Why Companion May Be The Best App Ever

"No, I'll be fine" is not necessary anymore.

Sep 08, 2015

mlive.com

You're walking out of a friend's house and the guy/girl who was supposed to walk home with you is gone. You look around, wondering what on Earth you're going to do next. Walking back in this big city by yourself this late at night is so not an option.

It's a pretty common problem. Whether you're a guy or a girl, if you attend a university that isn't in the best location as far as safety goes, and you're out late you will worry. Not only will you worry, but your friends and family will also worry. What an unnecessary mess.

To solve this problem, some University of Michigan students created "Companion," which is an app available on Android and iOS. There's a lot of security apps available to Android and iOS, which is good, but the issue is that not all of them work. You can accidentally butt dial 911 on many of them, which no one wants.

Companion uses your location to notify any selected number of friends whether or not you're on the path you need to be. The best part is that if you start to run, drop your phone or stray off the path, your friends are notified and there is an option to call campus/city police. To make sure it wasn't a mistake, the app asks if you're okay.

Also, your friends don't need to download the app to make sure you get home okay. You simply put in their phone number and they are sent a text with a link to a map, displaying where you are and notifying them when you get home safe.

Living in San Jose, this app is a real plus. With SJSU Alerts galore, crime at night around campus is a real problem. There have been so many nights where as soon as it gets dark outside, I've had to worry about how I'm getting home. Luckily, I'm blessed with friends who will always walk me home. However, if that isn't an option for some people, they have this app.

Coming from a female standpoint, it's great someone is finally doing something about this. I've downloaded probably five of these apps and none of them had compared. One of them didn't even have the correct GPS status of where I was going.

What I like the most is that college designed this app for college students, and we know each other's struggle the best. I will definitely be using Companion from now on, whether I'm walking by myself or not.

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.

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Why Companion May Be The Best App Ever

"No, I'll be fine" is not necessary anymore.

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You can be yourself without having to explain yourself, because she accepts you and loves you just the way you are.

The temperature may not be very Autumn-like, but these playlists sure are.

1. Southern Gothic

2. Autumn Acoustics

3. Autumn Leaves

4. Deep Dark Indie

5. Dreamy Fall

6. Halloween Hipster

7. Wanderlust

8. Your Favorite Coffeehouse

... Because life happens

1. Realizing there's no more toilet paper when it's already too late.

2. Making a cup of coffee in the morning and forgetting it in the car.

3. Pushing doors that say pull.

4. When you hear people chew.

5. When it's really quiet in a room and you hear that one person breathing like they just ran a marathon.

6. Grabbing a chocolate chip cookie, only to realize it's actually oatmeal raisin.

7. Getting comfortable in bed and then realizing you forgot to pee/turn off the light.

8. That one aunt/uncle that just always gives you that creepy vibe.

9. When your teacher makes you buy a textbook that you never even crack open.

10. Continuing to open and reopen the fridge until the food that you want magically makes its way in there.

11. Walking into a room and then automatically forgetting why you went in there.

12. People that drive without using their blinker.

13. When you have really slow wi-fi.

14. People who feel the need to scream into their phones as if the other person can't hear them.

15. The world's obsession with the Kardashian/Jenner families.

16. Advertisements before Youtube videos.

17. When people read over your shoulder.

18. A-holes that park in the handicapped spots when they, in fact, not handicapped.

19. People who cut in line.

20. The LIRR/MTA

21. Being stuck behind someone who is walking painfully slow.

22. When people smoke cigarettes right in front of the entrance to the building you have to walk into.

23. When boys think it's cool to treat girls like crap.

24. Guys that still go to high school parties even though they've been out of high school for years.

25. Celebrities that are obviously lip-syncing.

26. How you need a scissor to get the scissor out of its package.

27. When people text using that stupid "voice text" function.

28. Telling someone you can't hear them, so they use the same exact volume and just repeat what they said.

29. When someone gets in the shower right as you were about to get in the shower.

30. Saying "What?" for some reason, even though you heard what the person said.

31. When you're in a rush but the light is red.

32. Cashiers putting your change down on the counter instead of in your hand.

33. The people that go up to order food to the cashier but are still continuing their phone conversation.

34. That awkward time in the fall when it's freezing in the morning but stifling in the afternoon.

35. Emailing your professor a long winded paragraph about a problem you are having and they email back, "Sure."

36. Guys who put their car as their profile picture on Facebook.

37. Girls who have "X Years Young." in their Instagram bios.

38. Trying to find the beginning to a roll of tape.

39. When people drive your car and adjust your mirrors/seat.

40. People that talk during the movie.

41. People that decide to engage in conversation right in the middle of the hallway/sidewalk.

42. When someone says, "no offense," and then continues to say something offensive.

43. People that pop their significant others pimples.

44. Teacher's pets.

45. Going to the bathroom and someone goes into the stall right next to you.

46. When someone leaves your room and doesn't shut the door.

47. Political debates between two people who know nothing about politics.

48. When you get all ready to go out and your friend cancels plans.

49. People that drop their friends for their significant other.

50. People that don't like animals.

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

Things to do in October.

1. Going to haunted houses with friends.

2. Going to Halloween parties with friends or families or both.

3. We all enjoy going to apple orchards to pick apples and to eat donuts with apple cider.

4. When you are younger or through high school, you go trick or treating in various of costumes going door to door saying "trick or treat" and you get candy or whatever they are giving you for Halloween.

5. Another fun part of October is to go to corn mazes which are sometimes fun and hard to do with friends and family.

6. Back in elementary school, we had Halloween Parties where homeroom parents were the ones who planned them for Halloween.

7. Another event that happens during the month of October is Halloween Nights at the Henry Ford in the evenings.

8. The types of candy and food that are popular during Halloween time are candy corn, caramel apples and many other fun foods.

9. I love Halloween and get to see all the interesting and fun costumes that the kids wear which is so amazing and awesome.

10. Listening and performing in Halloween concerts which are fun and get to dress up as well.

11. Carving pumpkins are always fun to carve because you get to do it with your family and friends.

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