I suppose that enough time has passed since the annual post-SGA election lament for me to pen a reasonable response of my own. Throughout this year, much as been made of the greek system’s “Machine” and its role on campus. For reasons I am about to explain, I grow tired of hearing malcontented yuppies name drop the Machine as a catch-all phrase with which they summarize all of their grievances relating to campus.
Self-proclaimed leaders of the campus independent community, when seeking elected office, assume as their natural right a moral high ground. But rather than offer legitimate critiques of their opponent, they fall to the very kind of petty stereotyping and corrupt tactics of which they accuse the Machine. They run in their own exclusive clubs and chase prestige exactly like their greek counterparts. Indeed, they exist within their own insular machines that don’t function all that differently from the one they purport to hate. When it comes to battling the Machine, high-ups in the independent community are hypocrites.
The greek system selects its members using arbitrary standards and matriculates them before and during their first semester. If you are seen as talented, the secretive Machine taps you for leadership roles and your name is put forth for awards and elected positions. If you falter at any point along the way, your opportunities for involvement are limited; you are relegated to the outside looking in, and fall behind as you look for a foothold elsewhere.
Could the same not be said for those seeking to work their way to the top of the independent community? Our University Fellows are chosen during the spring of their senior year of high school, and have a leg-up on thousands of students who arrive in the fall. Not to worry though, for those students will compete and gain entry to a variety of elite leadership groups, discussion clubs and academic societies. There are seemingly plenty of slots to go around. However, if you haven’t built an impressive resume by the end of your freshman year, you are largely out of the running.
Those who have found their way into organizations like the Blackburn Institute, CESR, Creative Campus, SGA, HCA, SOURCE Board, etc. will be put into contact with other elite students and faculty, and encounter still more opportunities for advancement on campus. These, who have carefully charted their course through the campus race, and are ready to hit the ground running upon arrival, experience early success that tracks them for future success. For everyone else, well, if your resume isn’t at least slightly glowing-in-the-dark by the end of your freshman year, it probably never will.
Both the greek organizations and the elite independent organizations tag their future all-stars early, and are exclusionary by nature. Both discriminate using fairly arbitrary standards. If your junior-year resume is still bare, don’t bother applying for a leadership role on campus. The admissions committee will wonder what you’ve been doing for two years — you have to do stuff to do stuff. How arbitrary is that?
I also grow tired of hearing about Machine tactics. In 2012, it was not the Machine-sponsored campaign that made the front page of The Crimson White for committing multiple rules violations, but one of the two independent campaigns. And, yes, there were two, despite the best efforts of, again, independents within student media to marginalize one in favor of the other. Sure, the Machine has done worse, but that’s just it — when you console yourself by taking comfort in the fact that, while you may be corrupt, you aren’t as corrupt as your opponent, you’ve sacrificed any high ground you thought you had.
A machine is defined not by its product, but by its form and technique. There are many machines on this campus, not just the one. The aforementioned organizations all have their own internal standards for choosing members, their own interests to protect and independents as a collective have proven that they are willing to adopt Machine-like tactics to score victory. Tell me, what’s the difference?
I put forth this idea knowing that it will not be received warmly, but the proof is in the outcome. If SGA elections are the Machine’s day of celebration, then this Friday will serve as the holy day for insecure, do-gooder independents. Before you fire back with comments and letters to the editor, go to the mound this Honors Day and watch as the same 75-100 students claim every last spot in prestigious honors societies like ODK, Anderson, Blue Key and Mortar Board. This pool of students will contain all Premier Award winners, many Blackburn and University Fellows, and nearly all will be Honors College.
The idea that the independent community on campus is comprised of a wide range of eager students for whom there is room at the top is a lie. The same small cadre of grade-grubbing, award chasing, resume builders fill out the membership lists of all of these elite groups, and it would seem that the leadership of the non-greek segment of campus is just as exclusive, insular and greedy as their Machine rivals.
Evan Ward is a senior majoring in history. His column runs on Wednesdays.
