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October 2007
What's This Facebook Thing All About?
Breanne Coats, Senior General Manager of PLU’s MediaLab
It’s faster than “snail” mail, more convenient than e-mail and more secure than MySpace. Facebook, the semi-exclusive social networking site, offers these perks to its users, plus it’s the perfect price for college students—free.
Facebook is no longer just a popular means of communicating to friends; it also provides students with a valuable way of promoting on campus events.
“It’s a good way to reach the relevant audience quickly,” said ASPLU senator Peter Moran, who represents clubs and organizations. “Clubs have taken it upon themselves to reach people. It’s been effective.”
Campus organizations and individuals can create Facebook event invitations and send them to hundreds of Lutes in a matter of minutes. Such invites include club meeting announcements, special events, movie nights and more. These messages can be delivered only to those who have Facebook accounts. Recipients can respond to indicate event attendance or to pose questions on the site.
“I love Facebook for planning events because it’s really, really easy to use,” said Emily Marks, a PLU sophomore and SIL leadership fellow.
Marks, who said she likes the way the site is organized, added that students are more likely to attend events if they know friends will be there. Facebook makes that possible.
The site shows the names and profile pictures of those who say they will attend specific events, may attend an event, or will not attend. Moran says this feature also helps group leaders judge the popularity of different campus activities.
Some students use Facebook to make announcements for reasons other than events. For example, April Reiter, editor-in-chief of The Mast, says she experienced positive results from placing job openings at the newspaper on Facebook.
Students also can establish groups to connect students to various causes. PLU students have created hundreds of such groups, including the Student Coalition for a Diverse Campus and the American Marketing Association PLU Chapter.
While Facebook can be a form of entertainment for many, it has proven to be an effective tool for PLU students to communicate with fellow Lutes and become involved in campus activities.
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