Several Kennesaw State University-themed Instagram accounts that are not officially affiliated with the school are bringing thousands of students together over the internet through memes and anonymous submissions.
One of the most popular accounts, @ksu_affirmations, shares comedic KSU-related posts to over 4,300 followers on the platform. “Being sweaty from just walking on campus builds character and is NOT embarrassing,” reads one of their posts from Aug. 2022 with over 1,200 likes.
Another popular account, @squirrels_of_ksu, accepts submissions of photographs and videos of squirrels on campus. The account has over 1,500 followers, and their most popular post – a video of a squirrel carrying a grilled cheese – has over 450,000 views.
Over time, more of these unaffiliated accounts have been created. Now, KSU students can anonymously submit anything from interesting conversations they have overheard to @ksuoverheard or send bugs they have seen on campus to @ksubugs and share it with a wider social media audience.
“Explaining what this account is about is always a little tricky, because people’s immediate reaction when I say ‘I run an account where I rate chairs at my school’ is this short silence and a confused look on their face,” the anonymous user behind @ksuchairs, an account that posts photographs of chairs around campus with an accompanying rating out of 10, said. “What I’ve decided is so fun and attracting about it is how each chair has some sort of sentimental value to me and the fellow students.”
Submissions from students are often anonymous, and most of the people who run these unaffiliated KSU accounts also keep their identities a secret. However, these mysterious influencers still find ways to show off their personality through Instagram stories, comment sections and captions on their posts.
For example, @ksu_crushes_ regularly provides captions on posts to give her thoughts on submissions she receives from KSU students who are anonymously admitting their crushes. She regularly asks for updates to the story as she roots for the anonymous posters to get their fairytale endings.
“I had seen these kinds of accounts for other schools, and I thought they were so much fun,” the user behind @ksu_crushes_ said. “I love any submissions that get people involved, especially when someone recognizes themselves in a post and then comments.”
Because these unaffiliated Instagram accounts encourage interaction between KSU students online, they have become a component of campus culture. According to the user behind @squirrels_of_ksu, students are drawn to these accounts because they offer more authentic interaction than official KSU social media profiles.
“The great thing about accounts like this is that anyone can start one and use it to bond with other students and create a sense of community,” @squirrels_of_ksu said.
Behind the scenes, the users who run these unaffiliated KSU accounts have also formed their own small community. According to @ksu_crushes_, they have become friends and even made a group chat with one another.
To keep up with the accounts mentioned in this story or make a submission to one, interested individuals may follow them on instagram at @ksu_affirmations, @squirrels_of_ksu, @ksuoverheard, @ksubugs, @ksuchairs, and @ksu_crushes_.
Greetings! Very helpful advice in this particular post! It is the little changes that make the greatest changes. Thanks for sharing!