On March 16, 2006, Setonian columnist Karissa Kilgore wrote an opinion piece about the �dualism� that had been created between online and real-life identities.
�Anyone can see how you act online, and anyone that knows you well enough can see if it’s different from how you behave in real life,� Kilgore wrote.
Now, almost a year later, the stakes have been raised for those who dare to put certain aspects of their lives on web sites such as Facebook and MySpace for all to see.
By Valerie Masciarelli,
Editor in Chief
On March 16, 2006, Setonian columnist Karissa Kilgore wrote an opinion piece about the �dualism� that had been created between online and real-life identities.
�Anyone can see how you act online, and anyone that knows you well enough can see if it’s different from how you behave in real life,� Kilgore wrote.
Now, almost a year later, the stakes have been raised for those who dare to put certain aspects of their lives on web sites such as Facebook and MySpace for all to see.
Not only is that drunk party photo likely to cause some troubles with the could-be boss, but if it is blatantly obvious that the photo was taken within a Seton Hill University (SHU) residence hall, it could be the evidence that makes or breaks your case, should your party ever be interrupted by Campus Police.
The rumor that the Office of Residence Life can use Facebook pictures to prove students were involved in drinking or other non-permitted behaviors on campus is true, on certain grounds.
�It has to show clearly on the picture that the violation has occurred on campus,� said Robin Anke, director of residence life.
There have been cases, according to Anke, when photographic evidence was taken from Facebook to be used in judicial actions.
�If it is brought to our attention, we do act on it,� said Anke.
However, Anke made it clear that the residence life staff – including resident assisstants (RAs) – do not �actively search out� students� Facebook and MySpace pages, putting an end to the second rumor that RAs act as spies for residence life.
Also, just having the evidence does not always prove that a violation took place.
A photo, according to Anke, �could be from two years ago,� making it difficult to pursue an action against the students in question.
�That picture can be taken anywhere, there wouldn’treally be any hard proof,� said Andrew Roberts, a junior.
�I definitely have conversations with these students, but I can’tjudge them for information I�m not sure about,� said Anke.
This should not be mistaken for a get-out-of-jail-free card. If anything, it should be a wake-up call to all Internet-using students to be more sensible about the information they present about themselves online.
Even appearing in a photo with an intoxicated person can give the wrong impression.
�If I go to parties, but I don’tdrink, if I see someone who’s drinking and they�re in a picture, I don’twant associated with them. So I delete them, or cut them out of the picture,� said Mary Jane Steib, a junior RA.
Where to draw the line of appropriateness varies from student to student.
Roberts believes that students have a right to use Facebook to post whatever pictures they desire, even if he �wouldn’tput anything bad up there.�
�It’s a personal choice…If you�re able to be comfortable putting pictures up online, no one can really stop you,� said Roberts.
�I think people are irresponsible when they put drunk pictures up,� said Megan Martina, a junior.
Kendra McEntire, also a junior, agreed with Martina, but she said some circumstances were better than others.
�If you�re of age, and you�re out somewhere off campus, that’s fine. But it’s inappropriate to put up pictures of you drinking in your dorm room,� said McEntire.
For a final thought, Anke said that one thing she never does in regards to Facebook photos is act upon anonymous sources – which she has received.
In an effort to get their peers �busted,� some students have sent anonymous photos to residence life.
�That is not what we�re here for,� said Anke. So those trying to do so need not waste their time.
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