On April 1, the University of Wyoming’s official Instagram account made a post announcing new pools near the Classroom Building and in Prexy’s Pasture. The post was merely a joke, intended to be a good-natured April Fool’s day prank, but many followers did not find it amusing.
Commenters on the post pointed out that joking about the construction, which is a major aspect of the parking crisis, was tone-deaf and dismissive to the complaints students have been making.
“If you don’t fix the parking, people will start parking on Prexy’s,” one comment read.
“What’s the next April Fools post? Semi-decent parking?” another added.
The most liked comment stated, “The only April fools is the parking situation. Unfortunately, that will still be there on April 2.”
As someone who uses social media both in their personal and professional life, I found this post to be insensitive and avoidant of the current issue that is plaguing this campus: parking.
It’s important to note that UW is not alone in posting April Fool’s pranks on Instagram. Many popular brands like ‘Rare Beauty’ and ‘Ugg’ posted something of a similar nature, announcing the release of a new product, before telling their consumers it was only a prank.
These posts were well received, with followers finding the joke funny and a nice change of pace from their everyday content. UW joining in this harmless trend was not the problem; posting about a topic pertaining to a largely ignored issue within the community was.
Parking on this campus has been an issue for a long time, and with added construction and the closing down of lots, it has only gotten worse. It is also something that the administration has yet to fully address, which I believe has left our students feeling unheard. In poking fun at the situation, the university continues to show ignorance of the problem and blatant disregard for student opinion.
UW has not acknowledged any comments on the post nor made any statements.
