‘Blogging to show IU’s true colors’

When senior Ricky Owens, a student ambassador for the IU Office of Admissions, was given the opportunity to become a blogger for the office’s website, he jumped at the chance.

“Through blogging, I get to tell my story,” he said. “No topic is off-limits. Summer travels, academic endeavors, the Bloomington social scene and extracurriculars are all hot topics.”

“Painting the Bridge: Blogging to show IU’s true colors” was added to the website in December and features blog posts by eight students and several staff members, which are posted under categories such as “academics,” “arts,” “athletics,” “exams” and “travel.” The blog’s theme and title is based on the Jordan Avenue bridges that are painted by IU students to promote events and community involvement.

The bloggers post about their life at IU — from Little 500 and landing a job after graduation to reminding prospective students of upcoming enrollment and orientation deadlines.

Owens said the current student blogs are vital to assisting the University’s recruitment and to helping prospective students and families with the college search process.

“The blogs give students a chance to see into the life of a current IU student,” he said. “It represents the life of real Hoosiers. Using a student voice is the best recruitment ever.”

Owens’s blog posts aren’t always specific to life at IU.

“I enjoy blogging about how I feel from day to day,” he said. “I blog about what is going on in my everyday life. To add a little flavor to the mix, I will use various types of media with my blogs. I post pictures, music clips and YouTube videos.”

The blog also features a section where viewers can upload their own photos of the Jordan bridges painted for different events. Owens likened his experience at IU to the Jordan Bridge.

“IU has given me many opportunities to ‘paint’ my own Indiana University experience,” he said.

Junior Leah Morehouse said the site “looks really good.”

“I think it would help incoming students, with the Internet being a form of entertainment,” she said.

Morehouse said she would have liked reading similar blogs before coming to IU.

“Especially since students are able to post whatever they want,” she said. “The blogs are really real. They show what IU is like from the students themselves.”

Owens said he thinks the best thing about blogging is the honesty.

“It’s not realistic for everyone to have a perfect day every day,” he said. “These blogs help prospective students understand what college life at IU is all about and what students deal with throughout the year.”