I know many members of FBK, in fact Charlie and a group of us would have dinner many Wednesday nights at Cafe Gardens. Once done with R&E at Swamp I'd head over, have some beers and talk FBK, politics, SG, everything. I believe that FBK is more than a 'leadership honorary' and I believe there are good people involved that are elitist, yes, but are also wholesome, upright, and progressive.
Some members of the student and alumni camps would agree with me, others would refute this notion entirely, but there is a tug of war in the Greek system between the large houses, the medium houses, and the small houses -- not to complex to categorize houses. Genereally the big and medium houses are one bloc and the small houses another. Small houses today are much easily indentifiable because today there are many 'houses' without a house. Like the tug-of-war amongst Greek houses, there is a tug-of-war in FBK, there is a tug-of-war in senate, there might even be a tug-of-war in the Quilting Club.
The entirety of my point with Lauren Mierley and Bruce Haupt is that this potential ticket, if properly put together, could have incredible Indie support, incredible PC support, favor in the IFC, it could bring in fringe support, and it's Coalition atmosphere would be prime for cultural organizations to stake a claim in, and this wonderful group of groups under one common flag would be very reminiscent of Access 2004 and I don't think....that after 2004 FBK would want to be on the losing side again. I also, and more importantly, think that unlike 2004, the rebels in FBK would be louder and harder to suppress. Larger houses or not, FBK isn't just Greeks and thanks to Nina's efforts, Greek women are by no means inferior at the polls to Greek men as far as electability goes. There is no reason why ANYONE could readily say TODAY that FBK would pass on Lauren for either Josh or Ryan. We are talking about THREE competent candidates and the haste of those to dismiss Lauren so quickly makes me think they either FEAR HER or they FEAR HER.
The GDI's cannot run another campaign, the machinery still works but the parts need oil. GDI's have not been part of a winning team in almost three years, Tommy...Nikki...Ben..."it's time."
10 comments:
I can't say I don't appreciate all the promotion, but at the same time I would say there are a couple of problems with the Mierley/Haupt "dream team."
First, it's a hypothetical situation. It seems that most tickets sounds like sure things when they're being built. Hernandez/Siler/Lola still sounds nifty in my mind. Why is this necessarily different?
Second, as people have pointed out regarding Lauren and myself, it's a pretty damn good possibility that both of us won't be here next year. Is a title important enough to stick around another year? If it was... I'd just be endorsing what I consider to be one of the huge issues with SG to begin with: the title-seeking. Seriously.
Third, I think I've made one friendly/smart-ass remark to Lauren once after a Senate meeting. Barring possible meet-and-greets from my forgotten adventures of the last couple months, I'm pretty sure that's the sum of my interaction with her.
Fourth, I think you give me too much credit with regard to qualifications. I would almost certainly do things differently than the last several Veeps (guaranteed actually), but to make the presumption that I would actually be better (or that there aren't other equally competent people out there) might be a slight exaggeration.
Fifth, at this point, I think it's really an error (erroneous on both counts!) for anyone to claim that qualifications get people elected. If FBK/Greek/Who-the-fuck-ever put up a monkey holding a banana for President, I would still put money on the monkey. It's all in courting the Houses and cultural organizations. Buy the loyalty of their leaders and you win the election. Unfortunately for the idealists, the general student population doesn't give a shit. The end.
And finally... while I very much like most of the people involved with SG on a personal level, based on my Cabinet/Election experiences, I would likely never want to work with most of you all - both sides. But ya know what, someone's gotta fill all those Senate seats and Exec spots and I thank you all for excusing me from that responsibility. :) Let's just drink and have a good time (e.g., the boozfest I'm throwing tomorrow - the prequel to Pantsapalooza).
Anyway, Christian, I do thank you for your faith in me. It may not pay dividends, but it makes me smile to read it.
Predicting a 83% sweeping victory for the Monkey in Spring,
Bruce
Let me respond.
1. Siler never belonged in SG. That was a shakedown if there ever was one. When I tried to speak with Andrea Guttag I believe it was, I caught on, very early on that their bag was all about making SG another sports-dominated arena, they had no vision for SG and this became obvious as athlete-candidates logged in little-to-no time on the campaign trail.
2. The positions ARE big enough. You will have your whole lives to earn money, right now you're young, stay passionate about changing the status quo...don't be in a hurry to 'grow up.' SG is important and as senior leaders of SG, you would be doing the student body a great service by running and serving them the RIGHT way.
3. Doesn't matter. She needs Indie support and has said to reliable sources she wants to run. You can rally this Indie support, not Tommy, not Nikki, not Ben, YOU, more Indies may have voted for Action than you, but after three losing parties, Indies want a leader and YOU can be that leader. YOU can bring Lauren the DOWN PAYMENT (the initial chunk of votes that will get her the viability she'd need to get support from the houses and FBK). She needs you -- and -- you need her.
4. Fuck that. In my eyes there is no better person for Veep than you. Quit sellin yourself short, you're intelligent, articulate, and ambitious, you understand what I'm saying here? I endorsed you because you were the best ouf of the four, I believe in you.
5. No. This is the tragic error of GDI's. Even if the GDI's don't get the nod, they at least need the wink. The progressives in FBK must be involved, you cannot court the houses without any sort of FBK backing, unless you buy the house left, right, and center. No offense to UNITE houses, but the shit they were getting was more than what even large houses get in the most generous of spreads and that STILL didn't get them over Swamp.
There are some good kids in FBK. You can't go for the houses and cultural groups if you blatantly bypass FBK.
*Final* I've heard you and I won't challenge your apparent indifference to whom fills the seats of senate and/or the Executive. All I ask is that you follow your heart and not fear defeat. This election you lost because you ran a joke party, you yourself know this.
I would like to see Lauren as SBP and I can live with another Veep by her side, so long as your decision to sit out the process is not attributed to fear, fear that you might lose, or fear that you might actually win.
Lauren remains the darkhorse in the election, with everyone favoring Moseley and Weiss, GDI's could change their 2yr death sentence -- or they could pick another bozo and rally an even smaller skeleton crew of zombied-out GDI's to work for nothing.
There is a divide in FBK, those members who want change, and those who will stop at nothing to prevent change. This division is not by fraternity or sorority house size - it is by the leaders within the houses, and houses' prominent fbk members, their presidents and their alumni. A house's size, while not unimportant, is certainly not dispositive.
As a member of FBK I can tell you whoever wrote that last post has no idea what they're talking about.
Christian,
You can choose to believe this or not, but from someone who knows, UNITE didn't offer positions to any house.
Oh and Bruce, they already elected a monkey this last year in John Boyles, admitted a rather fey monkey but nonetheless a monkey, do you think they can go back to that well one more time?
Even if Jared didn't offer the Houses specific seats, or positions. As a rational individual or House leader, you have to know there's much more in the pot to go around.
Particulary, with the agencies like Accent and SGP. Talk about usurping strangle-holds from AEPi and Theta Chi. Not many others in the UNITE coalition would be remotely experienced enough to comandeering those agencies.
Christina, you are really ideaistic.
1. "their bag was all about making SG another sports-dominated arena, they had no vision for SG"
- How many campaigns have a vision that they follow through on? Frankly, I thought Access was damn well ineffective with its advertised mission.
2. "The positions ARE big enough. You will have your whole lives to earn money, right now you're young, stay passionate about changing the status quo..."
- As you say, it's not about the money, but it is surely not about positions either. Stay passionate about changing the status quo? There's more to "making a difference," politics, and the status quo than being in Student Government. National/State/Local government have a much larger impact than a legislative body that serves at the whim of UF's administration. UF SG, like classes, is part of your college education - the learning process you use after graduation.
3. "Doesn't matter. She needs Indie support and has said to reliable sources she wants to run. You can rally this Indie support"
- If Lauren cares I guarantee she's already talking to people. If she isn't, she won't win.
4.
- Thanks. I will send you a check soon for your support ;)
5. "Even if the GDI's don't get the nod, they at least need the wink."
- I never got a wink to run in the Fall. If you think I'm the kind of politics that includes courting groups, you misread me.
"There are some good kids in FBK."
- I know.
"All I ask is that you follow your heart and not fear defeat. This election you lost because you ran a joke party, you yourself know this."
- Never have. I've actually lost every election I've ever run. And maybe I was the loser because I was a joke party, but I lost while playing the game my way.
"GDI's could change their 2yr death sentence"
- Once again, and this is something we never really talked about, I think Jamaal WAS politics as usual. Access claimed a "moral superiority," that they opened SG to all; I disagree. While Access might have brought more cultural groups into the FBK/inherited positions fray, they didn't do much more. Turnout, while high for SG, was still low comparatively. AEPi maintained their grip. Theta Chi ended up holding onto their spot. And, SG student involvement was still poor.
Furthermore, a true test of a leader is not whether they can charismatically garner support for themselves for a short time (see: fascism), but in whether they can build an enduring foundation that lives and prospers beyond them. In that sense, Access sucked. Bad.
Christian, while I do appreciate the support you've given me and the effort you devote to student politics, regardless, I will always disagree with you about the magnitude of this monster called SG. If you want training in politics, SG is the place to be. If you want to learn about public service, though, UF has many more options that are far more applicable.
Still voting for the monkey,
Bruce
Question: Weiss AND Moseley or Weiss OR Moseley? ;)
I agree to disagree.
SG is Students-Self-Rule.
Administrations and faculty, while progressive in years past, have never amounted to either in America or abroad to the mighty strength of organized college students and their elected governments.
Lately times have been stale, but in the 60's, the Women's rights movement, the Gay & Lesbian movement, and coming up with CLAS Budget...I think there will be no better place for students to voice their opinions and no stronger avenue for students to lobby for change than in Student government.
Historically, when the college students SPEAK, society LISTENS.
Best of luck to you Bruce.
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