Weber State Confessions is a Facebook page that allows students to submit anonymous confessions about their lives at Weber State University. Though not officially affiliated with WSU (a fact explicitly emphasized in the page description), the page encompasses the activities of more than 1,500 students, overtaking every official student organization’s participation numbers besides the WSU Student Association, of which every student is compulsorily a part.
The administrator of the page, who prefers to remain anonymous, believes the act of revealing secrets is one every person can benefit from.
“I think there’s a quote by Oscar Wilde that says, ‘Give a man a mask, and you find out his true feelings’. I think that there’s something really special about confessing yourself to the void, you know?”
The admin confirmed that 100 percent of the admissions are anonymous, and that none of the moderators get to see who submits them.
“People just want to be heard, right? There’s this weird kind of dualism that happens because your opinion is public, your confession is public, but nobody knows who you are. Nobody knows who said it. ”
Creative writing major Koleton Kroeger, who regularly views the page, agreed.
“I feel like Weber State Confessions is a great way for students who may be shy or may not spend as much time in the light of the social scene to come out of their comfort zone and get out there,” he said, “whether it’s telling secrets that may have restricted them, or being able to relate to people and not feel so alone, all free from worrying about being personally chastised for the things they hide, being completely anonymous.”
The site, besides providing entertainment for students, serves as an outlet for those who may not feel comfortable voicing their concerns elsewhere. One anonymous student confessed to having suicidal thoughts, and was met with many comments voicing support for the individual and caution about any action they might choose to take. Another student voiced concern about the organization of WSUSA’s Homecoming Week, and started a conversation with student leader Thomas Judd about improvements the organization could make to better accommodate students.
Lola Moli, the WSUSA diversity vice president, said she believes that Weber State Confessions unites students in both positive and negative ways.
“I have read some pretty mean posts . . . at the same time, when reading confessions about suicide, I am proud to say that everyone was extremely supportive and gave resources and support to that person to be strong,” Moli said. “It didn’t matter that the confession was anonymous. All of the students who replied were so helpful, and I was glad that despite the negative and crazy things I have read on this page, when it was important, the students came together to show support.”
One running theme throughout the confessions is the claim that a treasure chest filled with a variety of expensive electronics has been hidden in the bottom of the duck pond. Jennifer Lowe of WSU Facilities Management denied this to be true.
“To our knowledge, there is no hidden treasure in the duck pond,” she said. “Anyone wading through the pond, sadly, but for their own health, would be asked by campus police to exit the pond.”
Still, many confessions surrounding the chest have continued, even moving the location to report that another chest has been hidden somewhere in the Shepherd Union Building.
Student Shelly Cunningham is a regular commenter on the page.
“I think the confession page is awesome, because it brings people together and let’s them know they aren’t alone,” she said. She also said the only thing she would change about the page would be to have the administrators post more of the confessions.
The administrator addressed this issue by saying they don’t publish confessions that are repetitive or would specifically harm anyone.
“We do have a filter on it . . . if you’re saying, ‘So-and-so is an ugly piece of (expletive)’, we don’t like that too much.”
