In an email interview with the annonymous founder of CNU Compliments, Editor in chief Darryl Fetz talks about the beginnings and future of the page.
What made you want to start CNU Compliments?
I was familiar with the idea after friends were tagged in compliments from both William and Mary and Yale; but I really started CNU Compliments when I saw that it was becoming a more national movement–colleges all over the country were doing it. The positivity was too hard to resist. I also just really wanted to encourage the CNU community to continue to grow in that special way PTribs is always talking about.
How exactly does it work?
The way it works is that the account receives Facebook messages from students, complimenting other students. I then make sure the student being complimented actually goes to CNU and there’s no vulgarity, and then I publish it as a status on Facebook. I then delete the message, so I’m really not even sure who sent it in. I try and tag everyone, but if the account’s not friends I’ll ask that someone tag them in a comment.
Around how many messages do you get a day?
I get anywhere from 5-15 messages a day. Depending on my day, I sometimes have limited access, which is sometimes why I’ll post all the new compliments at once, blowing up news feeds — sorry y’all.
Will you reveal who is behind CNU Compliments ever?
At this time, I’m not planning on revealing my identity in the near future. I use “we” when talking on the site or in emails because the messages are intended to reflect all of CNU’s students, but I am the only one with the passwords to log in. My biggest concern about CNU Compliments is the transition to next semester, and worrying about it dying down then or when we start a new year. Also, at some point my time at CNU will come to a close, and if the demand is still high, I want a new anonymous moderator to step up; in that case, I would reveal myself.
Do you have a favorite compliment yet?
Right now, I don’t have a favorite compliment. There are few I’m thinking of writing myself, though.
What’s the future for CNU Compliments?
For the future, I’m still thinking of ways to grow our visibility on campus, especially to freshmen who really need that strong supportive environment and haven’t connected with upperclassmen usually. I would love to see CNU Compliments continue on through my remaining time here, and even past that.
Have you learned anything about the CNU community through this?
Honestly, I learned that the CNU community really is as supportive as everyone says. I’ve also realized that I don’t know nearly enough people on campus, and that there are dozens of people I want to meet!
