The New Social Media Fad of Sherwood Compliments

by Cal Wilson ’14

At 3:51, on January 27, 2013, junior Mollie Russell was honorably tagged in the first  post by a new Facebook group praising her as one of the “most genuinely nice people” at Sherwood. The new group, Sherwood Compliments, has become another social media fad.

There have been 126 posts to date from Sherwood Compliments’ Facebook page complimenting members of the Sherwood community. A Sherwood Compliments twitter was created February 5 following the popularity of the Facebook account, and released five tweets flattering Sherwood individuals.

Sherwood Compliments is modeled after a social project originating from students at Queen’s University, New York in which they established a means to compliment community members to see how people reacted.

Sherwood Compliments anonymously posts and tweets private messages on Facebook and Direct Messages on Twitter from students and teachers who intend to raise the spirits of another person. One must private or direct message the group with the desired message and the individual’s Facebook or Twitter name. The group ignores any hateful or rude remarks submitted by students.

“I think that Sherwood Compliments is pretty cool and aids people when they’re wanting to be nice to people” said junior Evan Luke, another recipient of a compliment from the page.

Luke contracted the flu a few days before exam week. Unexpectedly, he developed pneumonia and was sent to Walter Reed Military Hospital. At the hospital, Luke developed the flesh eating virus MRSA, in his lungs. He was held in the hospital for two weeks, losing 13 pounds while inhaling oxygen from a tank and battling the virus.

”It was nice to see the post about me”, commented Luke about the post labeling him as “a Warrior, a fighter” with his “courage, strength and resilience [as] something to marvel.”