Baylie Bodiford
Three out of five candidates for Miss TTU were penalized after an SGA committee determined they didn’t follow competition rules.
Although the rules appeared unclear, each candidate acknowledged them by signing a contract stating the rules, SGA public relations spokesperson Baylie Bodiford said.
It’s not uncommon for complaints to be filed during this annual event. However, this year the committee received 20-25 complaints, she said.
“In the past it has never been like this,” Bodiford said. “Every single person got turned in (this year). (https://www.topskitchen.com/) ”
On Oct. 26 candidates campaigned on campus by recruiting friends and other organization members to help them.
The students voted electronically via email for the candidate they wanted. The candidate with the most votes was announced during halftime of the homecoming football game against Austin Peay on Nov. 4.
The biggest problem this year was candidates promoting themselves in restricted areas, which includes anywhere that would distract academic life, Bodiford said. She also said some candidates sent out mass emails which also violated the rules.
Only three candidates got votes taken away as punishment for breaking the rules, Bodiford said
The committee made up of SGA senators, supreme court members and civilian student members met with each candidate and debated how many votes should be taken away based on the number of students they believed were affected. One candidate got 150 votes taken away, she said.
“We don’t want to make it a hostile environment on campus during election day,” Bodiford said. “[taking away votes] was the best way to make it a fair playing field for the candidates and the students who were affected.”
Bodiford declined to reveal the names of the candidates who were punished or which Greek organization they represented, saying she wanted to protect them.
Efforts to interview SGA president Rachel Martin were unsuccessful despite requests sent via email, telephone and a visit to the SGA office that's located on the first floor of the RUC.
Martin cited schedule conflicts and her busy schedule for her inability to meet.
