*The Machine* Won't Let Sorority Vote For Its Own Member For Homecoming Queen

[33girl]

The fact that the queen candidates have platforms kind of makes me feel better about so much importance being placed on the race. I think. In other words, this isn't juat to get a crown and a big picture in the yearbook, they actually do something under the auspices of their title.

[Hartofsec]

Originally Posted by Kevin

I kind of rooted for The Machine here. Some tried to turn this into a race thing when it really wasn't. I can't imagine that sororities voting for their own members or Greek Life voting in blocks is unique to Alabama. So AGD chose a member to support and then a member went rogue and voted against her. It is not racism or anything nefarious or even unusual that the group asked members to vote FOR the member sponsored by the group, not against the other member as suggested. Am I missing anything here?

The AGDs committed to support another Greek org candidate (a Phi Mu) agreed upon by the machine (which is comprised of almost all of the fraternities and sororities). Because of this, they did not sponsor a candidate on their own (which probably would have been their own president if they had).

Sometime later, another campus org (BLEND), that Halle Lindsay (AGD) helped found, announced sponsoring her for HC.

This created the awkward situation for AGD with the other Greek "endorsers" (machine) of the Phi Mu candidate. Much as some of the usual media sources would like to milk this for more U of A racial drama, it didn't have anything to do with race.

There isn't really anything politically new about orgs banding together to endorse/support a particular candidate. The problem in the eyes of most is the fear of social retribution for not supporting the chosen candidate (might be that this isn't all that politically unusual either :/). That and it seems odd when a sorority is endorsing another GLO's member when suddenly there is a candidate in their own GLO who enters the race.

I don't really feel that this taints the Phi Mu candidate's win as suggested elsewhere in the thread. She likely would have widespread Greek support anyway -- her platform is suicide prevention and last year her boyfriend, also Greek, took his own life. She is highly-regarded and very accomplished on campus, so although other candidates are also worthy, she deserved the honor.

[Kevin]

Originally Posted by Hartofsec

The AGDs committed to support another Greek org candidate (a Phi Mu) agreed upon by the machine (which is comprised of almost all of the fraternities and sororities). Because of this, they did not sponsor a candidate on their own (which probably would have been their own president if they had).

Okay, so they support this candidate and next year or the year after, an AGD gets the crown. While the Machine is famous, I doubt these sorts of arrangements are all that uncommon. An organization can't take advantage of a voting bloc like that unless they remain loyal regardless of whether an individual member goes rogue and tries to launch her own candidacy. I don't agree that the chapter should have publicly supported a member who very much on purpose dragging her own chapter through the mud by forcing this situation.

[Just interested]

I agree with 33 girl. I like the idea of having a platform or being in the running because of campus activities/ie volunteer activities. I may be wrong, but I believe the University of Texas has done away with Homecoming royalty altogether and I know Texas A&M doesn't have homecoming royalty.

[knight_shadow]

Apologies if this was mentioned on a previous page, but is homecoming *really* that big of a deal at these schools? My alma mater has a homecoming court, but their only real duties are showing up at university sponsored events. It's not "the first step in becoming XYZ" or anything like that.

Is this not the case at these other schools? Is homecoming serious business?

[banditone]

Originally Posted by Just interested

I agree with 33 girl. I like the idea of having a platform or being in the running because of campus activities/ie volunteer activities. I may be wrong, but I believe the University of Texas has done away with Homecoming royalty altogether and I know Texas A&M doesn't have homecoming royalty.

[Titchou]

Big deal at Alabama..

[knight_shadow]

Originally Posted by Titchou

Big deal at Alabama..

Well, yes, but why? Does it supposedly lead to anything? Or is it just the "honor of being homecoming king/queen"?

[jolene]

Can't someone still secretly vote for who they want even if their chapter is officially supporting candidate X?

[amillionlights]

Originally Posted by jolene

Can't someone still secretly vote for who they want even if their chapter is officially supporting candidate X?

I think some of those messages mentioned that and said if you choose to support her, don't publicize it on social media or anything. They just wanted to let it publicly known that they were supporting the Phi Mu candidate.

Mentioned in the Huffington Post article: "While it is okay to support her and vote for her if you REALLLLLLY feel called to do so, posting your support on social media is not fair to the rest of the house or future members of Alpha Gam." Then in another screenshot, someone says "like literally we love her so much and yes we can vote for her but it's the social media we have to show support for the machine."

[AnchorAlumna]

Originally Posted by jolene

Can't someone still secretly vote for who they want even if their chapter is officially supporting candidate X?

YES.

[banditone]

pfffft.... Wonderful Social Media, putting everyone's laundry out there for the world to pass judgment on.

[NinjaPoodle]

It's interesting that UA finally had a black Miss UA but it was kept on the DL. She was a Phi Mu.
https://www.wtvy.com/content/news/Ti...511062232.html

https://cw.ua.edu/50561/top-stories/...t-black-queen/

[carnation]

Didn't she make Miss Alabama? I swear that there was a candidate last year named Tiara.

ETA: Yes, she did! https://www.al.com/life/2019/06/miss...the-crown.html

[thetalady]

Originally Posted by NinjaPoodle

It's interesting that UA finally had a black Miss UA but it was kept on the DL. She was a Phi Mu.

Maybe it is late and I am just out of gas today... why do you say it was "kept on the DL"? And I believe that she IS a member of Phi Mu still, isn't she?