If you’re a Colgate student and are on Facebook, you’ve probably seen or heard of the Humans of Colgate (HOC) account. Inspired by the Humans of New York (HONY) Instagram/Facebook account, Humans of Colgate features photographs of students and faculty, accompanied by a story or quote that they shared. Though the creator of Humans of Colgate wishes to remain somewhat anonymous, they shared how Humans of Colgate came to be, and how they hope to inspire inclusivity at Colgate.

You may be wondering about how this person has the time to photograph and talk to all of the students and faculty that are featured on the site, and furthermore, why?

“I honestly really like Strangers of Colgate, so when it stopped for last semester I was sad, so I started this,” said the mastermind behind HOC. “I feel there’s so much exclusivity here, there, everywhere. So just like HONY who wants to capture diversity in New York, I want to break this exclusivity by letting people know how awesome other people are through their stories.”

Humans of Colgate may be the easiest way to learn about the people you see around campus every day. Strangers of Colgate, an Instagram account that also features Colgate students, is a similar concept in that it highlights students along with a brief biography. Yet HOC goes a little further.

“Strangers of Colgate was really good so I respect it. For me, this is much more personal as it is also a diary of me meeting people, so I don’t think there is anything different except how personally I am attached to it,” the creator of HOC said.  

The stories that accompany the photos range from childhood memories, to first kiss stories, to people’s biggest fears. HOC features not only students, but also faculty members. It’s not a rarity to see professors or employees at Frank Dining Hall appearing on your timeline, talking about their children, their experiences with students or what they like to do outside of work. The HOC creator explained how they don’t go into any of it with a planned agenda.

“You just feel it…I sometimes have some questions to start the conversation such as things you like and things you did that you want to share, but I guess normal interviews don’t really work because you don’t learn much about them…You need to let them know you’re interested in them,” HOC said. “Be genuine. That’s what I’m trying to do, just being curious about people.”

This was ultimately their goal for the account, to bring students together on such a divided campus. There is a lot to get out of Humans of Colgate if you truly embrace what it inevitably promotes, which is genuine curiosity about the people we interact with on a day-to-day basis.

“Just go out and talk to people. Don’t stick with your group of friends all the time; you will lose out on so many other interesting people that someday can inspire you to be more than what you can be,” the HOC creator said.