Exploring the weird world of meme UTD Instagram accounts

She began posting as a way to engage with campus life and culture.

@utd_dwaynation: ‘I'm always happy to answer fan questions. Feel free to disclose my name, Dwayne Johnson.’

The anonymous creator of the survey was inspired by a news article about Honorlock and wanted to quantify users’ opinions on the software. They made their results publicly available online, and there are some clear takeaways.

More than a third of UTD respondents said they had seen this prior Mercury article

Classes at UTD have returned to their normal modalities, but some still retain a ves-tige of pandemic-era instruction: Honorlock. Some instructors have chosen to keep their exams virtual for scheduling flexibility or to set exam lengths that are not limited by 50- or 75-minute class periods. An online survey of four universities – UTD, the University of Maryland, the University of Florida and the University of Central Florida – was con-ducted by an anonymous party to SEE HONORLOCK, PAGE 9

From statues to squirrels, from parking blunders to “Bruh Moments,” Instagram is filled with UTD-specific accounts dedicated to covering various aspects of the Comet experience. Despite their differences in content, they share a sense of community that goes beyond any snappy caption.

Because of the anonymous nature of the accounts, most of their managers spoke on the condition that they would not be named. Their structures vary, from an individual or a team collecting submissions to curating posts. Comets Can’t Park (@cometscantpark), for example, has two moderators looking for vehicles that break more than one parking rule at once. UTD Sunsets (@sunsets_at_utd) was an inherited account, whose current administrator shares both their own nature photography and others’ on the page.

Cecil H. Green’s account, previously featured by The Mercury, is run by neuroscience senior Rohini Kallianpur. Kallianpur posts portraits of the statue’s head outside Green Hall, along with the various accessories with which students and community members decorate it.

“UTD is pretty new, so traditions that you’ll see at other schools don’t exist here yet. I thought it would be fun to start something that might continue on beyond me,” Kallianpur said.

Other accounts focus on the University’s meme potential—or, to hear “UTD Wrestling” student Dwayne Johnson (@utd_dwaynation) tell it, documenting their day-to-day experiences. “The Rock” cites his inspiration as UNT’s similar John Cena account (@unt_cenanation) and hopes to bond with fellow Comets while making them smile.

“I think UTD as a whole lacks energy and school pride. Instagram accounts are an easy way to bring some extra joy into the lives of students, so it's really no wonder there are so many of them,” @utd_dwaynation said.

Nine accounts responded to direct messages; 12 did not, most without recent posts. The oldest page still on the app is UTD Squirrels (@squirrelsutd), which ran from May to Oct. 2016. It was followed by Cecil H. Green in 2018, then Bruh Moments (@utdbruhmoments)- which surpasses many official University pages at over eight thousand followers, pursed by Affirmations (@utdaffirmations) at just over two thousand. Tobor Sightings (@tobor - sightings) takes the medal for shortest shelf life, with posts that span only two days, beating out the brief Nicki Minaj fan-page’s 15 (@utdbarbzz).

“Man, those jabronis make me laugh!” @utd_dwaynation said. “I've been thinking about making a joke account myself actually, but between wrestling classes, movie shoots, and lucrative Fortnite deals I just don't have the time.”

Both UTD Chairs (@utdchairs, not to be confused with the discontinued