Problem statement
How might we establish a community and shared understanding around the "truths" or stories that permeate a college campus?
Project description
Throughout my four years at Wellesley College, I managed an anonymous Twitter project titled "WellesleyProbz" where I documented, engaged with, and critically analyzed Wellesley's on-campus culture. The project raises important questions about the complicated persona known as "Wendy Wellesley," how storytelling can connect communities through feelings of shared experience, and how social media can be used as a method for documenting, preserving, and enriching historical records. WellesleyProbz models the popular online satirical meme "First World Problems," which highlights social dynamics including power, race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, norms, and human behavior. On Twitter, WellesleyProbz has acquired over 1,300 followers in four years, and has high user engagement from students, faculty, alumnae, and residents of the town of Wellesley - even Hillary Clinton and Madeleine Albright! I presented my work and experience with managing @WellesleyProbz at an on-campus student conference. The presentation focused on using sociology and anthropology as frameworks to address how WellesleyProbz can be used as an analytical tool, as well as serve as a method of documentation and preservation.
Methodology
- Developed over 1,300+ tweets about Wellesley College campus culture
- Engaged with other student organizations and related accounts to build a brand
Skills required
- Community management
- Building a brand
- Building content
- Maintaining engagement with user base
Tools used
Project involvement
I am the founder and manager of @WellesleyProbz.
Claire presenting at the on-campus student conference at Wellesley College.
Deliverables
A Twitter page with thousands of posts, and over 1,000 followers. I presented my work and experience with managing @WellesleyProbz at an on-campus student conference. The presentation focused on using sociology and anthropology as frameworks to address how WellesleyProbz can be used as an analytical tool, as well as serve as a method of documentation and preservation.
More projects
Interested in seeing more projects I've worked on?
Questions
Do you have any questions about this project? Please send me a note and I'd be happy to discuss!