UD has always placed an emphasis on technology and continues to do so with implementing 'My Life at UD' student admission blog.

Student blogs are a small but growing trend in campus admission offices. It is an admission tool which is supposed to let prospective students view what life is really like on a college campus.

The six UD student bloggers were hand-picked by administrators and earn $500 per semester for writing at least one blog entry per week. They were selected based on a variety of factors that represent a wide range of students. Administrators feel word-of-mouth endorsements sell the UD campus better than a slick brochure.

'Current students are in the best position to tell prospective students what the University of Dayton is all about,' said Robert Johnson, vice president for enrollment management.

Johnson and the administration want to appeal to this generation by using modes of communication popular with students of today.

The purpose of the UD blog is to provide readers with a realistic representation of daily life as a UD student. The content of the blogs is supposed to be driven by the personal experiences of the bloggers as well as their observations. The blogs are completely uncensored and unfiltered. The students are urged to write about anything they want. However, they are to refrain from posting any content that could result in finding of libel against the university.

UD is one of the first universities in the country to use an admissions blog and is the first university to use podcasting and RSS (Really Simple Syndication) technology. People can even download blogs onto their iPod and listen to a blog entry. The UD blog system is one of the most sophisticated in the country.

Beepix LLC, a New York City firm specializing in providing Internet-based solutions for higher education, designed the site.

John Amdor, a first year international studies major from Omaha, Neb., is one of the students picked to be a UD student blogger.

'I'm trying to give a good idea of what freshman year is like, I think the idea serves a good purpose,' said Amdor.

Right now Amdor is having a good time chronicling his freshman year and feels 'quite free' as to what he can include in his entries.

To view the new UD blog, visit http://mylife.udayton.edu.