As a part of its ongoing investigation into the activities of the Machine, a secret political coalition of traditionally white fraternities and sororities, The Crimson White contacted University of Alabama Vice President for Student Affairs Mark Nelson with several questions about his knowledge of the Machine and his perception of its role on campus. Nelson’s email responses are provided below in their entirety. He is one of the first UA administrators to ever speak about the Machine on record in The Crimson White.
The Crimson White: What knowledge do you have of the Machine’s members or its current operations?
Mark Nelson: I have been at the University of Alabama for 20 years. I don’t remember exactly when, but I remember hearing the explanation [of the Machine] really early on. It was explained to me by a non-Machine greek student who was very upset that other students on campus assumed that if you were greek you were pro-Machine. Since then I have learned that the Machine depends on some greek membership, but it is not necessarily synonymous with the greek system. As a faculty member who worked with student organizations, I also heard that the Machine controls every election on campus – from homecoming queen to SGA president. I would hear the defenders say it’s just that other non-greek, non-Machine students don’t care about having influence over some of the areas believed to be controlled by the Machine. We have a diverse student base and I believe that’s true for some of them – they live really busy lives and pursuing a degree is one of many things they are doing – but I don’t think that’s true of everyone.
In my role now, I have a responsibility to clear roadblocks for all students. If they want to run for office, to be a member of a specific organization, we have to make sure they can do that without fear or intimidation.
The secrecy of the Machine is not necessarily the problem, but it certainly doesn’t help the cause. I have heard students say that many of the myths we hear about the Machine are not completely true, but that’s the problem with secret societies, isn’t it? Your power largely comes from being inaccessible. But ultimately it affects you too because you don’t allow others to see the process.
CW: What efforts have you or other administrators made to address the Machine and its influence on campus?
MN: Clearly if students want to form some sort of voting bloc, political party or even a secret society, that is fully within their rights. What concerns me about the Machine, and for that matter any secret society, is not so much their attempt to influence campus politics (again, nothing wrong with that); it is the fact that they appear to be more interested in remaining secret than in advancing the noble ideals of the University. Secret societies in general have more room for corruption because of the lack of accountability to the greater community. We have to also acknowledge that this organization could be as old as one hundred years – likely before there was electricity on our campus. Times are so very different. At that time there were no more than 600 students at the University. We are about as different as the same campus can be.
When some of the students affiliated with the Machine reached out to me and asked if I would speak to a few of their members about how they are perceived on campus and what they could do to become more open, I was happy to do so. I informed them that incidents on and off campus had been rightly or wrongly attributed to their group. I explained to them that ultimately, just as they had a right to organize, other students should also have the right to choose what they will and will not do on campus. All students should have the right to run for an office. All students should have the right to vote for whomever they want. Likewise, students should have a choice when it comes to being a part of the Machine – some students join a fraternity or sorority and have no idea that they have also elected to become a part of – or at least support – the Machine.
CW: Do you think the Machine is a positive or negative influence on campus? How do you see this influence manifest itself?
MN: Because they are a secret society, it is difficult to gauge whether or not the Machine has had a positive or negative influence on campus. Most of the stories we hear are negative. We’ve all heard the legends and the talk of political arm-twisting and threats of repercussions. They appear to elect qualified candidates to student government, but at what cost? Some greek students (past and present) have told me they do not feel they have the freedom to participate or to even try to participate because they were not chosen by the Machine. If that is true, the Machine is more than a voting bloc or political party because a voting bloc participates in the process without trying to control the elements of the process. A voting bloc says “we support this person” not “you cannot run.” I believe in students and their ability to make wise choices. Even if the influence of a group is imagined, it still has impact. One of the saddest things an administrator can hear from a student is “I wanted to get more involved, but I didn’t think I had a chance.”
CW: Do you think more students should speak out against the Machine, as SGA Vice President for Student Affairs David Wilson did?
MN: Students who have worked closely with me know that I believe in dialogue and the power of dialogue to build healthy, inclusive and civil communities. I believe David Wilson was encouraging others to join him in a conversation about our campus and the right that all students have in advocating for what they believe. Students should not be afraid of dialogue and debate and disagreement – these are the things that will help to advance our community. We only grow stronger through open and civil discourse (and I believe a big emphasis has to be on keeping it civil. Personal attacks on either side derail any progress we can make). Secret societies deny the community the opportunity to engage in this type of discourse. Healthy, engaged campuses must rely on cooperation, collaboration and dialogue.
CW: Based on your knowledge of the Machine, what areas, if any, of the Code of Student Conduct are they violating?
MN: As President Witt has stated, any group that organizes must follow University guidelines. Students should know that violations of those guidelines will be dealt with through Judicial Affairs.
CW: What can students who are not happy with the Machine do to change its operations?
MN: Three things:
1) I think the most important thing a University of Alabama student can do is to be intentional about his or her choices. If you’re involved in an organization, do the research. Find out what they believe in. Does it match your values? Make a change if it doesn’t.
2) Ask for help. Partner with someone in administration. Voice your concerns but be a part of the solution. A great example is how we now conduct voting. Students approached us about improving the process. We now have a better way of engaging everyone – it’s online. It’s protected. It’s so much easier than the old way. But it took collaboration between students and administration. Don’t assume that nothing can be done.
3) Remain engaged. If you don’t invest in making a change on campus, nothing will happen.
We’ve never had a more qualified student base on campus than we do now. Never. In the history of the University. In my role, I see students every day and they are bright and passionate and committed to contributing to the legacy of the University. This whole experience should not be viewed as, “The administration is out to get the Machine.” That’s not true. The administration is committed to protecting and developing the potential of every student at the Capstone.
