Shirley Yarin – The Stanford Daily https://stanforddaily.com Breaking news from the Farm since 1892 Mon, 09 Apr 2012 06:07:59 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://stanforddaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/cropped-DailyIcon-CardinalRed.png?w=32 Shirley Yarin – The Stanford Daily https://stanforddaily.com 32 32 204779320 Hailing spring through Holi https://stanforddaily.com/2012/04/09/hailing-spring-through-holi/ https://stanforddaily.com/2012/04/09/hailing-spring-through-holi/#respond Mon, 09 Apr 2012 10:02:22 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1062604 This weekend, the 5,500 pounds of blue, red, yellow, green and orange powder at Holi represented the ashes from this myth. The tradition of throwing colors is also attributed to the blossoming colors of spring, from a past in which India was predominantly an agrarian society following the seasonal crop table.

“Holi is now seen as a Hindu cultural tradition that transcends religious boundaries,” said Asha projects coordinator Arvind Krishna, a fifth year Ph.D. candidate.

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Having a fistful of magenta powder thrown at you upon entering a festival might seem threatening at first. But at Holi, a Hindu celebration heralding the coming of spring and a new harvest, it is actually a way of saying “Happy Holi!”

 

This past weekend, on Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Stanford’s Asha for Education put on its annual Holi celebration at Sand Hill Fields.

 

The celebration comes from an Indian legend in which the son of a tyrannical king survives a fire through the power of his devotion to the god Vishnu. Typically celebrated on March 8, Asha postponed the celebration festival by a month in hopes of warmer weather.

 

This weekend, the 5,500 pounds of blue, red, yellow, green and orange powder at Holi represented the ashes from this myth. The tradition of throwing colors is also attributed to the blossoming colors of spring, from a past in which India was predominantly an agrarian society following the seasonal crop table.

 

“Holi is now seen as a Hindu cultural tradition that transcends religious boundaries,” said Asha projects coordinator Arvind Krishna, a fifth year Ph.D. candidate.

Hailing spring through Holi
At Stanford Holi, students and community members gathered at Sand Hill fields to throw paint in five different colors at one another. (MEHMET INONU/The Stanford Daily)

Not only does Holi transcend religious boundaries, but it also focuses on breaching class and social structures.

 

“Holi is an event open to people from different races, religions and classes who are able to come together and let go of social inhibitions,” said Amruta Hardikar, Holi media coordinator.

 

The experience of attendees echoed these remarks.

 

“It was my first time attending Holi, and I was surprised by how freely old and young people lost themselves in the powder,” said Rebekah Oragwu ’15.

 

Stanford’s Asha chapter, founded in 1992, started hosting Holi in 1999. Asha, meaning ‘hope,’ is a non-profit organization founded at the University of California, Berkeley in 1991. Since then, it has expanded to include more than 50 chapters throughout the United States, Europe and India.

Hailing spring through Holi
(MEHMET INONU/The Stanford Daily)

Correspondingly, Asha’s Holi at Sand Hill Fields has grown from a small event with around 200 participating students to a widely anticipated event with more than 7,500 attendees. As the biggest Holi party in the Bay Area, Stanford Holi attracts a mix of students and families from miles around.

 

Along with water and color fights, participants can enjoy Bollywood and pop music from DJ Tanveer, performances by dance groups such as Dance Identity and Stanford Dil Se, and fresh Indian food.

 

Asha for Education’s mission is to fundraise for the education of underprivileged children in India.

 

“Each year, we feature a particular project to put a face on the kind of work we do,” Krishna said.

 

Specifically, Asha has funded the creation of eco-friendly schools in rural India in cooperation with Steve Blank, a lecturer in the Department of Management Science and Engineering (MS&E). The project seeks to combine education, energy and economics to improve the quality of government schools. Using energy-efficient building designs that run on low-cost solar power systems, the project leaders plan to educate villagers on energy-efficient agricultural practices.

 

“This is done to help the economy and to help villagers by giving them access to technical knowledge,” Krishna said.

 

Asha has also raised funds for a school for handicapped children in India. This school focuses on addressing problems that physically handicapped children face on a daily basis by offering features such as accessible ramps and concentrated teacher attention. According to Krishna, even 100 dollars can make a huge difference in the life of a blind student through the purchase of a text-to-speech converter.

 

By addressing problems that are endemic to certain regions in India, both rural and urban, Asha is able to provide opportunities to children who do not have educational options or privileges.

Hailing spring through Holi
(MEHMET INONU/The Stanford Daily)

“At the end of the day, my efforts make it possible for Asha to put a few thousand kids in school,” Hardikar said. “I think in the long run this will probably lead to the emergence of a better India.”

 

In addition to providing financial support, Asha also aids schools by putting them in touch with officials to inform them of the progress of their government funds, a right guaranteed by India’s Right to Information Act.

 

“Raising money, of course, is one thing that we do, but our goal is not just to raise money but also help [disadvantaged students] in any way we can,” Krishna said.

 

While Holi at Stanford allows students to let loose by tossing colored powder at friends and strangers alike, dancing freely to music blasting over Sand Hill Fields, it also presents an opportunity to help students thousands of miles away receive a good education.

Hailing spring through Holi
(MEHMET INONU/The Stanford Daily)

“I felt carefree and able to let go of inhibitions and just enjoy spring while having fun with my friends,” said Guadalupe Ramirez ’15. “You could throw powder at people you didn’t even know, like the water fight my friends and I had with little kids. It was also nice knowing it went to a good cause.”

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Living la vie française https://stanforddaily.com/2012/03/01/1060000/ https://stanforddaily.com/2012/03/01/1060000/#comments Thu, 01 Mar 2012 11:02:33 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1060000 La Maison Française, otherwise known as French House, is an undergraduate cultural themed house located on the Row. It is a self-op, run and organized by its residents.

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Living la vie française
(SERENITY NGUYEN/The Stanford Daily)

 

With Toulouse Lautrec and Matisse-like vintage posters lined on the walls, the works of Descartes on the library shelves and beef bourguignon served at meals, La Maison Française lives up to its name as the campus’ French enclave.

 

La Maison Française, otherwise known as French House, is an undergraduate cultural themed house located on the Row. It is a self-op, run and organized by its residents.

 

Patricia de Castries, La Maison Française faculty affiliate, describes it as a place where students “are young and are allowed to make and learn from their mistakes.”

 

According to Edouard Negiar ’13, academic theme associate, the house enjoys being a very close-knit community. He attributes this to the residents’ shared interest in French culture.

 

There are three routes to attaining residence at La Maison Française. Students can pre-assign prior to the housing draw, apply to be a resident by selecting tier two in the housing draw or take their chances at being drawn in by selecting tier one.  

 

In the past, the house required applicants to speak French, have successfully completed one year of French at Stanford or have studied abroad for at least one quarter through the Bing Overseas Study Program (BOSP) in Paris.

 

The current application, written in French, asks the candidates to detail their connection to France and what they can contribute to the house.

 

Last year, half the current residents pre-assigned while the other half drew into the house, a ratio that has been relatively constant in recent years.

 

However, starting this year, applicants do not necessarily have to speak French to apply for residence in La Maison Française.

 

“We don’t want to exclude anyone if they don’t speak the language, but rather ask them why they have a particular interest in French culture and what they can add to the community,” Negiar said.

 

“Part of the excitement is that people are glad to be here and get involved in the French community, but not necessarily speak the language,” he added. “The more people buy into that, the more fun.”

 

A unique feature of the house is the classes offered almost every day of the week. On Monday, French conversation classes at beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels are held while introductory and advanced wine tasting classes, taught by de Castries, are offered on Tuesdays.

 

“These classes are among the most popular at Stanford and they are almost always filled up the second registration opens,” de Castries said.

 

On Wednesdays, Negiar teaches a French cinema seminar, screening new wave cinema, comedies, old classics and modern French movies.

 

“What’s important about the French House is that we don’t take ourselves too seriously, but instead try to informally organize fun events around French culture,” Negiar said.

 

The house also places an emphasis on French cuisine and tries to recreate the French culinary culture in the residence by offering French cooking classes and hosting La Table Française on Mondays, which attracts a variety of people including graduate students, faculty members and even Bay Area entrepreneurs to sample classic French food.

 

The dishes are prepared by Juan José , a Spanish born chef who trained in France. He serves some of his best French classics on the night, such as coq au vin, or chicken in wine.

 

“The experience is surreal; if a foreign student just came in, he would think he was transported to some weird French enclave where the baguettes, cheese and babbling away in French never stops,” Negiar said.

 

Fun-loving Chef José, who residents refer to as J.J., is a key part of the house community.

 

“‘J.J. has a great relationship with the students,” said resident Andrea Fuentes ’12. “He’s personable, fun to be around, jokes a lot and he’s a great cook, as well.”

 

La Maison Française also throws public events such as Crêpe Night. In preparation, residents put up wall decorations, lay tablecloths and hang Christmas lights to give the house a romantic feel. When the guests arrive, the students transform into cooks and waiters and serve savory and sweet crêpes.

 

The profits from Crêpe Night go toward funding house activities and excursions. In the past, excursions have included trips to the de Young Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco to see a Picasso exhibition on loan from the Musée national Picasso in Paris, or simply taking outings to French bistros in the area.

 

Another popular public event held at La Maison Française is Café Night, which has a more party-like atmosphere complete with a DJ on one side of the house and a live jazz band on the other.

 

“Café Night is the best, most social alternative to the Greek houses on campus for people who do not find themselves represented in the crowds at frat[ernity] parties,” Negiar said.

 

Students agree, hailing nights, classes and food at La Maison Française as a welcome addition to their Stanford experience.

 

“My first experience at the French House was great,” said Mauricio Antunano ‘15. “I instantly noticed the unique vibe and it was a very welcome change from the usual Stanford atmosphere.”

 

“I love going to the French House with my friends,” said Narjis Sarehane ’13. “Its a charming place where people can blend into French culture and traditions in a different country.”

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Taking the dance floor https://stanforddaily.com/2012/02/22/taking-the-dance-floor/ https://stanforddaily.com/2012/02/22/taking-the-dance-floor/#respond Wed, 22 Feb 2012 11:02:15 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1058944 Jammix is a space where students who take Social Dances of North America can practice, share steps they’ve picked up and invent new ones. Attendees generally consist of current students and local alumni who come back to campus just for the night.

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Gliding across the floor, I hold on tightly as my partner leads the way. After several turns, claps, stomps and bows, the music stops, and, to my astonishment, the crowd cheers. No matter how fleeting or spontaneous the moment, I will always remember the first time I danced the Bohemian National Polka.

 

I credit this experience to Cameron Schaeffer ’11, a social dance aficionado. The site was Jammix, a Stanford event that features social dancing once a month in Roble Gym. Schaeffer assured me that newcomers are encouraged to join even if they don’t know the dance.

 

“Unlike other ballroom venues, Jammix is about having fun, pleasing your partner and goofing off,” Schaeffer said.

 

Students may be hesitant to initially attend Jammix, partly because of the high skill level of many other social dancers.

 

“Upon entering the room, it can be pretty intimidating,” said participant Rebekah Oragwu ’15, “but then people come up to you and guide you as you stumble and laugh during the rotary waltz, and suddenly it’s just fun.”

 

The event draws participants from all over campus and from all sectors of the Stanford population–from computer scientists to dance majors.

 

Stanford’s enthusiasm for social dance comes from the popular class Social Dances of North America, taught by dance instructor Richard Powers M.S. ’70. The typical class enrollment ranges from 120 to 130 students each quarter.

 

“[Social dance at Stanford] all starts and ends with Richard Powers, a vintage dance instructor, ex-product designer and dance historian who revived and taught social dance when he joined the Stanford faculty in 1992,” said participant Acata Felton ’12.

 

The walls inside Powers’ office are covered with vintage posters depicting different ballroom dances from across the world. Little figurines of dancers line the shelf. As a graduate student at Stanford, Powers studied the creative process in engineering, art and philosophy. After he graduated, Powers went into the field of engineering, from which he received seven design and twenty director awards.

 

His first foray into movement art was tai chi, evolving from his study of Japanese and Chinese calligraphy. He quickly discovered his love of dancing with other people.

 

“At that time, I also loved history,” Powers said. “I took a historic dance workshop on East Coast Renaissance and Baroque dance and pushed into 19th-century ragtime-era social dance, which at the time was a black sheep for the scholars.”

 

Today Powers also offers courses on the history of social dance that students describe as fun, contemporary and engaging. His choice to jump from engineer to dance instructor and historian stems from a desire “to do the most good while doing the least harm,” he said.

 

According to Powers, the social dance classes are not solely recreational, but also a great stress reliever that offers students valuable skills in ballroom dancing–and life.

 

“A significant aspect of social dance is the ability to adapt to new partners,” Powers said, remarking that making split-second decisions makes one not only a better dancer, but also a better thinker.

 

Jammix is a space where students who take Social Dances of North America can practice, share steps they’ve picked up and invent new ones. Attendees generally consist of current students and local alumni who come back to campus just for the night.

Taking the dance floor
Students take the dance floor in Roble Gym at the January Jammix (Courtesy of Paul Csonka)

Music is a key component of the Jammix experience. While Powers, who acts as disc jockey for the event, has a set playlist, he also must read the energy of the crowd when selecting songs. He aims to choose music that is “current, whimsical and danceable,” featuring an eclectic mix of techno, Hindi pop, K-pop, swing, Latin salsa and everything in between. Visitors who walk into Roble Gym during Jammix might be surprised to view a roomful of couples swinging to Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face” or performing the cha-cha to Marc Anthony.

 

In terms of dance styles, students usually engage in the swing, waltz, tango, salsa, cha-cha and Irish line dances. When a song turns on, Roble Gym freezes for a moment as dancers feel the pulse of the music, and then the room immediately erupts into movement. As the beat of some songs can be applied to various dances, not all couples may choose the same step, resulting in hazardous situations: not infrequently, energetic dancers who opt for the galloping polka may collide with more stationary swingers.

 

Yet dancing is not the only attraction of Jammix.

 

“I came for the dancing, I stayed for the people,” Felton said.

 

Along the sidelines of the dance floor, individuals congregate to chat while taking a break from the vigor of social dancing. Jammix and other dance events and classes have created a unique sort of social dance community on campus.

 

For Powers, as a dance historian, the beauty of Jammix lies in the recreation of scenes from paintings and lithographs at the height of the 19th-century dance craze in Paris.

 

“I was hit by the rush of 200 young dancers swirling around with a combination of that much skill, enthusiasm and care for their dance partners,” Powers said.

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Unearthing the past for clues about the future https://stanforddaily.com/2012/01/31/ian-morris/ https://stanforddaily.com/2012/01/31/ian-morris/#respond Tue, 31 Jan 2012 09:00:14 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1056275 A square meter of any archaeological dig tends to unearth bones, stone tools, ceramics, textiles--a little of everything--and a lot of dirt. Some might call it playing in the dirt. Others just dig for expensive artifacts. For history and classics professor Ian Morris, it is an opportunity to unearth the past in a way that helps explain trends of the present.

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Unearthing the past for clues about the future
(Courtesy of Kathy St. John)

A square meter of any archaeological dig tends to unearth bones, stone tools, ceramics, textiles–a little of everything–and a lot of dirt. Some might call it playing in the dirt. Others just dig for expensive artifacts. For history and classics professor Ian Morris, it is an opportunity to unearth the past in a way that helps explain trends of the present.

 

After many such digs and a large amount of research, Morris formulated some ideas as to why the Western world has become so successful. His most recent book, “Why the West Rules…For Now,” explains the effects geography and natural resources have on the distribution of wealth and power.

 

For his book, Morris conducted research projects and excavations to analyze the gradual decline of indigenous cultures.

 

He directed one such excavation in Mote Polizzo, Italy, where native Sicilian society arose. His team focused on what happened when Greeks settled on the coast. Morris discovered that the indigenous Sicilian population grew after the Greeks arrived because they were able to connect to bigger economic networks.

 

Morris explained how he analyzed archaeological artifacts to help him arrive at these conclusions.

 

“One way to distinguish archeological artifacts is form and function,” Morris said. “Different vessels are good for different things. Another common methodology is residue analysis, through which archeologists are able to discern what liquid soaked into the material.”

 

Because the cups are almost indistinguishable from the Greek originals and made from clay found at the site, Morris concluded that the Sicilians actually adopted the Greek’s heating process, much like they adopted a variety of other cultural traditions. Thus, the culture of the indigenous population gradually collapsed after the appearance of the Greeks.

 

While conducting research for his book, he said his perspective changed drastically. Morris looked at a large span of history while comparing the development of the West with that of other parts of the world.

 

“That helped me to understand that the West’s success in projecting its power around the world wasn’t driven by some innate superiority of European culture, but rested on…geographical forces,” Morris wrote in an email to The Daily. “People have the same motives, same desires, urges and shortcomings. What makes a real difference in how societies flourish is the geography they are in.”

 

This quarter at Stanford, Morris brings his archaeological experience to the classroom in an Introduction to the Humanities course, A Human History, a Global Approach.

 

“Teaching students drawn from all across the University is another big plus,” Morris said. “They bring a tremendous diversity of experiences and approaches to historical questions, which makes the whole thing a lot of fun.”

 

Morris’s instruction is generally well received.

 

“He’s very dynamic and keeps the class interesting as we start with a really broad framework and then working towards more specific details,” said Michael Peñuelas ’15.

 

Ultimately, the class aimed to provide a broad scope of human history in order for students to understand how it relates to the histories of others and to find “what it means for us to be human,” wrote John Corbally, a former teaching fellow for the course, in an email to The Daily.

 

“By understanding, albeit at a high level, how all ethnicity, nations and creeds of people arrived at this point in history, students are better equipped to grapple with the bewildering professional world awaiting them,” Corbally said.

 

The course, like Morris’s research, also incorporates other disciplines.

 

“Thinking about the past as a career suggests that the human story is very like the story of biology,” Morris said.

 

The symbiotic relationship between the cultural evolution and the biological revolution helps explain why so much of what it means to be a human has changed over the last 1000 years, he added.

 

And similar principles, he argued, extend further into the past.

 

“If we look at the whole of the human past, covering the entire world and going back 200,000 years to the origin of our species, we really can explain the patterns that have driven history and make reliable policy predictions about what’s coming next,” Morris said. “This requires us to look at archaeology, genetics, anthropology, biology, linguistics and a host of other fields, as well as the texts that historians normally analyze.”

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Stanford grad’s hot wheels https://stanforddaily.com/2012/01/17/revolights/ https://stanforddaily.com/2012/01/17/revolights/#respond Tue, 17 Jan 2012 11:02:22 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1054393 A brainchild of Kent Frankovich M.S. ’10, Revolights are LED lighting systems that connect to the bike’s wheels, producing a white light on the front half of the bike and a red light on the back, which allow bikers to see more clearly and increase their visibility. The idea for the lighting system struck Frankovich while he was completing his master’s degree in mechanical engineering at Stanford, when he noticed the shortcomings of his traditional, handlebar-mounted light, which pointed ahead but did not offer the rider much visibility from the side.

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Stanford grad's hot wheels
(Courtesy of Revolights)

With over 10,000 minds, many often lost in thought (and others merely lost), crisscrossing over its campus, Stanford is a place where dozens of collisions occur each day. The majority of those impacts are of the bike-vs.-fixed-object or other bike variety; the Revolight, however, was born from the collision of bikes and an innovating mind.

 

A brainchild of Kent Frankovich M.S. ’10, Revolights are LED lighting systems that connect to the bike’s wheels, producing a white light on the front half of the bike and a red light on the back, which allow bikers to see more clearly and increase their visibility. The idea for the lighting system struck Frankovich while he was completing his master’s degree in mechanical engineering at Stanford, when he noticed the shortcomings of his traditional, handlebar-mounted light, which pointed ahead but did not offer the rider much visibility from the side.

 

Although California law requires all cyclists to use a light visible at a distance of 300 feet in front during nighttime, biking in poorly lit conditions remains dangerous — and sometimes fatal. According to the National Center for Statistics and Analysis (NCSA), 39 percent of fatalities from reported bicycle accidents in 2008 occurred between 5 p.m. and midnight. This statistic hit especially close to home two years ago when visiting Ph.D. student Yichao Wang died in 2010 after being struck by a car at the dark intersection of Palm Drive and Museum Way.

 

The NCSA report also found that nearly 70 percent of nighttime bicycle collisions were due to inadequate side visibility, a problem that the Revolight team strives to prevent with its new system. The current public prototype features a white front light and red rear light, which mimics the lights on most motorized vehicles.

 

“The Revolight lighting system serves as a unique identifier for bicycles and their direction,” said Jim Houk, another member of the production team.

 

The team’s images of the system’s latest prototypes reveal a bike outfitted to look like a cousin of Tron’s Lightcycle. Each wheel’s lighting system consists of 12 LED lights connected to a wire, which is then attached to the wheel using six clips. The lights are powered by polymer lithium-ion batteries, which last for about four hours and recharge using a USB, Houk said.

 

Since debuting their project on Kickstarter, the crowd-funding website, early last summer, the team has raised nearly five times its initial goal of $43,500 in startup capital, thanks to a pool of over 1,400 backers. Today, Frankovich builds the circuits for the Revolight in his own apartment.

 

Frankovich credited Stanford with nurturing his inborn love of tinkering.

 

“When I was younger, I would go to a hardware store to buy things I could cut up and drill to make into go-cart parts,” Frankovich said. “I always had the motivation to design, but Stanford gave me the skills I really wanted to make them better.”

 

Currently, the production team is working on its sixth prototype. In the latest version, Frankovich added an accelerometer to make the back wheel a solid arc even when the biker stops. This has been implemented in an effort to reduce criticism that the Revolight might be distracting to other drivers.

 

“People are always going to provide feedback on potential negative features, and as innovators we welcome and test those concerns,” Houk said. However, he emphasized that “the concept of the Revolight is not distracting, and its safety features far outweigh any such concerns.”

 

In future prototypes, Kent and the rest of the production team will try to make the Revolight adaptable to more rim sizes. Members of the team also want to make the Revolight resilient to adverse weather conditions.

 

The initial production batch will be directed toward the initial group of investors who saw the potential in the design, Houk said. The first batch of production, set on March 2012, is expected to yield 900 Revolight lighting systems.

 

However, because the production team does not want to rely solely on its Kickstarter funds to design prototypes, it is looking for more ways to raise capital.

 

“We have gotten feedback from many future applications including motorcycles, wheelchairs and scooters,” Frankovich said when asked about tapping into new markets.

 

“We would love to get into other versions of the Revolight, but we try not to overstate our objection and remain as transparent to consumers as possible,” Houk said about the product’s future.

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Tackling the digital world’s blurred boundaries https://stanforddaily.com/2011/11/29/matt-ivester/ https://stanforddaily.com/2011/11/29/matt-ivester/#respond Tue, 29 Nov 2011 11:02:34 +0000 https://stanforddaily.com/?p=1052302 With such a high flow of unrestricted data on the Internet, Ivester hopes “to change behaviors by giving people the information they need to make the right decisions and be responsible,” especially here on the Farm.

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Tackling the digital world’s blurred boundaries
(Courtesy of Matt Ivester)

Stanford is a “wired” university, with Wi-Fi accessible almost anywhere on campus, computers in the lobbies of many buildings and smartphones commonly in students’ pockets. Information related to social networking and schoolwork alike flows constantly back and forth from “the cloud.” Have the lines between real life and virtual reality blurred?

 

Matt Ivester MBA ’12, who at age 23 founded the social network website JuicyCampus.com, thinks these two worlds have become one. With the tag line “Always Anonymous, Always Juicy,” the site he founded became so controversial that it was banned from several college campuses and investigated by two attorneys general. However, its effects show how powerful anonymity on the Web can be.

 

“Anonymity has the effect of magnifying the ego and putting fewer filters on what we do,” said communication professor David Voelker Ph.D. ’94.

 

In retrospect, Ivester said that the anonymity JuicyCampus.com offered contributed “to both the success and the eventual downfall of the company.”

 

Now 28 years old and in his second year at the Graduate School of Business, Ivester used his experience with JuicyCampus.com as background for his book “lol…OMG!” published Oct. 10, which advises college students on how to maintain their online reputations. Ivester suggests in his book that students should frequently Google search their name, set their profiles on private and cross-link positive content so it appears at the top of search engine results.

 

In person, Ivester stressed the need to make a good impression online because, he said, the Internet is now like a permanent record. While he agreed that college is a time to try new things on the road to self-discovery, in his book he warns students about the adverse consequences of publishing these moments online. Because first impressions are often made online, he said, it is crucial to manage one’s digital reputation.

 

“People often take the shortcut way of getting to know someone by just looking through the bullet points of their life on Facebook,” Ivester said.

 

As a result of the “primacy effect,” where people adhere to their first impressions, a quick glance at someone’s Facebook profile can have long-lasting consequences. According to Ivester, college admissions, tenant selection and online dating further intensify the pressure to maintain a clean online image. Job applicants, he said, are evaluated online as well as on paper: career development centers often analyze potential employees’ Internet activity and notify employers of possible problems relating to discrimination, violence or drug abuse.

 

Despite the lack of online privacy and the dangers associated with social media, Ivester emphasized the need to maintain a strong online presence, arguing that it provides efficient long-distance communication and allows users to create their own digital image.

 

And in any case, some, like Voelker, think that the nature of privacy itself is changing as a result of technological transformations.

 

“Digital citizenship,” or the concept of participating in societal debates via information technology, has also gained importance because, according to computer science professor Eric Roberts, the Internet cannot be censored because that might be a violation of the First Amendment and would be difficult to implement.

 

With such a high flow of unrestricted data on the Internet, Ivester hopes “to change behaviors by giving people the information they need to make the right decisions and be responsible,” especially here on the Farm.

 

“Stanford has the opportunity to take a leadership role in the national higher education scene regarding the challenges of digital citizenship,” he said.

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