Bloggers Represent Campus Diversity

Undergraduate bloggers give prospective students and their families an inside look at UMass Lowell.

Six undergraduate students are telling it like it is in online blogs. From gas price woes to moving into the residence halls, finding a part-time job to figuring out what to do with the rest of your life, the students are talking about what it’s like to be a college student.

“We tried to get a good mix of students from different colleges, residents and commuters, who participate in a variety campus activities,” says Elaine Keough, web communications director and blog project supervisor. “And like many of our students, they have other jobs on or off campus.”

Stephanie Bergeron is a resident assistant from Methuen majoring in biology. Bergeron is in Air Force ROTC and plans to go to medical school. She is an accomplished dancer for the New England Civic Ballet in Lawrence.

Guthrie Gordon is living off-campus after returning from interning at Husky Injection Molding Systems in Vermont last semester. The plastics engineering major completed a second internship over the summer. He read the blogs while in Vermont to keep up with campus news.

Jimmy Martin is a senior majoring in history and English. A native of Wakefield, Martin is president of the History Club. He lives on campus. His latest hobby is collecting vinyl records.

Hai Pham is a freshman from Sharon majoring in undeclared business. Already, blogging has helped him become a recognizable face on campus. Hai said in a recent blog entry: “I was walking around with my friends in Leitch … just meeting new people and I ran into one kid who asked me if I blogged for UML. I was pretty happy that he recognized me :)”

Christian Tiongson above all else is a baseball lover. He is also an exercise physiology major and commuter from Malden. While blogging over the summer about the rising gas prices, he received a lot of comments on his entries.

Samantha Willyard is a resident assistant, orientation leader and Admissions Ambassador. She also participates in the Student Leadership Network and Active Minds, a mental health awareness group on campus. She hails from Chelsea and is majoring in psychology.

The blogging project, overseen by Web Services, began in spring 2008. This fall, Web Services hopes to add a parent, faculty members and graduate students to the roster. In addition to the students, Ed Seero and other admissions counselors are blogging about the admissions process and other activities on campus. Learn more about the students by reading their blogs at www.uml.edu/hawktalk.