A new Facebook page designed to help the CSU East Bay graduating Freshman class of 2016 connect with one another to ask questions about their university and other aspects of college life has been up since December 2011, and creators behind the website say they are excited for the possible impact it can have once fall quarter begins.

According to CSUEB Mass Media Director Kim Legocki, CSUEB’s Freshman class of 2016 has a large number of incoming students and thus created the Facebook page, entitled “Pioneers2016,” to make college life more accessible and enjoyable. The page can be accessed at www.facebook.com/pioneers2016.

Legocki says the Facebook page has received 178 “likes” since it was first created, which represents more than 10 percent of the entire incoming freshman class.

“I go on the Facebook page everyday to get updates on what’s going on at the school,” said Bennard Besman, an incoming freshman and first to “like” the page. “The Facebook page really helps us get our problems solved. I’ve just been learning a lot from it and I get to see the changes that are being made on campus immediately.”

Tashma Greene is a social media intern at CSUEB who has been involved in the Pioneers2016 webpage since the page first started. Her main obligation is to manage its content and answer any questions that students may post on the “wall.”

Greene explained the hardest part of her job is finding new ways for freshmen to become active on their campus through the social media site without knowing exactly what the freshmen’s interests are.

“I try to keep them interested and active on campus by letting them know the environmental feel of the campus,” said Greene.

Some of the status updates on the Facebook page encourage freshmen to register to vote, get involved in programs, such as the McNair Scholars program, and even inform students on national breaking news. There are also other updates that advertise special performance announcements like the performance by Bay Area comedian Myles Weber, who performed at CSUEB’s dining commons August 9. Greene says one of the biggest topics of discussion on the page is students’ curiosity about their future classmates. In order to help students get to know each other, the Pioneers2016 webpage gives incoming freshmen an opportunity to be put into the “spotlight” in the form of a status update for all of the students to see.

“To become a freshman in the spotlight on the Facebook page, students have to send a message saying who they are, where they’re from and why they should be on the spotlight. From there, we decide who to feature on the “spotlight,” said Greene. Incoming freshman Noemi Lopez from Venice Beach has been spotlighted for her love of track and basketball as well as her future goal of attending medical school after graduating from CSUEB with a biology degree.

Another way for students to meet each other on a more personal level is through the freshman Facebook group on the Pioneers2016 page, initiated by freshman Tikerea Tate.

Tate said she decided to start the freshman Facebook group because she noticed it was hard for all the freshmen to communicate with each other because they didn’t get notifications when others posted something or commented on something.

“I searched for a group, and there weren’t any. A couple of days later a girl asked why don’t we have one, so I decided to take the initiative and make one,” said Tate. “I feel like [freshmen] need to understand that we are not alone, we have the same problems,” said Tate.

The freshman group consists of incoming freshmen and Associated Students Inc. (ASI) members who also help answer questions based on their own personal experiences.

Although CSUEB does have a Twitter page, Greene explains the page doesn’t get as many hits because it only allows for followers, while Facebook seems to be more welcoming as it allows for the messaging of other students without being friends on the webpage.

“Facebook gives incoming freshmen a chance to connect with other incoming freshmen immediately,” Greene added.
According to Greene, many incoming freshman also been have been asking questions about how they can privately talk to other CSUEB students.

“A lot of times this question comes out because the freshmen want to ask about partying, drinking and other things like that,” said Greene.

Besman, says the webpage has worked to address this “issue” by putting status updates showing the effects drinking and smoking can have on students.

Greene says they aim to continue improving the webpage by contiunously posting updates and answering questions everyday so students will get further involved and receive as much information as they can about their university.