TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — Created by a group of FAMU Alumni, Chelsea Cartwright, Evan Galloway, Sheldon Louis, and Jay Bradley, the idea of a community based social group was taken to Twitter. Twitter went on to join in partnership with FAMU Athletics in creating a twitter-based community. The community will serve as a hub for past and present students to gather and share information. Still in its testing phase the twitter community is only available for select students. Although it is currently a private group it has already reached 2,000 members and will open to the public later this year.
Aaliyah Wilkerson has been FAMU’s Digital Content Manager for only a year but has already taken notice to the difference social media can have on a campus. She feels the partnership is imperative when reaching younger audiences.
Aaliyah Wilkerson says, “Social media is really transforming the landscape for the way that universities in general engage with their audience.”
Graduate Student Calvin Sykes Jr. thinks the partnership is a good idea to make new students more knowledgeable about what they are coming in to.
Calvin Sykes Jr. says, “That probably would draw in a younger generation when they’re in these communities talking about their experiences, words of encouragement, different things like that.”
Calvin goes on to say what he would like to see come from the partnership with Twitter.
Calvin Sykes Jr. Graduate Student at FAMU says, “What Twitter could do, which big picture, would be to have a united HBCU community.”
FAMU is optimistic that this partnership will lead to mentorships, push their brand, and create easily accessible relationships. Still in its testing phase the Twitter-FAMU Community is expecting the official release date to be later this year.
