Will you stand with the Lord Commander?

Emma Daniel SGA election season is typically similar to past years, but the introduction of a “Lord Commander” to Troy’s student legislative ranks has added an extra level of interest among students. Christian Carlson, a senior theater major from Brewton, was chatting with a roommate one day when they decided to try out a prank SGA campaign, coining the term “Lord Commander,” which “naturally came up” according to Carlson. He began posting and commenting on the Troy Students Facebook page, warning students that “winter is coming” and asking to “let him be their jacket.” He also included a GoFundMe to raise campaign money. “I thought it was going to be a quick, one-off joke, post it and leave,” Carlson said. While the joke picked up traction, Carlson realized he’d been blocked from the Troy Students page. After speaking with administrators, he agreed to remove the GoFundMe and continue his campaign. “I put out this big post about having been silenced or something very overdramatic,” Carlson said. “That particular post blew up. “After it started snowballing, we decided to run with it.” He made a “Christian Carlson for Lord Commander” Facebook and kept the posts coming, enlisting help from his brother to make posters and a video of students pledging support to “take the watch.” Carlson promises his campaign will “annex” whatever Troy students need, starting with the South Alabama University campus and a parking deck. He also said a Steve Irwin Awareness Day is a “non-negotiable necessity.” Ultimately, Carlson’s campaign has been bringing Troy students together and getting them involved in student issues and elections. “My platform has been a very broad, people-centric movement,” Carlson said. “If I had to wrap up my whole campaign into one sentiment, it would definitely be the idea that the people have a voice — nobody should be afraid to use that voice. “When we stand together, then there’s a lot of power in that.” Jeremy Johnson, a junior economics major from Benton Harbor, Michigan, and one of Carlson’s close friends, said this campaign has done a great job of making student involvement more fun. “For a lot of (students), the presidential election often feels like a frat or sorority show, but when Christian ran, it felt a lot more fun, like the common man had a shot,” Johnson said. “I’d say it brought about the most school spirit in months. “Lots of people who never get to be a part of Troy stuff had fun with it.” Elizabeth Miller, a senior English major from Ashford, and Steven Sain, a senior political science major from Panama City, Florida, have both been very devoted to the Lord Commander’s cause. “Praise be the Lord Commander, slayer of the inconsiderate and protector of the Trojan realm,” Sain said, declining to offer any further comment. “Winter is coming,” Miller said. “We need to let the Lord Commander be our jacket.” Miller also declined to comment further. Now that Carlson is Lord Commander, he said he’d “start work on annexing South Alabama’s campus” as promised.