Union has seen its fair share of anonymous student-run Twitter accounts, but @UUTMZ is unlike any other.
Also known as “Gospel Gossip,” this account exists solely to share positive messages about Unionites.
According to the official description on Twitter, @UUTMZ is “Here to spread the good news of the sweet things people are doing here at UU.” There is also an option for students to submit their own “Gospel Gossip” anonymously through a Survey Monkey link.
Surprisingly, this account started out as a joke. The account’s administrator said that a group of friends were discussing @UnionCrushes at the lunch table one day and thought it would be funny if a similar account was created that only posted positive content.
“I followed through and didn’t think anyone would really care about it,” said the anonymous tweeter. “It was more for my friends and me to laugh at.”
The account started on Sept. 9, and within the first day it had over 100 followers. Since then, 70 tweets have been posted.
Emily Williams, senior education major, was unaware of the tweet she was mentioned in until a friend showed her.
“At first I was confused as to why ‘gospel’ and ‘gossip’ were put together—honestly a bit perturbed,” Williams said. “But I like to read the tweets on that account. It made me laugh a lot and feel appreciated.”
Andrew Parks, junior psychology major, had not heard of the account until he was mentioned.
“I was really surprised and a little confused,” Parks said. “I hadn’t seen the account before, so I didn’t really know what to think. I was just a little dumbfounded.”
Other times, encouraging tweets are targeted at groups such as Greek organizations or athletic teams.
Dr. Keith Bates, associate professor of history, received a compliment on the site as well.
Some tweets are designed to comically appeal to all followers.
Not all submitted tweets are published. Submissions that are negative or come across as sarcastic are typically rejected. The account’s manager produces a majority of the content and would love for more students to send in submissions.
“It would be awesome to get a flood of encouraging things from people to tweet.”
The creator of the account wishes to remain anonymous.
“I don’t want any attention from this. I don’t ever plan on revealing to people who I am, but several of my friends know who is doing it because we all talked about the idea together.”
@UUTMZ plans to prosper until people no longer submit tweets.
According to the anonymous tweeter, overall feedback so far has been positive and several students have sent messages saying that the account was an encouragement.
“So basically, what started as a joke has made some people laugh and some people smile; all of that collectively is a lot better for Union than some of the past [more negative] accounts.”
Submit your own “Gospel Gossip” here, and follow @UUTMZ here.
