Graphic by Morgan Oracheski

How a school-run app can connect students through running bits

In my curiosity and natural attraction to being funny, I began posting on the new MacEwan Student Life app about different topics, sending “inspirational” morning messages, and reposting what I would consider Twitter slop to the app. This somehow began to spiral into other users referencing me in their posts with the first being my friend and colleague Ian Smyth begging me to comment on his post. Other users began running with the joke of “Jesse Roma” with more friends chiming in with photos, videos and fan edits of me, and other users who I don’t personally know also hopping in with their own Jesse Roma jokes and posts. 
It was now that I realized I had achieved influencer status.

While the whole bit of “Jesse Roma” was running, I could think of only two things. One being the poor moderator who I assume has to look over all these posts to assure that no harm is being done, and two being the realization that this is what the internet should be about. Not just Jesse Roma, but the idea of coming together and sharing something. While the community is small, it seems that people are already connecting on the app as I saw two users make plans to go for coffee. My hope is that they discuss Jesse Roma. It’s beautiful to see connections being formed online, even if it was started over some random joke posted in an ironic way and especially when current social media is so volatile.

Unfortunately, I will be graduating at the end of this year and will lose access to the app, meaning my influencer era will come to an end. The thing is, Jesse Roma is a rockstar. But rockstars are meant to burn out. My time is fleeting with MacEwan Student Life, so I only hope that I will be remembered fondly.