan Marshall
University of Calgary

“Going to the Billy Talent concert was such an incredible experience. The guys Ben, Ian, Jon, and Aaron are so down to earth and nice, that they made the meet and greet feel really special. They signed me and my friends tickets, and took some photos with us! The concert itself was such a rad experience. Sum41 opening and bringing back some classic oldies, as well as playing newer songs which were just as awesome and hardcore! Billy Talent themselves were mind-blowingly awesome, they sound even better live than they do on a disk. They played some classic Billy Talent tunes, and some of my favourites from their ‘Dead Silence’ album. There was so much energy in the crowd and throughout their performance.. it was impossible not to jump around and rock out with them. All in all it was a completely amazing experience, and it is all thanks to the Student Life Network! Thanks for everything.”

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Edmonton, AB (March 22)

Brendan Phelan
Jasper Place Senior High

“I couldn’t believe I won the contest at first. In fact, I was a little bit skeptical until a few days later when they started going over the schedule with me. When we got there, it was still unbelievable. I couldn’t actually convince myself that I was about to be in the same room with the guys who are the reason for my interest in a career of music. It didn’t quite hit me until they walked in the room (I was playing rusted from the rain on my guitar with a friend at the time) and they said ‘Wow, whoever is playing that… that sounds awesome!!’ When it was my turn to meet them, threw me a bro hug, they signed my guitar and Ian even gave me some advice on playing lead guitar! It was easily the best night of my life, and I will never forget it!”

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Saskatoon, SK (March 26)

Samantha Waselenko
Assiniboia Composite High School

“I had the best time at the concert with my friends thanks to the Student Life Network. It was so nice to unwind and enjoy an amazing concert! Billy Talent, Sum 41, Hollerado and Indian Handcrafts were equally great! Meeting the band was the best part of the experience for me. We got to get our tour flags we bought signed, took pictures and just got to talk to the band. My favourite band member was Ian, and i really enjoyed talking to him about his voice and tattoos. Billy Talent’s performance was flawless, they sung all the songs that I wanted and they had such an energy that was undeniable. I am so great full to the Student Life Network for presenting me with the tickets and the experience. I have never won anything this cool in my life.”

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Winnipeg, MB (March 28)

William Charlette
University of Manitoba

Still to come!

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London, ON (April 3)

Alexis Pronovost
H.B. Beal Secondary School

Still to come!

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Toronto, ON (April 5)

Hank Ko
University of Toronto

“That was amazing, they rocked the sh*t out of my last day of school. It was also a great night that released me from all the stresses I got from the finals. Thank you again for the opportunities!”

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Kitchener, ON (April 6)

Erica Carusi
Wilfrid Laurier University

“Meeting the band was a great experience! They were really down-to-earth guys who were very polite and lively. You could tell they really care about their fans because they made sure to greet all of us individually and that they signed all of the CDs I brought. Their performance was amazing.. I’ve seen them live before and they never disappoint. I like how they played a variety of their old and new songs. Ben in particular was a real crowd pleaser as he is an enthusiastic and comedic performer. All in all my friend and I had a great time!”

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Sudbury, ON (April 8)

Cheyenne Abitong
Cambrian College

Still to come!

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Ottawa, ON (April 12)

Morgan Barnabe
Arnprior District High School

The concert was amazing! I was really happy with the performance Billy Talent put on. They even ended up putting on an encore, and meeting them was amazing, They were very nice, interested in what I had to say and who I was as a person. My friends certainly enjoyed the concert.  I ended up bring my boyfriend Jack, my good friend Grace and my other friend William. I loved how you guys made everything so smoothly, from getting the tickets to meeting Billy Talent.”

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Check out some more photos from their experiences below!

]]> http://blog.studentlifenetwork.com/?feed=rss2&p=732 0 http://blog.studentlifenetwork.com/?p=715 http://blog.studentlifenetwork.com/?p=715#comments Mon, 25 Mar 2013 13:34:59 +0000 Chris Baxter http://blog.studentlifenetwork.com/?p=715

Here at the Student Life Network, we love movies. In fact, one of our team members can tell you the year that any movie came out at about 95% accuracy. We love movies so much that we partnered with some awesome companies to bring you guys a new contest!

Revolution is a film about changing the world. The true-life adventure of Rob Stewart, this follow-up to his acclaimed Sharkwater documentary continues his remarkable… Read More

Here at the Student Life Network, we love movies. In fact, one of our team members can tell you the year that any movie came out at about 95% accuracy. We love movies so much that we partnered with some awesome companies to bring you guys a new contest!

Revolution is a film about changing the world. The true-life adventure of Rob Stewart, this follow-up to his acclaimed Sharkwater documentary continues his remarkable journey; one that will take him through 15 countries over four years, and where he’ll discover that it’s not only sharks that are in grave danger – it’s humanity itself.

We want to send you and a friend to Toronto for a VIP experience like no other. Flights, hotel, and 2 tickets to the premiere – red carpet style! Meet and greet, and interview Rob Stewart, attend the after party. And if that isn’t enough, you’ll take home two new Specialized bikes as well.

Sign up for your chance to win at http://revolution.studentlifenetwork.com.

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For more information on Revolution or any of our other contests, contact Chris Baxter at chris.baxter@studentlifenetwork.com or visit www.studentlifenetwork.com

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 We just wanted to give a shout out to Mohsin Khan for helping to make the world a better and brighter place.

Currently in his fourth year of Engineering at Ryerson University, Mohsin dedicates up to 25 hours of volunteer work a week to Lead2Peace, a youth led initiative he and his friends launched at the end of their final year of high school. Reflecting on the challenges they faced growing up the a predominantly under-privileged Regent Park neighbourhood in Toronto, they wanted to help empower younger students to get involved in their community in an innovative and positive way.

Four years later, its gone from a dream to a thriving, award winning organization. By the end of program’s first year the Regent Park students had created a flourishing community garden in their elementary school; the following year, they published a book of poetry and art. As interest grew, so did the scope of what Lead2Peace could offer; recently adding Leaders for Peace,  a weekly in-school initiative with hands on learning and community based problem-solving for high school students.

 So why is he awesome? Mohsin is the executive director of this not-for-profit initiative; finding time to teach, plan, organize corporate sponsorship and somehow ace his engineering exams! With Lead2Peace currently catering to 150 – 160 kids weekly, Mohsin and his mentors (who are also their corporate sponsors) are rightfully catching a buzz. He is a winner of Youth In Motion, 2011 Top 20 Under 20 award and as a team they are recognised locally, provincially and federally for their contribution to the revitalization and empowerment of youth in the Regent Park community.

I wanted to share a really cool campaign that we worked on last month with one of our clients, the Mohawk Students’ Association. MSA Gives Back is a voting platform where students can submit ideas for improving life on campus. Students can vote, comment and share their favourite idea, and the winning project will be funded by the MSA’s campaign budget of $100,000. The student(s) who came up with the idea will also win $1000.

Check out the site for yourself at www.msagivesback.com.

If anyone is interested in more info about the campaign, reach out to Steve Kosh, Mohawk’s Marketing and Communication Director, at 905-575-2182 or stephen.kosh@mohawkcollege.ca.

If you would like to talk about bringing something similar to your campus, please feel free to contact Chris Baxter at chris.baxter@studentlifenetwork.com or 416-461-0207 ext. 248.

And we’re back with another winner spotlight article! I recently spoke with Catherine Liu from Glenforest Secondary School, who won a pair of tickets to see Maroon 5 live in concert in Toronto.

SLN: How was the show? Who did you bring with you?

CL: This was my first time at a concert so I had no idea what to expect. But I thought the concert was spectacular and I left feeling really impressed and awed. I brought along my friend Sivakamy. We actually entered the contest together, in hopes of increasing our chances to win.

SLN: Awesome! How did you hear about the contest?

CL: I saw a couple of friends enter the contest by commenting on SLN’s post on Facebook, and decided to enter it as well.

SLN: What was your reason for signing up?

CL: Honestly, I signed up for the fun of it. I saw the amount of people who commented on the post and knew that the odds are not in my favour. I wasn’t expecting to win so when I was informed that I won, I was in disbelief and shock.

SLN: Haha somebody has to win! What about Canada’s Luckiest Student, what would winning mean for you? What would it allow you to do?

CL: It would definitely mean a lot to me! I would be able to pay my university tuition, with minimal assistance from my parents, and would definitely reduce a lot of financial stress. It would allow me to focus more on my studies and extracurricular activities. As well, I’ll be really happy and grateful!

SLN: What is your favourite prize being offered in the main contest?

CL: I’d say my favourite prize is the trip to Europe since I love to travel!

SLN: Nice, that’s my favourite too. What other things would you like to see in the CLS contest?

CL: It’s really hard to say, since the contest package is already well-rounded and impressive. Maybe an internship offer somewhere? Or maybe more mini/flash contests?

SLN: How about other concerts – if we were to give you tickets to any concert of your choice, what would it be?

CL: Tickets to Marina and the Diamonds would be nice.

SLN: Cool! We’ll keep that on our radar. Thanks again for being involved in this and I’m glad you had a great time!

Check out Catherine’s photos from the concert:

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Check back soon for another student spotlight interview!

If you know a Canadian student who deserves some spotlight shined on them, or would like some more information on Canada’s Luckiest Student, please contact me at chris.baxter@studentlifenetwork.com.

We were there filming the whole experience. Check it out!

We also sat down to chat with him afterward to see how he was feeling.

SLN: You just played for over an hour! How are you feeling after that?

AJ: I’m actually exhausted (laughs). It was freezing – every 5 minutes I would crouch down by the heater and try to warm my hands. But it was all good, I got my set in. I’m pretty satisfied with how I did!

SLN: What was your favourite part?

AJ: Favourite part? I think it was dropping my own track, without anyone noticing – they just thought it was another song. That’s a good thing, if people don’t notice it’s your own.

SLN: Yeah that was sick. Your friends were going crazy! Those guys were so pumped.

AJ: None of us have even slept since yesterday. We just got like 10 Red Bulls. We’re going to crash hard tonight.

SLN: For sure. So what’s next for you, are you going to try to pursue this DJ thing or what?

AJ: Well actually, since the Brrrrr! contest I have been getting hit up by a bunch of club promoters in Hamilton. So they’re going to put me as a special guest and I’m closing at a club in Hamilton for Valentine’s Day. And then after reading week, this other promoter wants to try me out for Friday nights.

SLN: It was pretty cool to see you take this on – some of those other DJs have years of experience.

AJ: Yeah I have to give a shout out to 747 (check him out here). Oh my god, he had the dopest set – two hours of just groove music. So sick.

SLN: Anyone else you want to shout out?

AJ: For sure. All of my friends who came out and raged. Everyone on Facebook and Twitter – I had a group of like 12-15 people that helped me get people voting. My buddy Dave who helped me for 14 days, and this girl Anita who helped me get like 400 votes in two days..killer!

SLN: Well thanks so much for being a part of this AJ. Hopefully we can do this again and have you as a part of it again!

Check out some photos from the experience below!

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For more information about Open at Brrrrr! or any other contests that we run, please contact Chris Baxter at chris.baxter@studentlifenetwork.com.

We scoured the internet to find our favourites and here they are in no particular order (Update Feb 14 – Brock takes it to the next level with a woolly mammoth) for your enjoyment! Think you’ve found (or made) a better one? Let us know! Or just show your support for your school’s video by leaving a comment.

SLN Favourite – Brock University

And now for some honourable mentions:

University of Toronto

Ryerson University

University of Guelph

Bell High School

Western University

Western University (Saugeen-Maitland Hall)

McMaster University

 Wilfrid Laurier University

The Wall (Nipissing/Canadore)

OCAD

Queen’s University

Made it this far? Try the code SHAKE for extra entries on Canada’s Luckiest Student!