JesuitâĶbut make it lit.
Who would have guessed that what started as a joke in the lobby of my freshman dorm would turn into a campus-wide movement? Through my Instagram page, I lobbied for change on neglected student issues, raised money for charity, acted as a liaison between students and administrators, partnered with local businesses, and sold homemade t-shirts. But most importantly, I made memes that put a smile on peopleâs faces everyday.
âJesu-litâ - One small idea that changed my life.
In addition to selling memes, we highlighted Fordham students funny quotes, accomplishments, etc. through the âJesulit Jesuit of the Dayâ story campaign. This was an incredible idea because it got people to want to engage with the page. It was seen as an accomplishment to be the feature of the day, and people would talk about it and share it with their friends, giving us tremendous word-of-mouth reach.
We also had the Ram Reel, which was a response to low-quality content coming from @BarstoolFordham. This was a series of IG stories showcasing peopleâs funniest, most-Fordham moments. This series was highly shared and allowed us to gain new followers, outside of our meme-loving audience.
Lastly, we used our stories to campaign for good causes and connect with the student body. Using Instagram so interactively and creatively allowed me to become a notable figure in the community, appearing in podcasts and being the subject of many articles.
The Original Jesu-Lit Shirt Design
Jesulit Jesuits
The Ram Reel
And Other AnticsâĶ
Jesu-Lit University- Fordham Firesides Episode 11
Fordham Firesides was a podcast involving Fordhamâs most notable figures. Iâm pictured on the left next to the University president and decades-long bar owners.
Performance
Followers
5310
Engagement Rate
15.18%
Avg. Likes
796.32
Avg. Comments
6.52
Demographics
Top Locations
49% New York
1% London
Age Range
Gender
Jesulit inspired a wave of new Fordham-themed Instagram accounts.
In addition to getting the Fordham barstool page to start producing better content, the meteoric growth of my page inspired the rise of many other notable Instagram accounts in the Fordham community. Some of the most notable included:
@OverheardAtFordham - a page dedicated to quotes overheard by Fordham students
@LC_Sinners - a page dedicated to posting Lincoln Center-campus memes
@FordhamChairsLC - a page dedicated to sharing the best Fordham Lincoln Center chairs
@FordhamFood and @FordhamFineDining - two pages dedicated to sharing pictures of the #1 Nationally Ranked Worst Campus Food in America
and even @Dark_RUSGA - a meme-page for Regis University.
The t-shirt operation remained a dorm-room operation throughout its livelihood. Whenever I got an order, I would buy a blank shirt off Amazon, print the design on using an at-home heat press that took up most of my desk, and then wrap it up with a thank you card and gift paper, and hand-deliver it to my gracious customer. All in 3 days or less.
Have a laugh.
