Confessions of a Harvard Confessions Admin

Let’s be real: quarantine hasn’t been the most exciting. We’ve all been trying to recreate the campus chatter at home, and you or your blockmates have probably discovered the allure of Harvard Confessions. Along with Samyra’s tea times on Instagram, the Harvard Confessions Facebook page has been utilized as a platform to anonymously post hot takes, thirsty propositions, and angry rants. If you’ve ever wondered about the behind-the-scenes details, Flyby has got you covered with an interview from an admin who asked to be anonymous to preserve the nature of the Harvard Confessions page.

1. Did you start Harvard Confessions? When did it get started?

HCA: Basically I was seeing MIT confessions and I was like, Oh, why doesn’t Harvard have a confessions page? So, I created it in February of 2019.

2. For those unfamiliar with the page, what are three words you would use to describe it?

HCA: Relatable, diverse, and whack.

3. My friends have definitely sent me whacky confessions on the page. Do you guys have a confession hall of fame?

HCA: No [laughs], but we definitely should in the future.

4. Like print some out and put it on a wall?

HCA: Yeah, that would be really fun.

5. Do you think professed-love and thirsty confessions have ever led to any relationships? Could it ever replace Datamatch?

HCA: I don’t think so…I think what our peers are doing are great but also…Datamatch is sponsored by restaurants and students can actually meet up, whereas for us, we’re a platform where students can profess their love anonymously and just hope for the best.

6. Have you ever submitted a confession?

HCA: In the beginning, yeah, just because we needed to get stuff off the ground. But nowadays, there’s way too much to go through.

7. So the coronavirus happened and it really looks like the page blew up. Any thoughts about why?

HCA: People are probably using Confessions as a way to virtually feel like they’re still on campus or connected with fellow students…in March, the page activity definitely ramped up.

Yes, you can talk to your friends, or DM people, but I think it’s very different than having a common space [like Confessions].

8. Has it been more difficult running the page?

HCA: Definitely! Along with more submissions, we got more demands. Like if we didn’t post something fast enough, we would get more submissions asking why we didn’t post it. And it’s not a personal vendetta… I mean like, we don’t even know who you are!

9. What’s something that people would be surprised to hear about the behind-the-scenes of running the account?

HCA: We actually read everything and we discuss everything…And the fact that we get 200-300 submissions per day, so when people complain or say we aren’t approving them fast enough, we really can’t [laughs].

10. So how do you decide which ones get posted?

HCA: We usually filter for some sort of quality. As in, it should be funny, interesting, relatable. Originally we wanted to remain completely apolitical, but when we don’t post, people accuse us of censoring and agreeing with the opposing side… we try to do a balance of posting both sides. The ones that have too much profanity or are too offensive, or directly call out individuals, we try to steer away from those...Anything that we know for a fact is false, we definitely also won’t post, like a lot of hearsay that tarnishes an organization’s reputation.

11. Overall, it’s been pretty popular among Harvard students. Why do you think people submit to it? Why do you think people like reading it?

HCA: Maybe, for some people it’s seeking validation… For others, seeing if their opinions are a hot take or a cold take. Maybe they feel like this is a good platform to share their thoughts. And for other people, some sort of clout or entertainment?

12. Describe the page as a singular HUDS dish.

HCA: The Make Your Own omelet stations. I guess metaphorically, Confessions is what the student body puts into it and each omelet comes out differently based on what you put in it.

13. So how many of you are there?

HCA: It’s half our blocking group, so 4 of us. We’re actually looking to bring in new moderators since we’re all seniors now, so definitely looking for younger moderators to join the team. Take the torch please!

14. Going off of that, what do you see as the future of the page once you’re gone?

HCA: Just hope that the page continues as long as Facebook is alive.

ESD: Oh, Zuck.

HCA: (laughs) Yeah...it’s a really good community for people to highlight issues that aren’t normally talked about. And hopefully a space where people can relax, chill, talk about funny things, and spread campus gossip.

So if you’re ever bored, whether you’re in quarantine or at school, check out the Harvard Confessions page on Facebook. We promise it’ll (probably) be worth your time.