Aaron Fisher, a senior in the Goizueta Business School, created a free application for Emory students. The app extends to students at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, Washington University in St. Louis, the University of Maryland and IDC Herzliya in Israel.

CourseGem is an application that unifies several Emory platforms – Blackboard, OPUS and Emory email, among others – through a single login page. It also provides students with links to school calendars and upcoming events.

At first glance, it seems as if there could be security concerns. Having an application that saves your password, with access to personal information such as your social security number and financial information, seems disconcerting. Those concerned should note that all of the information CourseGem stores is saved locally on the browser, rather than on an external server, making CourseGem a convenient option for students who are tired of flipping through multiple tabs on their browsers and logging into multiple sites.

We at the Wheel find this app necessary in light of the void for connectedness following the slow and tragic death of LearnLink (may it rest in peace). CourseGem is easy for students to access and it is user-friendly, while directly centralizing all different websites students have viewed on a daily basis. Combined with the debut of the Emory Bubble, CourseGem’s arrival shows that Emory students are making innovative efforts to unify the University’s diverse online platforms and ease communication. The digital age has opened us up to many technological advances, and we at the Wheel find this an exceptional privilege that can be truly advantageous for students.

The above staff editorial represents the majority opinion of the Wheel’s editorial board

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The Emory Wheel was founded in 1919 and is currently the only independent, student-run newspaper of Emory University. The Wheel publishes weekly on Wednesdays during the academic year, except during University holidays and scheduled publication intermissions.

The Wheel is financially and editorially independent from the University. All of its content is generated by the Wheel’s more than 100 student staff members and contributing writers, and its printing costs are covered by profits from self-generated advertising sales.