James Shepard, Media Director The social media app Instagram is a creative outlet for millions of people. Whether you are interested in digital art or music, there’s something available for each individual on the app. Students at Norfolk Christian saw the emergence of the “rip_rip_netclassroom” meme page on February 4, 2020, right before the pandemic hit. This page provided a sense of unity throughout the school through its relatable memes. After the senior graduation in 2020, a post on the account revealed the owner as alum Van Hippenstiel. He passed on the account to an anonymous rising senior, who later revealed herself to be Evelyn Gabos after the 2021 school year ended. Sadly, the account is now inactive because no current senior inherited it. However, a new student-run Instagram account was created later in 2021. Photo by Marin Britt; After its first post on October 13, "ambassador_naps" had garnered over 170 followers. The account titled “ambassador_naps” uploaded its first post on October 13, 2021, which featured freshman Emmanuel Goboze taking a nap on a bench in Main Street. Various other schools have created a nap page for their school, which posts random students napping during class or anywhere in the school. This new Instagram page exploded, and students began to take pictures of themselves and their friends to be featured on the page. Although some pictures are obviously staged, it's great to see students in all grade levels taking part. Even teachers and administrators began to participate in the fun, with Mrs. Sandwell, for example, sending in a picture of her 8th grade Bible class lying their heads down during class. Mr. Tubbs made his debut on the page a week later. The account made its returns with two new posts on Tuesday, January 25, 2022. Even more, the owner recently established a new account named "ambassador_kicks," which will show off ambassadors' stylish footwear. One of the newest, and strangest, student-run Instagram accounts is “gwenhead_ncs," whose founders are juniors Cole Risk, Zach Catchot, and David Sandwell. The account features the head of a mannequin named Gwen being held by various students after classes end. Although the page has only uploaded three posts so far, it could return this year. Humorous, student-run Instagram accounts are by no means unique to Norfolk Christian. Across the United States, some schools have accounts for shoes, bad posture, messy parking, and more. The accounts build a sense of belonging within an academic community, especially when teachers and faculty take part. At NCS, students can laugh at a photo of their friends sprawled across a desk, sleeping. Still, some students can experience paranoia when dozing off for a few seconds in class. The question is, are accounts like "ambassador_naps" all in good fun, or are they keeping students on edge? Photo by Lily Strickland; In a society where our lives are constantly documented online, it is crucial to respect other's privacy. For some students, it may be embarrassing to have their picture online, but the owner of "ambassador_naps" assures that he or she gets permission from the photo's subject. After two years of online school for some, these accounts are sources of amusement, or simply just content. If school is virtual, you would never witness people walking around with a mannequin head. It is refreshing to see Instagram accounts that exhibit the normalities of in-person school (though Gwen is anything but normal). If you're thinking of initiating a new Instagram page based on fashion, bad parking, or any menagerie of things, then just remember to respect people's privacy. Perhaps 2022 will bring about the rise of new accounts; only time will tell.
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