Facebook task force has students worried
By Shawn Davis

The Facebook, an internet blog site created by two Harvard students, is a craze sweeping campuses around the country. Facebook is a Web site where students from certain colleges can put up a profile and link themselves to other students through classes, friendships, clubs or organizations. Although Facebook was created to provide fun for students across the country, there have been concerns from administrators and professors about Facebook, causing the formation of a task force to monitor what students are putting on their profile.

“A friend of mine in residential life said that there is an anti-Facebook movement started by administrators to monitor the Facebook,” junior Erick Ferris said. “A lot of professors are concerned that students with laptops in class are just on Facebook and not really paying attention.”

Professors are not just worried about students using the Facebook during class. The content of many students’ profiles have been called into question. Many profiles feature vulgar language, underage drinking, and now with the addition of photos, many profiles feature pictures that show students drinking or partying, which to many is a concern.

“A girl in my house didn’t get a scholarship that she applied for just because of what was on her Facebook profile,” sophomore Sammi Park said. “I’ve been applying for positions around campus so I’ve cleaned up my account a lot. I took down all the bad language and all the questionable pictures.”

Since Facebook came to MU a little over a year ago, it has exploded. Students and faculty have all joined. Once on Facebook you can list parties, post photos, leave friends messages, wish your friends happy birthday and link up with students all over the country with the global search feature.

“I’m on Facebook because everyone else is,” Ferris said. “At first I wasn’t on it, then everyone started to join, and now if you’re not on Facebook you’re just not cool.”

The task force has been assembled to monitor things said that can be degrading to professors, other students, organizations and MU as a whole.

“I have nothing wrong on my account,” Ferris said. “If they want to look they can, but they won’t find anything.”

Some students are worried about the task force cracking down on material on their profile, others just seem to think that it is an empty threat to help make MU look better.

“I think people are making too big of a deal over this task force when it is really nothing,” senior Megan Kimbal said. “There is very limited communication on Facebook, the task force can’t do anything if you say you don’t like this or that, it is freedom of speech.”

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