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Wednesday, January 16, 2013/ The Statement 7
The Social University
a love letter byteresamathew ann arbor affairs: old testament love by teresamathew
W e all have love stories - romantic, platonic, heartbreaking or
heartwarming. No one has lived a life devoid of love or at least
one or two great stories about it. Ann Arbor Affairs is a new, monthly
rotating feature in the Statement, based off of both the Modern Love
column in the New York Times and LAAffairs in the LA Times. These
stories can relate to anything concerning love for and in Ann Arbor.
If you have a story of a terrible date, a long-lasting romance or how
much you love your dog, send it in. Submissions can be emailed to
teamathew@gmail.com. Even if your love life has less intrigue than
your calculus textbook (but just as many complex variables), chances
are you have a story to tell. And if, like me, you have no substantial love
life to speak of at the moment, just follow the advice handed down to
budding authors everywhere: write aboutwhat you know. So here is
the first Ann Arbor Affairs column, penned by yours truly about my
long-suffering pining for Jewish boys. We hope you enjoy it.
Join the . alfl
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All meetings are in our newsroom at 420
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Newberry Halls.
I was 14 when I fell for my first
Jewish boy. Granted, he was over
twice my age and I'd never actu-
ally met him, but what liberal,
politically aware teenager hasn't
had a crush on Jon Stewart? And
it wasn't just a passing fancy -
oh no, it was a trend. For years
I would find myself attracted to
actors who just so happened to
be Jewish.
As Mindy Kaling so astutely
put it, "I, like the rest of the
North American world, have a
fondness for witty, East Coast-
y, over-educated, well-dressed
Jewish guys." I couldn't pinpoint
it exactly - there was just some-
thing about the dark curls, intel-
lectualism and knowledge of the
Old Testament that spoke to me.
I was not sure if this was a real-
ity or a result of watching far too
much Aaron Sorkin-produced
television. It certainly didn't help
that I went to an all-girls high
school and didn't know how to
interact with boys - Jewish or
otherwise. When I was asked
for my type, I would chuckle
awkwardly before sheepishly
responding, "Um...Jewish?"
I am very clearly Indian. I am
also Catholic. People were con-
fused.
It made sense to me, though.
Indians and Jews have a lot in
common: We come from cultures
that are highly community-
oriented, we prioritize education
and the highest achievement
in either of our societies will
probably forever be becoming
a doctor. I still remember my
Jewish friend telling me a joke
about how, at a hypothetical
Jewish president's inauguration,
his mother turned to the sena-
tor next to her and proudly said,
"You should see my other son.
He's a doctor."
I understood. The happiest day
in my mother's life was when I
told her I was taking college cal-
culus, and she's still hoping I'll
come to my senses and abandon
Norton Anthologies for medical
journals. And then there's the
fact that I used to read the Old
Testament for fun as a kid, back
when I had a comic book Bible.
Esther was my favorite character,
and when I learned that there
was an entire Jewish holiday
dedicated to her, it seemed like
just one more reason to become
Hasidic-ally enamored. And
while people keep telling me that
the best way to meeting a nice
Jewish boy is to go to Hillel, I
can't help but feel that the ones
in attendance there are more
concerned with meeting nice
Jewish girls than trying to figure
out if the Indian girl in the cor-
ner is attempting to be a shiksa.
After coming to Ann Arbor and
actually interacting with Jew-
ish boys, I've reconsidered my
position somewhat. I have yet
to meet any boys with curly hair
and soulful eyes who have made
me want to willingly abandon the
freedom to eat cheese and meat
in tandem. Just as I'm not Aish-
warya Rai, not every Jewish boy
is going to look like Adam Brody
and have the wit of Aaron Sorkin.
Stereotypes, shockingly, are not
always an accurate portrayal of
an entire group of people. Who
knew? Maybe the specific Jewish
guys that Kaling describes are
like unicorns or manic-pixie-
dream girls - ideals created by
the media and our own imagina-
tions.
Or maybe I'm just in love with
Jon Stewart after all.
SA sophomore Jeremy Jones updates
his Twitter daily. Within his 22,763
tweets, he comments on everything
from his new economics class to the first
birthday of Beyoned and Jay-Z's baby, Blue
Ivy.
Over winter break, Jeremy receid a
tweet from @umich, the Universit
account. In response to his tweet aI I
return to the University already, @pmic
responded: "We're ready for you! Hope y)u're
enjoying your break."
"Being that that's our school, it shows that
they are really connected and unified their
students through social media," Joe sad
"I'm really happy that my school actially
views my tweets and actually knowis what'
going on."
Jones received responses from the Univ
sity's Twitter account two additional times as
well.
With different Tumbir, YouTube, Face
book, 'Twitter, Instragran and LinkedIn
accounts, Jeremy said he esta blished his
social media presence "to have a voice." -
As one of hundreds of millions of people
flocking to these social media platforms, Jer-
emy recognizes his new place in the global
conversation through social media.
Creating an off-campus, online
campus community
Social media, more specifically Twit-
ter, creates a quasi-Greek agora, or gather-
ing space, for the modern world, according
to Twitter CEO Dick Costolo, a University
alum who spoke at Rackham Auditorium in
November.
"\e once again start to see multiple per-
spectives on a particular news story or event
that's happening," Costolo said i)is presen-
tation. "We once again start to have a shared
experience cross the globe about what's hap-
pening and what we're viewing now. We once
again get ai unfiltered perspective of what's
happening. But. at the sanei tme, it comple-
ments all t hese traditional formis of broadcast
media."
With easily accessible forums, like Tsvit-
ter and other social media platforms, people
can witness and express reactions, personal
thoughts and beliefs with a clickl of the mouse
or a tap of the finger. With Tubir, Face-
book,tPinterestmanddseveral twitter accounts,
amongothersocial mcdasplatforms, the Uni-
versity attempts to keep iup with this techno-
logical trend.
To manage thisnewi, social media venture,
the University hired Jordan Miller to ful-
fill the new director of social media position
last Fcbruary. But Miller working under
Lisa Rudgers, the vice imesident for global
cOiimmissiiiications and strategic initiatives
resigned in December uinder alegations that
parts of her resume had been falsified.
Prior to Iser resignation, Miller sutd ini a
by Jen
March interview that she hoped to establish
the University as a national leader in the use
of social media.
"In the same way that the University is a
top school in so many other ways, we canand
should be a ground-breaker and a though.
leader in social media," she said. "W,
be a school that other schools can -ook t ad
sy 'That's how the University oft-ch1gan
don it. They're doing it right and that w ik
:I isi'd be doing it too."'
-7 Nin usehrv and Decemlay I JBrI
universities with 457000likes in 2012with a
4.6-percent growth rate.
Currently, the a umich Twitter handle has
more than 31000 followers and the Univer-
sity has more than 470,0 0 Facebook likes.
In Mich, s ishble.com, a website devot-
ed to discussing digital innovation, named
the University the fourth most social media-
savvy tniversity, showing how Msichigan has
established a prominent presence in higher
educat ion social media.
Josh Pasek, an .assistint professor swho
teaches a Comimunication Studies class this
semesterH tiled "Social Media and Politics,"
said the University needs someone to facili-
tate the social media across campus.
"A University ,s lairge as Michigan needs
to coordinate its message across a variety
of sources, and I think that tihere's no ques-
ltion that today social medla are important,"
he said. "There has to be someone that acts
-s a lIaikon for different public affairs, news
for the University and the University's social
medianetwork."
In a blg post on Jan. 14, Rudgers exam-
ined the growth experienced in the past year
of social media at the University and wihy it's
important.
"Social media has fundamentally changed
hosw icecommunicatewu ith one another and
with our stakeholders," Rudgers wrote. "It's
time for us to stop treating it as an add-on,
<s if social media activityis a superficial or
insubistantial diversion."
The social media reveqAl,
'Calfas
After Reddit user citizenthrowawayx
posted documents that appeared to confirm
allegations about Miller's resume, Mill-
er resigned from her position. Miller left
CubCog Chicago in f1 2003, with
hor t loma, though
sh s s eenough credits
Mynnn er Et deceive anyone,
bu i ht s s I believe its in the
best te t heuversity that I resign,"
M: Ir wrot i tn -i statement to her
f nd d cl1 on Dec. 11, obtained
I- rstatemen relej d on Dec. 10, Rudg-
ers i x sd r sadcrn:,,iess due to the situa-
3tlvaigohnUi
"I aipreciate a;lthe Ialent and insight
JptrdatitN1Mitlcr broug ht to elevating the Uni-
,Vrsitv's soCial speRudgers wrote. "Her
....k.... d tien selr, and she has established
aWs 1,\d fond~atin from wh ich to build and
My thughIs and best wishes are with
her"
Then nxt day, Rudgers relayed the details
(f Miler's resignation and job availability to
Scotlt Nlonty. the global head of social media
t ord lotor Company, and Costolo, one of
twitter's CEOs - e-mails also obtained by
the Daily through the Freedom of Informa-
tion Act.
"I hope she lands on tier feet somewhere
soon I wanted you to hear tihe situation"
she wrote imn her e-mail to lont.
Miller's formerccolleague Jeff Rushton, the
director o Digital Med ia at the University of
Louisville, said he believes Miller will b yrW
no trout bleinding anotherjob. H e added that
in his experience in the socialimedia industry,
continuing n sin muthe field without a degree
shouldn'tbe 1 diif itilt,
"Ifyou've sp your carer cdoing these
things like Jordn, yn Ioted to have a more
strateic ot tmk bhan thise people who just
use Socialn mia,"besud I." know that people
can be very suIccssl inisotial media with-
out a degree, bI0t obi.usly in her position at
Michigan, sli probably needed one."
in 2010, Mi 'er wassns ber of the Digi-
tal iedia i Higher EdtIcaon organization.
curated by Itshr . RIushton started'the
group with the-digital director at the Mas-
sachusetts Institute of Technology to col-
laborate with university-wide social media
strategists.
In an e-mail Rushton wrote to Rudgers
in December after Miler resigned, he wrote
that Miller was someone lie called for "ideas
and suggestions" while she was at the Univer-
sity.
"I'm sorry for the loss, some of our group
members emailed me about it today," the
e-mail said."My heartsank, for both ofyou."
Social media serves as a platform for uni-
versities to provide instant information and
to advertise, according to Rushton. ie began,
his pgegipt ositipnhim.mt IQn as tie first, and
only, staff member to manage Louisville's
Twitter and Facebook account. Similarly to
Miller's former post, Rushton controls the
social media environment at Louisville.
Before he began the position, Louisville
depended on the deans of certain depart-
ments and schools to create their social
media. Rushton stepped in to control Louis-
ville's social media as awhole.
"I am an army of one," Rushton said while
describing his position. He added that other
universities, including some Ivy Leagues,
usually only involve one person to take con-
trol of social media.
How did we miss this?
"Why did you not verify Jordan Miller's
educational credentials when she applied for
the $100,000 salary director of social media
position? ... Will you verify the education cre-
dentials for your next hire for this position?"
Patrick Host, a freelance higher educa-
tion reporter based in D.C., e-mailed Rudgers
these questions, among others, after Miller's
resignation about the details surroundingher
hiring in early 2012.
At the University, each new job opening is
posted sn umjobs.org where applicants sub-
mit hei resumes and basic application mate-
rials according to University spokesman
lick Fitzgerald. Though each department
nd specihe position undergoes a unique
interview and employment process, they all
involve a background check.
When asked ihow the University may have
missed Milr' IIls statenment that she has
a diploma o r r -zgerald saidhis
was "a very unusual set of circtmstance. This
doesn't happen often at alI."
Fitzgerald said in an earlier interviewi that
the University plans to post the position in
the near future. Ilowever, ht said there are
no anticipated changes t: tohe process of back-
ground checking.
Social media as a truth teller
While social media allowed Miller tio give
a voice to the University communuisit, ulti-
Icately ancthervotie spke backto revelh the
fllbehoodfhresume.
The Internet operated as its own "back-
ground check," displaying the power of an
online voice as Miller resigned after the alle-
gations.
Prof. Pasek said the accessibility of social
media leads to both accurate and false iifor-
mation.
"What you get looking at a social media
stream is some really accurate stuff that you
might pick up anywhere else, as well as a
bunch of things that are really inaccurate,"
Pasek said.
But the irony in Reddit exposing a social
media director's mistake shows how the
onJinevojcecanhave aminiofits own.