Emory University is widely known as a private university that is well suited for Jewish students. For this reason, I chose to further investigate the Jewish community here at Emory and see what how this school got its reputation and how much of an impact social media had on it. In order to do so, I decided to interview three Emory freshmen who participated in events held by Emory Hillel to see the effect of social media on gaining new members and spreading the word about such events.
For the purpose of attracting Jewish applicants from around the country, Emory must keep up its status as an open-minded and welcoming university and what better way to do so than through the use of the Internet and social media? Emory University advertises its services on the homepage which then in turn is shared by students amongst one another through the use of Facebook and other social media websites. As a result of this, more and more people recognize Emory as a top school for Jewish undergraduates because of its kosher food availability, close proximity to a Hillel house and temple, and close-knit community. Kosher food is available to all students through the selection of the kosher meal plan as well as the variety of kosher restaurants in the Atlanta area since Emory is situated in a well-populated Jewish area. Furthermore, locations of prayer and services are also never more than a short walk away for students. For these reasons and more, Emory has come to be known as a top Jewish school, a fact that is sustained by the flow of information on the Internet and social media.
With reference to my ethnography, I plan to ask the interviewees questions in order to find out more about what is offered here at Emory as well as how they came to learn about the Jewish community here. I also intend to inquire about the effectiveness of various forms of media (Facebook, Twitter, posters, etc) of adding new members to the community.
For the purpose of attracting Jewish applicants from around the country, Emory must keep up its status as an open-minded and welcoming university and what better way to do so than through the use of the Internet and social media? Emory University advertises its services on the homepage which then in turn is shared by students amongst one another through the use of Facebook and other social media websites. As a result of this, more and more people recognize Emory as a top school for Jewish undergraduates because of its kosher food availability, close proximity to a Hillel house and temple, and close-knit community. Kosher food is available to all students through the selection of the kosher meal plan as well as the variety of kosher restaurants in the Atlanta area since Emory is situated in a well-populated Jewish area. Furthermore, locations of prayer and services are also never more than a short walk away for students. For these reasons and more, Emory has come to be known as a top Jewish school, a fact that is sustained by the flow of information on the Internet and social media.
With reference to my ethnography, I plan to ask the interviewees questions in order to find out more about what is offered here at Emory as well as how they came to learn about the Jewish community here. I also intend to inquire about the effectiveness of various forms of media (Facebook, Twitter, posters, etc) of adding new members to the community.