{"id":141574,"date":"2024-08-07T12:30:00","date_gmt":"2024-08-07T17:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/?p=141574"},"modified":"2024-08-07T12:04:45","modified_gmt":"2024-08-07T17:04:45","slug":"university-of-mississippi-students-introduce-meetbetter-a-new-way-to-connect-locals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/university-of-mississippi-students-introduce-meetbetter-a-new-way-to-connect-locals\/","title":{"rendered":"University of Mississippi Students Introduce #meetbetter: A New Way to Connect Locals"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A message from Ian Huang, founder of #meetbetter: <\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In those moments when you have something to share, a secret to tell, but don\u2019t know who to confide in, or when you\u2019re at a life inflection point\u2014entering a new job, getting out of college\u2014a timely coffee chat can inspire you or, at the very least, relieve mental friction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, people today don\u2019t seem to have an easy way to find those meaningful yet intimate conversations, especially if you are introverted or socially anxious. That\u2019s why we believe that having a comfortable way to find and meet someone for a real conversation whenever you need it is more relevant than it has ever been.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hi, we are a group of students at Ole Miss. Starting in August, we are launching #meetbetter, a social experiment designed to bring people together through meaningful, face-to-face conversations, right in Oxford, Mississippi\u2014the heart of the South, where hospitality and warmth are second nature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/image1-scaled.jpg\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/image1.jpg?resize=640%2C480\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-141575\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/image1-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/image1-scaled.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/image1-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/image1-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1152&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/image1-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/image1-scaled.jpg?w=1280 1280w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/image1-scaled.jpg?w=1920 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>How It Works:<br>The journey starts with a simple questionnaire, where you tell your story and specify what types of conversations you\u2019d like to have. Our volunteers will help find someone who meets your needs, arranging a meeting at a nearby cafe on a day that suits you. Upon arrival, all you need to do is dive into a meaningful conversation with the person we match you with, without the pressure of formal introductions and small talk, and leave the conversation when the time is up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Event Highlights:<br>\u25cf No Nerves or Cringe: Skip the awkward intros and get straight to sharing what\u2019s important to you.<br>\u25cf Trustworthy Vibes: Partnering with local cafes ensures your experience is safe, comfortable, and friendly.<br>\u25cf Wrap It Up Easily: Enjoy a 90-minute conversation, leaving without any pressure to<br>exchange contact information if you\u2019re not feeling it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Southern Way:<br>As people living in the South, we know that hospitality isn&#8217;t just a word; it\u2019s a way of life. People here are known for their friendliness and their willingness to welcome strangers with open arms. #meetbetter taps into this spirit by creating a space where you can have genuine, one-on-one conversations that make you feel at home, even with someone you&#8217;ve just met.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We believe that the best social experiences are those unexpected encounters and conversations that resonate with you. It&#8217;s about meeting the right person, at the right place, at the right time. And that is what we are trying to do with #meetbetter. If you find this concept appealing or even magical, we invite you to take a step further and join this adventure by signing up through this form:<br><a href=\"https:\/\/form.typeform.com\/to\/rMLErkSn\n\">https:\/\/form.typeform.com\/to\/rMLErkSn<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thanks for reading this, and we hope to see you down your way!<br>Contact Information:<br>\u25cf Ian Huang<br>\u25cf Community Manager<br>\u25cf team@downyourway.app<br>\u25cf (484) 291-8279<br>\u25cf www.downyourway.app<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/TheLocalVoiceLigature-25web.jpg\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"25\" height=\"16\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/TheLocalVoiceLigature-25web.jpg?resize=25%2C16\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-14544\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A message from Ian Huang, founder of #meetbetter: In those moments when you have something to share, a<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":238,"featured_media":141576,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[29758,5,7067,4,29759,655],"class_list":["post-141574","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-local-news","tag-meetups","tag-mississippi","tag-ole-miss","tag-oxford","tag-social-experiment","tag-university-of-mississippi"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/image2-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C1920&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/141574","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/238"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=141574"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/141574\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":141615,"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/141574\/revisions\/141615"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/141576"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=141574"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=141574"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=141574"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}