Several students applied the idea to the Vassar community, resulting in a variety of whimsical posts. This week, we invited the Overheard at VC group on Twitter to reflect on their account history.
The Miscellany News: What inspired you to create Overheard at VC on Twitter? What do you want fans to get out of it?
Overheard at VC: We were inspired by the vast quantity of goofy comments that went unheard by the larger Vassar population. By sharing these quirky quotes, we at Overheard at VC hope to brighten people[’s] days and encourage students to be their authentic selves.
The Misc: Do you try to maintain your posts at a certain rate? How do you encourage submissions?
Overheard: In general, we post submissions real time in what some may say [is] a haphazard manner. Submissions are received through an anonymous submission form: [bit.ly/2TP6yCF].
The Misc: Do you have a favorite post?
Overheard: A personal and fan favorite is a quote heard in the Main Haus elevator[:] “Trust me! I want to do it, but I do not think we can fit three people into a Main shower.” We would love to *overhear* ;) how this story ends.
The Misc: Do you encounter any difficulty in running the account? What do you like most about your role?
Overheard: After we created the Twitter account and sharing it on Vassar Missed, other unaffiliated students created accounts on various social media platforms. This has been super annoying. That being said, we enjoy reading through the silly things people say on campus and sharing that with others. It’s rewarding to bring the campus together with humor.
The Misc: Is there any type of content off limits to posting, or would you intervene and/or modify?
Overheard: The account is designed for light-hearted humor, so it is unlikely that anything would be censored. However, it is hard to make a definitive statement regarding this issue.
The Misc: Is there a competition among similar accounts? What’s your relationship with them, and would you consider collaborating with them?
Overheard: Absolutely. Although we applaud their success and find it very flattering that they decided to copy our idea, it has been challenging to compete for the attention of the Vassar community. That being said, our account and others share a similar goal and so if the situation were to present itself we would consider a collaboration.
The Misc: Is there anything else that you’d like to say to the Vassar community?
Overheard: While we still consider Twitter is a good platform for this content, we recognize that the Vassar community does not engage with that platform enough to substantiate a large following. For this reason, we have recently launched a sister account on Facebook [bit.ly/2SgWtwF]. Go like!
Additionally, a major goal for Overheard at VC is a follow request from our beloved President Bradley. And finally, keep on saying the wack things we all love to overhear.
