by rana attia
In the app store there are more than 19 communication applications that pop up the minute you type the word “chat.” Not surprisingly, one of the main things people want to do on their phones is find new ways to communicate with others.
At Marshall, students are using their technology to take communication to new, global levels. Marshall has students who come come from all around the world, which means they often maintain relationships with friends they met in different countries and different schools.
Through electronic tools, many of these students are reviving the old-fashioned art of becoming penpals.
One might not think that this is necessary. As junior Allie Johnson noted, students can experience something new while making new friends in a new place by “getting involved and joining clubs.” However, this not always enough.
According to Johnson, “Everyone is unique so it is impossible to ever replace a friend who lives far away.” While Johnson said she looks for similar qualities in people at Marshall, many students, like junior Noor Alhajidi, also choose to try maintaining their old relationships.
In the past, people kept in touch with others by sending letters. Now, they often use online or electronic tools. Alhajidi, for example, still communicates with friends met before she moved to Fairfax County.
“I contact my friends by Skype and Facebook,” Alhajidi said.
Another important tool for online pen pals is Skype chatting, especially because it is hard to fit long-distance phone calls into students’ busy schedule.
“Skype keeps my long distance relationships real by allowing me to see them and seeing how they’ve changed,” sophomore Andrea Garverick said.
This ability to interact more directly with friends is important because even though it’s easy to keep in touch with friends, Garverick said that you can feel like you’re missing out.
Another reason students, such as sophomore Sofia Ramirez, try to keep in touch is for emotional support.
Ramirez still communicates with a friend who lives in Iowa and whom she has known for two-and-a-half years.
“We Skype almost every day and message over Facebook,” Ramirez said. “When I’m having a hard day I call her and she always answers.”
Even though technology has helped bring long-distance friends closer, it is not the same as an airplane ticket to actually see one’s friends.
“Sometimes I get worried that my friends would forget about me,” Garverick said.