The student news site of Marquette University

Marquette Wire

The student news site of Marquette University

Marquette Wire

The student news site of Marquette University

Marquette Wire

Screen name alerts students to parties

Frequent instant messaging can help one's social life.

In a world of technology, students no longer need to rely on word of mouth to find parties and events around campus. Instead, they send an Instant Message, care of America Online, to the screen name MarquetteParties.

MarquetteParties has provided students with information about campus events since last semester. The student behind the screen name wishes to remain anonymous.

To find out about parties and events, students can view the profile of MarquetteParties, where they will find links leading to a variety of Web sites.

Despite the screen name, the Web sites are not all related to parties, said the student who runs the screen name. Past links provided information about events such as concerts and Al's Run and Walk. Last year, MarquetteParties included a link about a Marquette student performing at the Rave, 2401 W. Wisconsin Ave.

Marquette is not the only campus with a party screen name. The student behind the screen name was inspired by University of Wisconsin-Madison's version.

"The screen name didn't catch on in Madison," the MarquetteParties operator said. "Here, it became popular very quickly."

The student said the screen name now has around 38,000 total hits, counted whenever someone checks the profile.

"I thought it would improve the night scene here at Marquette," the student said. "I started the screen name and told all my friends to tell their friends about it."

Other students can send messages with upcoming events to the screen name.

"People check it all the time," said Kayla Wood, a sophomore in the College of Arts & Sciences. "I think it's resourceful. A lot of people I know have it on their buddy lists."

Julie Piwowarczyk, a sophomore in the College of Communication, said she learned about MarquetteParties during her freshman year.

"A bunch of people on my floor have it," Piwowarczyk said. "It's cute, but it's not really a big help to me because it's not updated very often."

The student behind MarquetteParties said students from other universities, including University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point and Washington University in St. Louis, sent Instant Messages to MarquetteParties about starting their own screen names.

The profile of MarquetteParties includes a disclaimer against underage drinking.

The screen name is temporarily down due to a computer virus.

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