AMERICA’S FRESHMAN
TNH talks with UNH’s reluctant internet sensation
Published: Monday, February 20, 2012
Updated: Wednesday, February 13, 2013 15:02
 "Photo: Courtesy Photo")
Courtesy Photo
Griffin Kiritsy in 2007.
 "Photo: Julie Fortin/Staff")
Julie Fortin/Staff
UNH student Griffin Kiritsy gained web-wide stardom when a picture of him as a freshman taken in 2007 (above) began circulating last summer as the background for the popular “college freshman” internet meme. Kiritsy is now a senior (below).
Chiampa, however, is hopeful that the memes will always have a topic to relate to.
"The trend of the memes might die down for a little bit, but I think that they will still be a popular thing," Chiampa said. "As long as something funny, unfair or just common activities happen at UNH, there will be someone to make a meme about it."
Despite the unwanted attention on the streets, Kiritsy finds the popularity of his picture amusing.
"I think it's hilarious," Kiritsy said. "There are a million images of college freshmen online, and they picked me."
14 comments
Anonymous
+ you got the guy!
- you don't ask him any obvious question, aside from "how do you feel about it?"what about the fact that most of them are negative, like about not being able to drink a lot or trying weed for the first time, etc
- you don't ask him any obvious question, aside from "how do you feel about it?"what about the fact that most of them are negative, like about not being able to drink a lot or trying weed for the first time, etc
Anonymous
I feel like the article is about that particular school's meme page. A lot of colleges and universities have "__ College Meme Page" fan pages on Facebook, where students adapt common Internet memes or image macros to fit with jokes about their college. The piece talks specifically about their school, rather than the whole Internet, because the piece is only about their school, and the last person quoted doesn't mean that memes will die out but rather that this page will probably lose interest or popularity.
Annie
I do not think this article is poorly written, per se. However, it is very poorly researched, and as other commenters have noted, the author does not seem to understand the scope of memes across the internet
Anonymous
Wow, this author has no idea the scope of the internet. The internet meme this student is featured on "UNH Memes" goes very far beyond a mere 3000 likes -- the meme instead has been used around the world and back on sites like Quickmeme (and then featured on Reddit, et al.) and on university meme sites around the world. Do some research!
Anonymous
"In today's society a meme is a term used in popular culture to describe a picture or video that circulates through the Internet. Common memes include Success Kid, Philosoraptor and Insanity Wolf."This are not memes, these are examples of "Image Macros". Use the terms correctly
Anonymous
I hope 90% of the memes don't apply to him, as I seem to remember him being killed of around, let's say, 90% of the time. Most of the rest of the time he was just compared to College Senior. Also, writer is not only incomprehensible, but doesn't understand internet if he believes that people call this the "UNH meme" or 3,000+ likes is an internet sensation, or that the internet is only composed of UNH and surrounding colleges. Last person quoted is dumb, meme will not "end soon". tl;dr: College Freshman will live forever. College Senior is sexy (not College Freshman as a senior, College Senior).
Anonymous
Wow...This article is ridiculously poorly written. Also, the author (and everyone interviewed) does not seem to understand the internet at all. However, the kid does seem to be *exactly* what College Freshman symbolizes, so I suppose he was well-picked. No mention of reddit at all is sad, and 3k likes is not a lot. I also did not understand close the half of what the author was saying, so to clarify: author thinks that this meme only exists at UNH and nearby colleges? Author is a "staff writer", meaning, still at school, yet does not now what internet is?I don't want to live on this planet anymore.
Redditor
"Thumbs up to this guy for taking it in stride.... massive thumbs down to the author of this article who has absolutely no grasp on the subject matter."Impressed by Kiritsy. Happy to know that this guy is doing well and graduating. Disappointed in the lack of content.Why not post examples of the meme for context? Why not explain Reddit and educate others about this cultural phenomenon being covered? Why not say "upvotes" instead of "likes"? Why not Zoidberg?
Anonymous
"...massive thumbs down...".? Please do tell us all of your infinite wisdom on the subject.
Anonymous
Thumbs up to this guy for taking it in stride.... massive thumbs down to the author of this article who has absolutely no grasp on the subject matter.
Anonymous
REDDIT
Anonymous
I know nobody will believe me, but I'm the person who started this meme. I'm sorry for any inconvenience I may have caused you. I started the meme a few weeks before my first day of college, I opened up google and searched for "college freshman" and the rest was history. I guess I didn't expect it to take off the way it did or inspire spinoff memes. KYM doesn't list my post as the first, even though mine was posted on July 24th on reddit as opposed to the July 26th post on quickmeme they credit as being first. I made the meme in hopes of making a little joke of the awkwardness I, as a new college freshman, would face much like everyone else who ever went to college.Proof to anyone who doubts me:www.reddit.com/r/AdviceAnimals/comments/iye4b/college_freshman_had_his_first_day/
Anonymous
"In today's society a meme is a term used in popular culture to describe a picture or video that circulates through the Internet."No, that's wrong. You're talking about an "internet meme", not a "meme". The original use of the word 'meme' still is 100% valid and in use.
Anonymous
A lot of the meme can be credited to Reddit. More about it is documented on KYM:
http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/uber-frosh-college-freshman
http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/uber-frosh-college-freshman
is a member of the 
