And who am I? That’s one secret I’ll never tell. You know you love me … XOXO, Hilltopmadness.
Actually, this is one secret we will tell. Well-known Snapchat user “Hilltopmadness” has nearly 5,000 followers and is essentially Bradley University’s very own Gossip Girl.
And Quentin Young, senior game design major, is finally ready to reveal himself as the man behind the madness.
After sitting down with the person who usually identifies as a blank snapchat ghost, I was able to ask him some questions on what it’s like living as someone who has a collection of secrets big enough to attract thousands of followers while still flying completely under the radar.
When did Hilltopmadness start and why did you create it?
“The account was created October 2015. I created it because some buddies of mine from home went to bigger schools, and after visiting some friends at the University of Iowa, the idea popped into my head. I ran the idea by some friends and decided to bring it to Bradley.”
How much of a time commitment is it?
“It drains my phone battery, for sure. I try to let the posts stack up so I can publish everything at one time and not have to be on my phone at all times throughout the day.”
Do you look at people differently after they send you certain pictures?
“In some cases, people might send in mean things, but I’ll personally know them to be nice in person, so it doesn’t affect me. At the end of the day, I know we all have some sort of mask. As far as nudes go, we’re all adults. It is what it is. I usually don’t know the people personally, so it isn’t as weird. If you think about it, everyone has seen the nude; I just have the name … Sometimes not even a name, just a Snapchat username.”
Is there anything you won’t post?
“Racism, for sure. Nonconsensual images, like people trying to send in nudes or pictures they have screenshotted from other people. My ‘no slander’ rule is becoming harder and harder to filter.”
What are your thoughts on people sharing their political opinions over the account?
“I don’t really censor too much; I try to post everything so both sides can contribute. If someone has a problem with a post, but 20 people have sent it in, I usually post it anyway so people can be respectfully heard.”
Are you planning on passing down the Hilltopmadness legacy once you graduate?
“Yes. A while ago I posted about someone taking my place, and around 30 people contacted me interested in taking it over. To narrow down my selection, I have been trying to recall if those candidates have sent in anything hurtful or against my rules on Hilltop. Also, I have asked their opinions on whether they think I should post something or not to see what they say and if I agree with it. At the end of the day, all I care about is Hilltop living on and not getting driven into the ground or being shut down.”
Do you think Hilltopmadness can be just as positive of a place as it is negative?
“Yeah, for sure. I like how it’s been helping people find [Bradley student] IDs; that makes me happy. Also, I like helping small organizations advertise. There’s a lot of encouragement on the account that I like seeing. If someone is specifically getting attacked, I’ll definitely reach out and tell them that I won’t post any more about them if they don’t want me to.”
Have you enjoyed this role you’ve secretly taken on at Bradley?
“Yeah, I have. It’s always fun introducing myself to people and overhearing conversations where people talk about something they saw on Hilltop or something they knew was happening due to Hilltopmadness.”
Well Bradley, there you have it. The mask has finally come off. Young’s identity may be revealed now, but next year a new, anonymous person will be filling his shoes.
And that’s one secret we’ll never tell.
