Confessions of a Sussex: We’ve all read Confessions at some point and been filled with shock, horror, and amusement as we heard about the shocking eccentricities that our fellow students (and sometimes teachers!) had committed. There will be. Some of us have had the daunting experience of appearing on that show. This page acts as an eye for all things campus, and no outlandish (no shame to the badgers here) encounters or anxiety-inducing nights out are left unaddressed.
The page first appeared during the coronavirus lockdown in 2020 and has gone from being an unassuming page collecting a few likes per post to taking center stage in both the hearts and minds of students across Brighton. The name has changed to I had the exciting opportunity to interview them to better understand the origins of this page and their unique experiences as covert broadcasters on a faceless campus. You may also find some hints about who the anonymous person is. .
First of all, please tell us more about the founding of Sussex Confessions. Also, what inspired you and your team to create this platform?
It all started during the coronavirus lockdown in October 2020. For those of us who remained on campus, it was really a little depressing. We missed the usual first year fun and everything was a little slow and piecemeal. That’s when we realized these Instagram accounts were popping up and sort of filling a gap. These became new ways to connect with others on campus, unlike Facebook, which was no longer something everyone used. Sussex Confessions started small with a few hundred followers, sharing what was going on, whether someone was casting motives or whether police or campus security were patrolling. It was like a little central place for. The account grew organically as classes moved to Zoom and real-life interactions were largely eliminated. People started sharing their stories and confessions rather than just sharing updates. It was a way for us to stay connected and get a little bit of a college feel when everything else is just screens and isolation. It’s quite amazing how it developed into a great combination of confession and story and became a real part of our life in Sussex.
How do you decide which confessions to feature in Sussex Confessions and are there any criteria for selecting or filtering confessions?
When choosing a confession for Sussex Confessions, we try to record a combination of everything. This is a fairly subjective process and will yield all kinds of confessions, so we aim to strike a balance between serious and funny confessions. Sometimes we receive chilling confessions, and sometimes it’s about someone we know. However, we remain open-minded in what we post. In fact, if there is a confession about us, we’ll post it too (maybe there is?). We receive a lot of posts, such as memes, that are not particularly interesting, funny or serious, and we sometimes filter them out. We have also had to report numerous lost and found items. I used to post them at one time, but now there are so many that if I posted them all, I would effectively become a lost and found service. We are also very careful not to mention names directly in confession. Of course, it depends on the nature of the confession, but using a nickname is usually fine. So basically, the way we make decisions is to try to keep the mix right and be fair to everyone involved. Obviously we are just students managing this and we do our best, but mistakes can happen from time to time. In the case of confessions of a more serious nature, we try to take special care. We frequently contact these people to ask if they need any help and to provide them with information about university services and support groups that can assist them if needed.
Are there any positive stories or experiences that have emerged from confessions shared on the platform?
The Sussex confessions have surprisingly been very positive in bringing people together. It’s not just about sharing anonymous stories. It has become a place where connections are made from time to time. We’ve seen people finding flatmates through our posts, and given how tough the housing situation is, this is very practical and helpful. The platform is also useful for disseminating information about tickets to events such as Boundary and promoting student organizations. This is an easy way to reach many students quickly. What’s really interesting is how people interact within the comments. There have also been instances where someone confessed about another person and the two actually started communicating. It’s not always a fairytale ending, but it’s great to see interactions start from a simple post. We often receive messages from students who say that the platform has given them a break during study sessions and made them feel a little less alone, especially during busy periods at university. Amidst the anonymity and fun, it’s good to know that this platform has actually made at least a small change to the University of Sussex’s student community.
Were there any confessions that were particularly controversial or that got a big reaction from students?
Yes, there were some controversial confessions that caused a huge stir. A few years ago, there were several posts about a student (referred to as A) who was accused of serious incidents involving female students on campus and who was later expelled from the University of Sussex. These confessions opened the floodgates and many others came forward to share similar experiences. For the first time, I understood what this platform can do.
Most of the time, our Instagram accounts are just for sharing funny confessions or light confessions. It’s a way to share your ideas with a large audience of approximately 14,000 current and former students. The comments section is where you really see if an opinion or confession is popular, and often it becomes known right away, but sometimes days after the confession is posted. Or an argument may arise weeks later.
I’ve seen my fair share of relationship dramas, including confessions of cheating. These posts may indirectly lead to people being exposed, and a situation has arisen where multiple people think the confession is about them. They come to us and demand to know who sent it, which can get quite complicated. With around 2,000 confessions posted, it’s hard to remember all the details. Sometimes we are asked to take down a confession because it causes too much drama, someone we know has identified us, or we regret posting it. It’s all part of running a page, and it’s not always simple and can get very intense and weird at times.
What’s the funniest or most outrageous confession you’ve ever received? Can you tell us a memorable story?
Let’s be honest, we’ve seen the whole range of outlandish stories. But what really stands out? It is difficult for him to choose just one product among so many products. We’ve experienced everything from bizarre situations like a Norwich house being infested with dead flies a few years ago to very unusual behavior in libraries and student centres. And then there was the confession about the makeshift brothel in Park Village.
As you read these, you will develop a tolerance for the outrageous. Some confessions are too extreme, so we carefully eliminate confessions that are too graphic or violate Instagram rules. We’ve seen a fair amount of nudity, an unusually high number of foot photos, and various stories about people throwing up on buses and during lectures.
One particularly memorable confession was that the aftermath of an exchange student’s room included an as*x doll. What’s also really surprising is the openness we observed about sexuality and kinks among the Sussex community. For example, the number of confessions about pegging is insane.It’s eye-opening, to say the least, and never fails to catch us off guard..
How are the people chosen to join the Sussex Confessions page? Are there groups of people you know or are you a one-man show?
It’s a difficult question to answer, but I think the previous administrator was worried about what to do with the page and was happy to hand it over to me. I think it’s probably going to be a similar approach going forward, just interacting with some of the people who have messaged me previously and expressed interest in continuing.
There are two people currently running this page ATM, and it’s definitely been difficult to keep it private, especially when your friends are DMing you the confession you just posted. . It’s also interesting to learn the embarrassing secrets of friends who send confessions. I think the clear criteria for becoming or being considered as an administrator for this page is to have a good poker face and an open mind.
Lastly, could you give us a sneak peek into who and what is behind this page?
Well, there is one clue as to who is running this page now, as the previous admin just graduated. Well, we go to Casa quite a bit and have a bit of a crush on Martha Gunn. Even as I write this, I am sitting in my room. I’m currently in the library writing essays for my degree in humanities.
We have provided some tips in the past and may continue to do so in the future, but how many people are bothered or interested in knowing who is running this page? I don’t know if it is.
The Sussex confession page can be found on Instagram. @susex_confessions Read all the latest secrets on campus and potentially expose your own confession for the student body to see.