UNI parody accounts are not a recent occurrence. However, more of these accounts have popped up and quickly gained popularity over the last few years. Although every parody account has different topics and unique charms, they all have one thing in common: the ability to bring laughter to UNI’s campus. 

“The parody accounts put smiles on students’ faces, and many of the accounts are bringing awareness to tons of important issues on and off-campus,” explained UNI Squirrels, one of UNI’s most loved Twitter parody accounts with a history that stretches all the way back to 2013. 

For many of these account owners initially, the idea of success and a huge following was nothing more than a fleeting thought. 

The owner of TC Panther “didn’t expect TC to get big by any means. That one was just a joke because I realized the university didn’t own that Twitter handle, so I took it and just made jokes about TC doing absurd things.” Later, the same owner started a new account known to many as Nark Mook, which surpassed TC Panther’s follower count in less than two months. Although the same person created both accounts, the goal for Nark Mook was slightly different. “I wanted to bring some of the issues that I saw through my involvements on campus to light, while still peppering in some absurdist humor,” Nark Mook revealed. Nark Mook touches on relatable subjects such as parking and dining frustrations and puts a hilarious twist on these topics. They also delve into deeper issues, such as racial and LGBTQ+ inclusivity and problems with the administration. 

It’s accounts such as UNI Squirrels, TC Panther, Nark Mook and many more that have inspired students to follow in their footsteps and start their own parody account. One of these inspired individuals was the owner of Twitter’s UNI Chairs, who began their mission last spring to bring the best and latest Adirondack chair updates to UNI’s campus. 

UNI Chairs reminisced, “I have always followed the parody accounts and would find myself laughing at their tweets all the time. Then around Spring semester of last year, the chairs started happening. At first it was the chair on the acrobatic statue in front of Redecker…it got to a point where it just felt like everyone was just waiting for the next chair incident.” UNI Chairs expressed their gratitude for all of their followers and the shared humor between them. Some favorite chair sightings have included chairs balancing on top of trash cans, hanging from trees and students spontaneously deciding to hold a chair hostage in their dorm. UNI Chairs hopes that moving chairs and finding them in unusual positions becomes a tradition and a core part of campus life at UNI.

It’s easy to forget that the people making such an impact throughout UNI are UNI students themselves. Anonymity is key in the lives of these parody account owners. Nark Mook admitted, “It’s so incredibly weird that this account is anonymous. I think the accounts would lose a lot of appeal if people knew the person behind them.” On the other side of the spectrum, the owner of UNI Squirrels finds the mystery amusing and says it gives them “Hannah Montana vibes.” 

The future for UNI parody accounts is promising, and hopefully, they’ll continue on for generations. When asked about the possibility of parody accounts dying, the UNI Squirrels replied, “In order for the good ones not to die out, it would be cool if they decided to pass them down once they graduate from UNI so they can live on for years and years.” Both UNI Chairs and Nark Mook conveyed that they would also love to pass their accounts on after graduating and continue to see them grow.