By 
An unofficial IU South Bend social media account containing racy and drug-related posts recently emerged, and after weeks of activity, all posts have ceased—at least for now.
Only a small portion of students follows the account, but some students report being surprised by the content of the posts.
Snapchat—It’s a video messaging application in which users can take photos, record videos, add text and drawings and send them to a controlled list of recipients for a controlled amount of time.
Snapchat’s audience is widely composed of college-aged individuals, and although it’s not out of the ordinary for colleges to have accounts, the “iusb.snaps” account is absolutely unofficial.
“I first thought it was a school sponsored feed, but I obviously almost immediately noticed it wasn’t,” said freshman Kamryn Cripe. “There was a combo of blunts, booze and nudity.” Cripe decided to un-follow the account, he said.
“IUSB already has a reputation of being the last resort stop for college and is sometimes looked at as a joke,” Cripe added. “With this account and the image it’s putting out, it’s just reinforcing the stereotype that is already plastered on the institution.”
Another point was raised—that a portion of these off-putting posts could be occurring in student housing.
“Sure we’re college students and the stereotype of a typical college student is to party and have fun,” said junior Elizabeth Nush. “However, when it involves the school’s housing department, it shows activity being performed that is not allowed through IUSB and, or housing policies.” As someone that takes pride in their school, Nush said, these types of posts aren’t something she wants to see.
Not all college students drink but it’s a stereotype for a reason. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), “College drinking is extremely widespread. About four out of five college students drink alcohol.”
Clearly, drinking is a common activity for college students and that will likely never change. However, disagreements and varied opinions arise when drinking and other relatable activities are portrayed as a glorified activity.
“I think it’s immature, but unfortunately, not out of the ordinary,” said junior Carrie Ford.
