Queens College visits Microsoft
Two months ago, Microsoft offerred TIQC an opportunity for QC students to visit their Flagship Store in NYC provided, that it could be properly arranged. The team went to work and a week later, they sent out an RSVP sheet to their QC following. Over sixty students RSVP’d to attend, exceeding the events capacity by 3x. Of those sixty, 20 students were selected to attend the event.
Upon arrival, students gathered in the main lobby and got to play around with some of Microsoft’s latest products. Afterwards, when everyone gathered, they were redirected to the 6th floor where Mr. Erol Bal, one of the coordinators for this event, welcomed them along with his team. Students were all given surface pros to use for the workshops which they gladly accepted. We were then introduced to Karen, a Microsoft associate who walked students through a LinkedIn workshop and assisted them with setting up profiles, bios and even headshots! Mr, Bal also transitioned through the workshop providing his own personal thoughts on LinkedIn and advice about how to utilize the ever-expanding job market.
After the workshop, students broke up into groups where they got to experience the rest of the goodies the store had to offer. Our group began with the hololense where we were introduced to Microsoft’s VR platform with interactive hand gestures. We got to take a walk through our galaxy starting with earth and progressing further out to the solar system, the galaxy and the universe. The next stop was the IMAX 3D theater where we experienced Microsoft’s latest surround sound systems. The team showcased a specific video which featured beautiful scenery from all around the world in a robust 4K landscape. We also got to view some of our favorite trailers such as Transformers: Rise of the Fallen and even some game play on Xbox One. Then, it was time for the grand finale, the students were taken to the game room where they got to really immerse themselves in the latest Xbox games and system updates. Students got to play around for over 20 minutes and some tried over 20 games in that short time.
While waiting for other teams to wrap up, some of us also played around with Pepper, a humanoid robot which took selfies with students, got into a dance off with a few of them and even told us a few jokes! When the teams came together, the Microsoft crew revealed that they were not done there as they presented students with a little gift of appreciation for their visit- an awesome Microsoft NYC t-shirt which they all would treasure!
They were so impressed with our students that they not only agreed to welcome a group once again, but also sponsor Queens College’s first hackathon this October. In addition, the team is also working on a secret project to bring Microsoft to QC for a very special event later this year. Which one you may ask? Follow us on Instagram (@tiqc.nyc) and Facebook (Tech Incubator at Queens College) to get the latest update when we announce it!
