We sat down with Not My System’s Sabrina Phillip after the election
Not My System: What’s next?
This isn’t the first time “the system” has been exposed, and Not My System plans to present the problem to President Fuchs.
Not My System has been on University of Florida’s student’s radars since the release of their scandalous video. With the election past, and the party said to be perpetuating “the system” still in power, one wonders what’s next.
Sabrina Phillips, the current face of the movement and former Swamp party member, says the team plans to compile a timeline of all the occurrences of corruption in student government and present it to President Fuchs.
Phillips hosted a town hall following her video and extended an invitation to President Fuchs as well as other students and faculty involved in UF student government.
Not My System won something, though
Phillips says she and the other few other people in charge of Not My System were happy online voting passed.
However, Phillips says “the system” still grooms student government members in Greek organizations for certain higher-up and appointed positions.
“The system is a coalition of Greek houses that work to control all positions in student government,” Phillips said. “They decided the candidates for elections long before you even have the opportunity to slate.”
She also explained that they are in charge of appointing heads for executive agencies, cabinet heads and gator growl positions.
Phillips has already been interviewed by both The Independent and Cosmopolitan
Political scandal in Greek Life
In 2010, tapes were leaked of the Unite party, the party in power at the time, telling its members to make sure that all members of the Greek houses voted to ensure they won. One fraternity had gotten all members to vote by withholding dinner until they had the sticker to show they voted.
“We have 4,000 votes as a Greek community. Over 4,000 votes,” a female voice said. “This is ridiculous. These people don’t have friends. You think I’m kidding you? They don’t have friends. It’s not even funny.”
A male voice also spoke.
“You guys cannot let the Greek system down. This is what we live for. This is what we pledge. Everything about it is why we run this campus and why we have been for the last century.”
These tapes proved what many had been saying before: That the “system,” or the party most often in power, was making sure members of the Greek community were voting by collecting their stickers. Bloc leaders are said to help ensure that.
Blocs are coalitions of houses and communities that, together, make decisions on who to run and appoint for different positions within student government and its smaller organizations.
Not My System have been collecting testimonials from former student government members and will present these to President Fuchs.
The System: Rooted in Segregation
“The system is a political machine that started forming in the 1970s when UF began to racially integrate,” Phillips said. “Because these members did not want people of color to assume positions of power within student government.”
Phillips also points out that the system is inherently racist, as members of communities (Hispanic, Asian and African-American) have smaller ranges of influence and aren’t chosen to run as president, but placed in vice president or treasurer positions.
“Minorities are being tokenized to advance the semblance of diversity when, in reality, they’re just being used to advance the needs and wants of the majority bloc system, Greek-dominated agenda.”
UF has heard Sabrina’s story before Spring 2016…
Phillips isn’t the first student to come out with this type of information.
In 2008, someone anonymously shared private emails of four student government and senate top officials planning to keep Orange and Blue members out of senate committees.
The emails included two lists: One listing students who applied for a position with any affiliations they had, and one with 12 names highlighted in green.
“Green means go,” the student body president wrote to the student senate pro-tempore.
Ten of the twelve names ended up with positions.
“If they control the senate,” Phillips said. “The senate is not going to approve someone the blocs don’t tell them to.”
Not My System and Phillips encouraged UF students to vote and did not endorse either party.
Millions at stake, literally
UF student government has a budget of $21 million. Phillips said student government controls many aspects of student’s lives.
For example, she said, they appoint students for the fee’s committee chair, which is in charge of whether and what fees are raised for students.
“Student government should not be run in back room deals.”