Letter to the Editor

Over the span of 12 days, from April 1 to April 12, a string of emails between the “Elections Committee” and myself concluded in one meeting confirming my inability to vie for Miss Southern University.
After years of tirelessly working for SUBR as a student leader I felt more than prepared to vie for the position of Miss Southern University as the “Premier Candidate”. On March 31, 2015 every student seeking office as a student official took the Student Government Association Constitution Exam to enable us to run for office. The following day, on April 1, 2015, around 12:30, the three ladies who were applying to run for the position of Miss Southern University were called to the Student Union for a mandatory meeting. Upon arrival we were informed that neither of us passed the test and were issued an unconstitutional retest. We were called back again around 2:30, presumably after the Elections Commissioner and Student Affairs Administration concluded that a candidate didn’t pass the unconstitutional retest, and were made to sign a form stating that the Elections Commissioner as well as the Student Affairs administration had met and decided to give the perspective Miss Southern candidates a retest. After the results were posted at 3:00 p.m., I was crushed to find out that I was the candidate who did not pass the test. This did not sit well with me, especially after passing this test three times before, so I went to view my test scantron. Upon looking at my scantron, I noticed multiple erasure marks, but one in particular stood out from the rest. This erasure mark was not clearly erased and had smudges around it, and another answer choice had been filled in. The erased answer was indeed correct; making the answer that had been filled in incorrect. This question was about the duties of the Election Committee and all of the answer choices, but one, were obviously incorrect because they were administrators; the correct answer was the only student entity, the Elections Committee.
I told Mr. Jonas Vanderbilt my concern and was advised to appeal to the elections committee, and I did just that. My initial appeal spoke directly to the discrepancies with my scantron. Further, I referenced the Constitution and spoke to multiple past SGA officials who all strongly concluded that the retest was unconstitutional and against normal practices of SGA. It was made aware to me that in the 60+ years of SGA, there has never been a retest given. Moreover, normal practice, along with the constitution, states that if there are no qualified candidates to run for a position, the position is to stay open until the Fall semester, where students would reapply for office. In addition to being unconstitutional, this retest was unfair to all students, both past and present, who failed the exam and were not allowed to retest, just as the 3 perspectives Miss SU candidates were.
Throughout my appeal process, this was my major point of issue. The purpose of Student Government Association is to uphold the constitution and promote the general welfare of all students. The Elections Committee along with the SGA advisor argued that because Miss SU is such a large role, they felt that it was not an issue to make an exception for that position, even though it abridged the constitution and went against normal practice. My main contention is, the capacity of a position is not a reason to exclude all students from equal opportunity and fair treatment.
After multiple emails between the Elections Committee, which all CCed the Student Affairs administration and the SGA Advisor, Jonas Vanderbilt, I did not receive a formal response until I contacted the the upper administration of Southern University, the system president, SUBR chancellor, and the national alumni president.
Following my email to the “higher ups”, I was given a date and time for my first formal hearing. In this hearing, I discussed all of the matters that I had shed light on in email correspondence. Still the Elections Committee, with the presence of SGA Advisor Jonas Vanderbilt, denied my appeal to follow the constitution and provide all of the students with equal opportunity.
As a student leader, it behooved me to take a stand on behalf of myself and all of the students who had been unfairly treated throughout this year’s election process. Even though I was stripped of my dream of becoming Miss Southern University, I take comfort in the fact that I stood up for my fellow colleagues and did not shy away from challenging the wrongdoings presented during this campaign season. I encourage all students to know your rights as a student and stand up for what is undoubtedly YOUR University.
Yours in blue and gold,