NYU’s newest club, #ButActually, organizes and spreads different activist hashtags online, using hashtags as powerful tools for social movements. Gallatin junior Dylan Fauss created the club as an experimental school project, which is backed by $1,400 in Gallatin Student Resource funding.

Fauss created the club’s website over winter break using personal programming knowledge. The name reflects the sarcastic yet serious tones common to many hashtags. The inspiration for #ButActually came to Fauss while he was reading Foucault.

“He describes all of society participating in a discourse and those in power control a regime of truth defining that discourse. Minority groups, however, can compete with rival discourses to change this regime,” Fauss said. “Hashtags in this way create rival discourse by arming minorities and activists with new slogans and thought provoking concepts that help society re-imagine their world differently.”

Hashtags stood out to Fauss because of their interconnectivity with a variety of media such as images, videos and blog posts. He was particularly intrigued by their ability to capture the attention of an audience using humor without losing the seriousness of the underlying message.

He credits his advisers for helping him obtain funding, but much of the project was a result of his own efforts. One adviser, Stephen Duncombe, was impressed with Fauss’ intelligence and creativity.

“I like how Dylan has theorized what hashtags can do politically. Not only how they can publicize events and information that people may otherwise not be privy to, but also how people use hashtags to frame events and experiences,” Duncombe said.

Currently, #ButActually is recruiting people for social media/marketing strategizing, web developing and creative ability. Fauss wants members to come up with original hashtags relating to any movement or issue they find significant and make videos to accompany their hashtags. Fauss also plans to work with activist groups on campus to ensure that #ButActually is a meaningful platform for them to use.

One cause that Fauss is invested in is anti-consumerism, and he views #ButActually as a way to create and participate in a self-generated culture, independent from consumerism.

“I believe consumer societies alienate us from each other by tricking in us into passively buying our experiences, identity, and culture,” Fauss said.

Gallatin junior Josh Tang plans to get involved because he said that he found the idea to be fun and interesting. He is particularly angered by the issue of white privilege and hopes to create hashtags that relate to that issue. Although unsure of what exactly will happen with the club, Tang is excited to find out.

“I’m here for the ride,” Tang said.

Fauss’ biggest difficulty has been to get submission and involvement, and he encourages people to join.

“Most of the site is built so now my primary job is creating compelling content with my team of students and marketing #ButActually to NYU,” Fauss said.

If the site is successful, Fauss hopes that it will eventually be primarily user-generated.

Email Amanda Morris at [email protected].