We have all heard of college rant accounts. While some can be fun, with students secretly admiring others around campus or finding people to connect with, much of the time they also promote angry or demeaning content. There is a certain kind of thrill that runs alongside anonymity in the face of controversial commentary on your fellow student body.
The idea was fun at first, but what if there was a space that welcomed such a rush of emotion with a positive twist? I’m here to inform you that such an Instagram exists and is creating daily content fueled by positivity, music, poetry and, most importantly, wonderful spaces.
In September, an account under the name of @clarku_wonderfulspaces surfaced on Instagram. It features snapshots of different areas around Clark’s campus and surrounding area, from window views to animal sightings to colorful florals. Its posts are both submissions and personal photography by the account owner, usually coupled with a song encompassing the vibe of whatever space is being featured or, most recently, student-written poetry.
Followers are fondly referred to as “Wonderers.” They are a community of students looking to reconfigure the ordinary outlook on Clark’s environment. This group conspires to take a new perspective on what may be considered the everyday college campus, calling attention to its hidden whimsy.
The brain behind the account is, drumroll please… Faith Field! Field is a sophomore Psychology major with a passion for poetry, trinkets and all things wonderful. I had the pleasure of sitting down with her to discuss the origins of Wonderful Spaces, as well as her inspiration and plans for the account.
She was inspired by a hope to bring positivity to the inherently negative attitude that many college students acquire regarding their institution, one that we both agreed is incredibly valid but that becomes overbearing when unchecked by positive attributions. She also looked to bring her own touch to the legacy of unaffiliated Clark accounts, most prevalently that of @clarku_liminal_spaces and the various platforms dedicated to our campus’s squirrel friends.
Field came up with the idea at the end of the last semester. At that time, she had planned to join an already existing (but now unaffiliated) Instagram account. At first, Field thought that Wonderful Spaces might be a little too silly to really be accepted by the student body as a part of Clark culture. But after facing some personal battles at the start of this semester, Field decided to go ahead with starting the account.
It currently hosts 629 followers and 105 posts, not including posts to its story. “I was very surprised that people were immediately very welcoming of it. I have gotten so many messages of people being like, thank you for celebrating where we live,” said Field. She receives daily direct messages with submissions and kind messages from students ranging across all classes wishing to share their wonderment.
“This account healed me in many ways, too, which is, I think, why I’m sticking to it so much,” she said. Field’s content shows a real dedication to her followers, with her cheery attitude always shining through.
Field is dedicated to providing not just for Clark students, but for faculty and alumni, too. “They’re full, whole, entire people that when I see their posts, I smile, and they’re just living their life,” said Field. “I just really want people to know that there are truly so many people at Clark who actually want what’s best for you, who actually chose to do this, and who are very lovely, and they have pets, and children, and plants, and they love to cook, or hike, or take photos, or play video games.”
As for short-term goals, Field is looking to collaborate with as many other accounts and organizations as possible. She hopes to thread together content with the likes of @clarku_liminal_spaces and the Clark Student Voices Literary Magazine.
Long term, Faith wants Wonderful Spaces to work as a time capsule that future students and alumni can fondly reminisce on. “I hope it’s there just so people can go back and be like, wow, look at this photo that I took when I was with my friends or this photo where I wrote this little story about it or just any of that,” she said. The account has already captured much of campus in still life this semester, and Field doesn’t plan on stopping anytime soon.
Field has a number of personal bests for wonderful spaces on campus. She listed The Grind (Higgins basement), the small lawn outside of the Little Center, Anderson House, and the ROCU room (Radio of Clark University) as spaces all Clarkies should see. Field and I both agreed that the Cougar Cafe is an important and unappreciated wonderful space. The staff are friendly, the drinks are delectable, and the surrounding area is accessible and welcoming. Personally, I feel that the student art galleries in the Traina Center for the Arts are wonderful, too.
The list could go on – that’s probably the idea of Field’s account – but the message remains the same: Clark is full of wonderful spaces.
The Wonderful Spaces account bonds us together by highlighting physical spaces around campus. As a junior transfer student in my first semester at Clark, I can personally attest that Wonderful Spaces brings out the best in Clarkies, including all the activities, opportunities, and personalities we share. It brings a lot of liveliness to our community.
If you ever find yourself enamored by a new spot or enjoying yourself with friends on the Clark campus, I encourage you to submit to the @clarku_wonderfulspaces account to further the romanticization of Clark. Sign your name on the journal that the account has created and will continue to create for the community.
