Produced and Edited By: Abbey Raynes
Animated by: Shayna Dumont
Being one of the most influential Western affiliated accounts–besides the official Western Washington University Instagram– @NewWWUVoice has amassed a huge following over the past couple years. While the person who runs the account remains anonymous, they have reached a wide audience across the entirety of campus. Connecting to a variety of students, they have become an icon throughout the digital epicenter of the university’s online community.
As the hidden voice of WWU’s student population, the anon’s influence has created a safe space for folks to share their opinions, rants and stories that offer a sense of normality that every college student can relate to. While there is some controversy around the page, there is a type of community that has been fashioned around this account which inevitably bridges Western’s population together.
Ever since last year, I had always been interested in interviewing this anon person who was in charge of running @NewWWUVoice because of their quick rise to fame. Once this school year began, it was my goal to be the first person to officially interview them, especially as their popularity grew even further because of the new incoming class.
At the beginning of November, I reached out to the faceless avatar and proposed an idea to sit down with them, to ask them questions about the account’s inception and their reasoning behind it. Thankfully, they quickly responded and were thrilled to be a part of this exciting project– anonymously of course.
Thinking about ways to record a video podcast while also maintain anonymity for the interviewee was challenging at first, but I was motivated to streamline this idea and put it into full effect. Despite the lingering obstacles, NewWWUVoice graciously agreed to meet at the Digital Media Center on campus to record a podcast.
Attempting to utilize the DMC lighting and a tablecloth, it seemed near impossible to create a hidden spot where the person could sit without it being too revealing or un-natural. But alas, there was a whiteboard in the room and it effectively did the job.
At the start, I was very hesitant and nervous about how this entire project would pan out, but once the camera started rolling, all of my fears and anxieties regarding the content and post-production washed away.
As we bounced off each other’s energy from the get-go, the room radiated positivity due to NewWWUVoice’s natural charisma behind the camera. As they spoke about their experience being one of Western’s digital icons, I felt satisfied knowing what we had put together exceeded my expectations of the original plan.
Seeing all of the moving components work so well was a sight for sore eyes, and I cannot express my gratitude toward NewWWUVoice enough, for their adaptability and contribution to this project. It wouldn’t have been done without them, and it was such a hoot to hear about their compelling experiences and stories as this important figurehead.
Check out this episode of Tripping on Bricks, while we discuss important topics such as Debby Ryan, crazy submissions and face reveals in this special first time feature of @NewWWUVoice.