Students now have an easier way to exchange notes, sell textbooks and hear about parties on campus.
Facebook’s newest addition for University students is “Groups at LSU.” The page has numerous groups like “Events & Parties,” “Jobs & Internships,” “Campus Tips” and “Textbook Exchange” for students to swap information with one another.
The page also has groups for graduating classes, majors, residential halls and clubs.
Only Facebook users with an lsu.edu e-mail address can join the group. According to the site, “Facebook Groups at LSU is not affiliated with or endorsed by Louisiana State University.”
The page began to pick up users last week and now has more than 3,000 members.
Biology junior Gena Purvis said she thinks the Facebook addition will bring the social media site closer to its original format. Only college students were able to join Facebook until 2006, when it was opened to younger and older browsers.
“It would [make Facebook] better because that was the original intent, for it only being college students,” Purvis said. “I would love for Facebook to go back just to college students.”
Colin Upchurch, biology freshman, said he appreciates the exclusivity.
“Lots of [unofficial] LSU groups I’m in [right now], you get people from other schools,” he said. “It’s a good idea to keep people out that don’t need to be in.”
For example, Upchurch said University of Alabama fans troll the LSU Football fan page.
History junior James Buckley said he expects campus organizations would use the page the most to ensure student-only membership.
“I’m sure clubs will latch on like no other,” he said.
Buckley, who hadn’t heard of the site and said he wouldn’t use it, guessed right.
Dozens of organizations have created groups within Groups at LSU, including large societies like Greek Life, which has 292 members and counting, and smaller groups like Aerial Silks and Pottermore.
Purvis said the change is good self-marketing through Facebook.
“I love how you can join these different groups, ones that I really care about,” she said. “It’s really marking it for just myself.”
 
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Contact Danielle Kelley at [email protected]