Students ‘like’ what they see on social media pages PART 2

February 7, 2012

This is Part 2 of Wilkes’ Use of Social Media. In this part, Student Development and the Wilkes Alumni Association use Facebook for their benefits and to get their messages out.

Student Development coordinator Melissa Howells says Facebook allows students to engage with Student Development and the Colonel.

“We are where the students are and it gives us another outlet to communicate with them,” Howells, who administers both the Student Development and Colonel pages, said, “The Facebook page gives the Colonel a voice to be able to talk to students and gets spirit up.” (http://www.facebook.com/thewilkescolonel)

Howells said Facebook allows students to participate actively with Student Development. For the Colonel, they want to make him more involved in student life and visible.

“It gives us an opportunity to let them know about things,” Howells says. “It’s also more prompt with updates.” (http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=100002332376260)

Associate Alumni director and alumni Facebook page administrator Bridget Husted said social media is good tool for connecting alumni across the country.

“Facebook has been an easy way for people to stay connected and learn about what’s happening on campus,” Husted said. “We wanted to utilize these social media tools to make it easier for alumni to stay connected.”

Husted said the alumni page has given the department the opportunity to connect with alums. (http://www.facebook.com/WilkesAlumni)

“Alumni are more willing to interact with us through that venue and it has given us the chance to learn about them,” Husted said.

It is clear with Wilkes pages on Facebook and Twitter people can access information about events on campus with ease.

Editor’s Note: To see Part 1 of this story, click here

About the Contributor

Christine Lee, Life Editor

Senior News Editor Christine Lee is a senior communication studies major with concentrations in journalism, broadcast media and rhetoric and minors in history and political science. She brings three and a half years of experience writing for The Beacon, having served as Life Editor from January 2011 (spring semester of her freshman year) to April 2012 (her sophomore year) and a staff writer from September-December 2010 (fall of her freshman year). She became news editor in fall 2012 and as a graduating senior, she serves as a writer and mentor to incoming Beacon staff. Christine carries a passion for all things news and current events and looks forward to covering major events on campus. She fully believes in respect for each person being interviewed, as she believes they have a story to tell her and she is recording it in print or on-air. A Dean's List student, she hails from the small town of Bloomsbury, N.J., and in addition to her role as News editor, she is an on-air reporter for "Wilkes Now," the student-produced television program filmed on campus, sings with the University Chorus and a local church choir, is an E-mentor for first-year students and is involved in a number of other little activities on campus. She is a student member of the Society of Professional Journalists-Wilkes Chapter.