The GatewayIn an unprecedented move, the University of Alberta social media team has bought out the rights to be administrators of the popular Overheard at the University of Alberta Facebook page. Boasting over 17,000 members, Overheard has been a hotspot for U of A student culture and weird campus drama since its inception in the early 2000s.
While some students have expressed concerns over the change in administration, vice president (finance and administration) Vegeta Banana is optimistic about the changes.
“I think it’s important to bring the student voice to the table. We have a service to make announcements about our institution – that’s Quad. And now we have Folio, where we can brag about our research. We were gonna put money into some kind of student-run blog or magazine or some other bullshit … but we decided it was best to focus on what was already there, organically developed by actual real-life students, so we could co-opt, brand, and like definitely not ruin it with faux-hype and restricted agency. We were once students ourselves after all.”
Overheard founder and campus icon Bob Snowpeen concurred, citing the university’s innovative use of social media in the past.
“Like I’ve heard their SnapChat is good? I just want my piano back.”
Banana outlined the university’s strategic plan for the future of academic outreach, pointing to a flurry of infographics scribbled out on a napkin from that one poutine place in CAB.
“So over here (at this picture of a smiling bear-thing) we have campus news, like whenever someone nearly gets shot, or whenever a physics prof tries to bodysurf in a first-year super-section. And over here (at this picture of Rutherford stroking Tory’s back) we have research. This is where we’ll put the news that Edmonton got the Amazon deal – and if not we can promote some Alberta start-up? I’m not too hopeful.” Banana said.
“But you see, the plan is for it all to kind of blend. We still put research news on The Quad, cuz why the fuck not. We can put institutional news on Folio, just to remind those grad students of the hand who feeds ‘em. That’s who I think reads that shit at least. And Overheard is just part of the equation, a way for students to feel in on it. It’s all just one big green and gold circle jerk, really.”
Having recently launched their own news service, The Flame, U of A Students’ Union president Lunchroom in Lister had this to say:
“I mean, you gotta feed the content gods. They’re never satiated. Must provide content. Selfies, memes, videos of press announcements. I’ll buy out the whole damn Edmonton Internet bandwidth if I have to. Fuck me up with that content.”
