Facebook

The craze that has crashed into college life may have other consequences

Krista Naposki / Special Projects Editor

They're watching you. They log on, access your profile, check out your photos, and get your dorm room and cell phone. Who are "they," you may ask. They could be cops, professors, future employers, or friends of friends of friends.

They are everyone who logs onto the web to find, innocently or not, what college students like you are posting. And what they find can sometimes work against a student's trust in digital free expression.

Perhaps no site compels the interests of college students today more than Facebook, a highly popular and multi-functional website that connects students through common interests, backgrounds and entertainment.

Chris Hughes, a Facebook spokesman, says his site is essentially "an online directory that connects people through social networks at schools?The idea is to offer students a resource of information and a means for communication, but at the same time, a tool that is fun to use."

Mark Zuckerburg, a Harvard student, created Facebook in 2004 as an alternative to the freshman-year ID photos and information booklets. After 6,000 Harvard students signed up within the first three weeks, he started to offer the service to other schools.

However, Facebook has created legal and social issues. Harassment cases, underage drinking and other illegal activity have surfaced because of innocent postings on Facebook and other Internet sites like Webshots.

It's not just students logging on anymore. At some colleges, Facebook has turned into a judicial tool for administrators, not just a fun outlet for students. The Internet is a public forum: legally, students lose privacy rights to their photos and profile online.

But should these sources of information be used to convict students?

Some schools think so. At North Carolina. State, nine students were written up for drinking in their dorm rooms after the resident assistant (RA) found photos on Facebook. The citations led to an open forum with administrators and created a stir around campus.

At the University of California, Santa Barbara, housing and residential officials publicly acknowledged that on-campus students could get in trouble for photos online.

The Elon administration recognizes that online forums like Facebook are available, but in most cases they are not consistently looking for violations of school policy.

Residence Life

Jerrid Freeman, Elon's associate director of residence life operations and information management, said that Residence Life is aware of Facebook, but doesn't use it as a judicial tool. "We know it's out there, but we aren't going to sit on the computer all day and look for it," Freeman said.

He said that he and Niki Turley, director of residence life, are registered on Facebook. "There's been a couple of times when we have heard of big parties and talked to the area directors about it," Freeman said.

He has also told his staff members to be careful about what they post. At another school, RAs were fired after they joined a Facebook group that was created to vulgarly write about a Residence Life administrator.

Currently, Freeman uses Facebook not as a judicial device, but rather as a conversation tool. The staff is attending a National Housing Conference in February and there is a Facebook presentation.

"I don't think (students) know how many people are looking," Freeman said. "We remain a little aloof with the issue and hope students don't haphazardly do things that would put them at safety's risk."

Greek Life

Greek Life also uses Facebook as a secondary source of information when sororities and fraternities engage in questionable behavior.

"For a judicial situation, such as for an unregistered event we wouldn't go looking for it (photos) but if someone were to give it to us?we're not, not going to use it," Melissa Komasz, assistant director of Greek Life said.

Facebook is also affecting recruitment. "A lot of freshmen are on Facebook as soon as they get an e-mail address," Komasz said. "They are looking at what people do inside and outside of Greek Life before they are even at school."

"Pi Chis," the nickname for recruitment counselors, were allowed to keep their Facebook profiles, but had to restrict viewing to their friends and leave any groups that could hint at their affiliation.

Greek students can also find out more about potential new members without ever meeting them from photos, profiles and messages from friends. "You don't want all your fun pictures out there, you want pictures that show what you are 90 percent of the time," Komasz said.

Athletics

The Athletics department does not regularly log on, but after hearing other schools that are actively pursuing Facebook, Barbara Boyette, assistant athletics director, director of Academic Progress and Life Skills Development sent out an e-mail that told student-athletes to be cautious about what they post on the Internet.

"It's the profile, it's the stuff that you put out there, it's public domain?and you're a representative of the Elon Athletics department," Boyette said.

According to Clay Hassard, senior associate director of Athletics for Administration, Compliance and Campus Relations, neither the NCAA nor the Southern Conference has issued statements about online information. There is no policy within the Elon Athletics department, but Hassard said, "We encourage our student-athletes to be very cautious.."

Judicial affairs

A school-wide committee is currently exploring the ethics and responsibilities within technology. "Safety is our biggest concern," Jana Lynn Paterson, associate dean of students siad. "We have people that monitor Web sites?but we let students have their privacy." Anything that had to do with threats or harassment, as well as Elon logo misuse would definitely be investigated.

Though Chuck Gantos, director of Campus Safety and Police, could not specify exactly how the police conduct investigations, he did comment that online resources could be used. "It's not just Facebook, but also Ebay," Gantos said. "Ebay can be helpful to track down stolen items."

As with every new technology, it is yet to be seen what the real consequences could be as students post their private information in this public forum.

Contact Krista Naposki at pendulum@elon.edu or 278-7247

The Wall

How will your Facebook profiles change if you know that professors or employers use Facebook?

Carroll Martin (Elon) said at 1:10pm December 9th, 2006
"I wouldn't change much. I don't like how people can put pictures without you knowing it, though."

Christopher Woods (Elon) said at 1:05pm December 9th, 2006
"I would change some of the groups I am in and anything inappropriate on my wall."

Marissa Pinero (Elon) said at 12:15pm December 9th, 2006
"I wouldn't change my profile, but if people put pictures of me, I would detab them."

Chayanne Hubbard (Elon) said at 12:10pm December 9th, 2006
"I would take out any posts on my wall. I don't like the fact that anyone can go on Facebook."

Dave Carrithers (Elon) said at 9:36pm December 6th, 2006
"I would take out the thing about my flabby butt, that's about it."

Phillip Sholes (Elon) said at 8:20pm December 6th, 2006
"I already blocked faculty and staff because I heard a rumor that they were busting people."