UT memes, PR nightmare

Recently a group on Facebook has been created called "University of Toledo Memes" in which different Facebook users can upload a meme of their own creation with websites like quickmeme.com and post it for the entire world to see. What is beautiful is that all of the memes are about UT. Kudos for school spirit. Well, sort of.

While the memes are doing something quite beautiful for students, they could be a public relations nightmare for UT administrators. The group allows students to speak openly and humorously about the realities they face here at UT, no matter how funny, interesting, disturbing or depressing they may be. But for the administration it takes students' realities of the university and presents them to a vast network of Facebook users and − drumroll please − potential students.

In a bid for better public reception, a Twitter campaign was started by UT at #whyUToledo. By the lack of tweets displayed on UT's homepage, it seems students are participating minimally.

Actually, based on a search of #whyUToledo, it seems that students have been tweeting about UT relentlessly, but most of the messages aren't exactly what the administration is looking for. The official UT Twitter page hardly shows any students tweeting about UT save for the occasional positive remark. This inevitably leads one to believe that there is an awful lot of censoring going on here. A similar situation can be found on UT's Facebook page as well.

The UT memes page its essentially jabbing its finger in the eyes of the administration. With memes like Gene Wilder's Willy Wonka saying "You got a 1.3 GPA in high school?  Must have a full ride here at UT"; a triumphant-looking baby exclaiming "Walks in front of Crossing, doesn't get shot"; or a personal favorite of UT Facebook users, a picture of President Lloyd Jacobs saying "Makes massive budget cuts, doesn't take salary cut." There are over 100 likes and numerous comments under that picture, with a few choice words from students.

There are not only social misfits and deviants posting, liking and commenting on these memes. Well-established undergraduate students, graduate students, a large number of student leaders are active on this page, plus some high school students still deciding whether to go to UT or not. These are students actively, honestly and humorously voicing their opinion about their institution and environment. They should not under any circumstances be penalized or sanctioned for voicing their honest opinion.

What could be done instead is the university administration could actively listen to these voices and alleviate the problems here at UT. Instead, UT continues a publicity campaign that tends to tell only half-truths and is misrepresentative of the majority of students.

With a student body more adept at using social media, more tech savvy and perhaps a bit ticked-off, it is misguided to think marketing gimmicks like #whyUToledo tweets will work to better public perception and, ultimately, profit. There is nothing more irksome to an establishment than people who are irritated and brave enough to be honest.