Tuesday, November 25, 2008

College Gossip: From Bathroom Walls to the Internet


For college students across America, gossip has hit an all-time high as college campuses battle a popular Internet website. Juicy Campus is a website designed for college students to anonymously post uncensored gossip and rumors about their classmates.


The site includes insults directed to specific students, athletic teams, and fraternities and sororities. Though several posts about musicians, dating, and even pets proved clean and simply informative, the site's main focus is students.


It is "a site simply to spread demeaning gossip around that may or may not be true," as Sara Buchanan, a High Point University student describes Juicy Campus.


Juicy Campus Hits Home


High Point University students have been actively accessing the gossip website since the school's first post was made Sept. 30, 2008. Some of the posts target particular people, displaying their names for everyone to comment about.


Harris Walker, a High Point sophomore has first-hand experience with the website, being one of the many students directly targeted. "It's pitiful that people feel like they need to hide behind a childish website to state how they feel," Harris says.


Harris was willing to talk about the pain he endured as a result of the slander. "People should think about how the things you say effect people." Harris also commented that he has been dealing with immature people since grade school, something you expect to leave behind when you leave for college.


His advice to those who were effected: "You know who you are and who your friends are. You shouldn't care about those opinions anyway."


Moving On


Many students feel that those who were involved with the online posts should be punished for violating the honor code. It is a serious issue, hurting students across campus.


Sara Buchanan, a junior, commented, "Those who have contributed should be warned..." It is fair punishment for students to be warned that their behavior is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.


Sara also believes "it [punishment] should be left up to the person who is being talked about to take action against them."


The site has already been blocked from High Point University's Internet server. However, that does not stop students from accessing the site via computers off campus, such as at home and other businesses.


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1 comment:

Nahed said...

Nice story Lee Ann. It fits an HPU audience and you have some good internal/external links.
I would be more specific with my examples. You mention one student that seems to have an interesting experience with this web site, expand a little on that.