"How many marshmallows does it take to fill up Jordan-Hare Stadium?"
This is one of the many random questions received daily on the Foy Information phone line, Auburn University's free go-to service that attempts to answer any question that could possibly be asked.
Recently, there was an overwhelming spike in the amount of calls. It's been a busy few weeks for those who answer the phones at the Foy Information Desk, located on the second floor of the Student Center.
On Jan. 22, a comment was posted on the "Today I Learned" section of Reddit.com, a social network site used to share information, comments and links about various categories such as news, technology and movies.
The statement reads, "TIL That when you call the number 1 (334) 844-4244, it calls Auburn University, and they will try to answer every single question you could ever ask." This post created a snowball effect and spread nationally to websites such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Imgur and iwastesomuchtime.com.
Megan Barnett, junior in communication disorders and Foy Information Desk employee, said they have been getting thousands of non-stop calls.
"When it first happened, we had to add extra shifts in order to handle all the calls. Since then, it died down, but, apparently, resurfaced again," Barnett said. "I have three-hour shifts, and I would say that each call can last anywhere from two seconds to five minutes, so it just depends on the call. In three hours you can answer a lot of calls."
Alex Therrien, senior in architecture and Foy Information Desk operator for approximately two years, explained the amount of calls peaks every now and then, but said he has never seen it like it's been lately.
"In recent times, this is definitely the most as far as the volume of calls," Therrien said. "I think it's just interesting to a lot of people because it's a phone service. You're talking to a real person, and it's different than what you would get on the Internet."This occurrence isn't the first time that the Information Desk has been swamped with calls. In the past, the phone number has gained national attention by being featured in "O, The Oprah Magazine," as one of the top numbers to have in your phone, and also Matt Lauer called the phone line live on NBC's "The Today Show."
The Foy Information Desk, known as the "original Google," was established in the 1950s and was initially designed as a service for Auburn students who needed questions answered about campus and course information. Since then, it has grown tremendously in popularity and is not only used locally but internationally as well.
"Mostly the international calls are from alumni because they are overseas and they know about us," Therrien said. "They'll call and ask like, "What's a good place to eat?" or, "What are the directions?" or, "What does this mean?" so, we get those calls from time to time."
Wherever callers may be or whatever they chose to ask about, they are sure to find this number useful.
"The first time [I called], I lost my phone and asked if anyone had turned it in, and the second time I asked when the next season of Nashville started," Katherine Justice, junior in marketing, said. "They were very helpful with both questions."
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