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The North Wind

The North Wind

The North Wind

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Chloe Everson
Chloe Everson
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Hi! My name is Chloe and I am a fourth-year senior here at NMU. I am a Public Relations major and have always enjoyed sports. I love being outdoors, shopping, and drinking coffee at all hours of the...

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The North Wind is an independent student publication serving the Northern Michigan University community. It is partially funded by the Student Activity Fee. The North Wind digital paper is published daily during the fall and winter semesters except on university holidays and during exam weeks. The North Wind Board of Directors is composed of representatives of the student body, faculty, administration and area media.

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NMU-Confessions results in controversy on campus

The anonymous student revelations littering the wall of the “NMU-Confessions” Facebook page have drawn more than 3,800 likes since the page’s creation on Tuesday, Feb. 12, along with criticism for just what is being associated with Northern.

The Facebook page contains a link at the top, where students and other users can find an anonymous form to do as the title says: confess.

Here are a few examples of the confessions that can be seen on the page, which range from mild  pranks and declarations of love to confession of crimes and other risky activities:

“I like to replace the hard boiled eggs in the MP with regular eggs #yolo.”

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“I had sex with my chem lab T.A. and that is how I received an A in my chem lab.”

“I have a hamster farm going on in my dorm room. Anyone want a hamster?”

“I feel like I’m never anybody’s first choice and it’s really starting to get to me. I feel like everybody has a best friend and then there’s just me off to the side all by myself, constantly being left out.”

The freedom of speech associated with the page is exactly what the page’s creator, a computer information systems major who chose to remain anonymous, said inspired him to create the page.

“I wanted to create a sort of sandbox atmosphere within NMU where students could get together and enjoy information that is not normally shared in social situations,” he said.

Some students, like freshman criminal justice major Anthony Restivo, thinks the page is a great source of entertainment and a way to find things out and inform students.

“I think whatever people want to confess is worth listening to,” Restivo said. “People should confess whatever they please.”

But other students, like senior outdoor recreation major Carly Rydquist, find the posts to be rude and offensive.

“I don’t like that our university’s name is affiliated with a page of such low class and morale,” Rydquist said.

However, the page’s creator said hurting the university is not the intention.

“In no way is NMU-Confessions attempting to adjust the image of the university,” he said. “I don’t believe that this page is creating a different ‘image,’ but a temporary awareness of what has happened here.”

Although some of what gets published on NMU-Confessions is crude and some is personal, the page’s creator said there is a strict set of rules to follow on what gets posted and what does not.

“We take complaints very seriously, many of us are at the birth of our careers, and social networking can interfere with employment,” he said. “Any concerns should be sent in a message on the page. Therefore, we can receive feedback on what we are doing wrong and adjust accordingly.”

Since the birth of the original NMU-Confessions page, several spinoffs have come into existence. An even racier “NMU Confessions Unrated” has over 1000 Likes, and holds nothing back.

The man responsible for that page, also choosing to remain anonymous, said he thinks the idea of the page giving Northern a bad rap is far fetched.

“I don’t think that’s true,” he said. “There are people all over this world and in every college in America where stuff like this happens.”

A NMU Compliments page has been steadily growing as well, and the senior international studies major behind that page says he is just trying to let students focus on the positive.

“I hope people can see a ‘pay it forward’ type of thing with this,” he said. “Once people start expressing their gratitude for small things, the small things should become more common, and that would make the world a better place.”

As far as the confessions page is concerned, the creator reminds readers not to take things too seriously.

“Take the page and confessions with a grain of salt, and remember that it was developed for enjoyment.”

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