The Coalition

## Episode guide

"**The Coalition**" is the third episode of the first season of *Mass Media*, and the third episode of the series overall. It was released on January 23, 2019.

## Synopsis

With Javier's help, Angie scores an interview with an important member of the student council with crucial information about Amina’s background.

## Plot

In a flashback to her freshman year narrated by Ed, Amina serves as a member of several extracurricular groups at McCormick School, including its Low Income Students' Association, the Diversity Committee and the Student Outreach Committee. During a speech about redistributing more school funds to scholarship recipients, her charismatic advocacy and commitment to typing up a proposed budget for the cause catches the attention of two members of the student council: Ed, then the Student Outreach Chair, and Beatrice Reid, then the Extracurricular Co-Chair for the Arts. The two agree that Amina's talents and passion would be wasted were she not recruited into the student council.

Ed tries to approach Amina, but she seems hesitant. Beatrice reaches out to Nadia Howard and Harmony Stone of the Diversity Committee. Nadia says that Amina is unlikely to run for a position on the student council of her own accord, but suggests she would be willing to take on a role if she were asked. With student council elections on the way, the four form the Draft Amina Coalition: Ed and Beatrice negotiate to get Amina a spot as student council treasurer in the case that Irene Roussopoulos’s bid for president is successful. Harmony and Nadia agree to reach out to other student organizations to build support for Amina.

As support for the Draft Amina Coalition becomes mainstream thanks to Nadia and Harmony’s campaigning, Amina interrogates Ed, insisting she doesn’t want the position of treasurer because she doesn’t want to work for the establishment and worries she will suffer in student council in the same way Ed did when he was a freshman. Ed insists that those concerns are what will make her perfect for the job, and that low income students need someone like her on their side. Following this encouragement, Amina says in a public statement to *The Daily Saints*: “If I was offered the role [of treasurer], I would accept it.”

In a close vote, Irene wins the student council elections. Under pressure to form a coalition student government with Carnegie but also aiming to build a moderate student government in line with the school board’s wishes, Irene is hesitant to name Amina as her treasurer, preferring Katie Neal, then-junior class representative. Irene’s campaign advisor, Jess Mitchell, wants Amina even less, suspecting that she will drive fundraising focus away from school-wide events in favor of minority group interests, putting Vanderbilt at risk for future elections.

After a series of stalemates in negotiations, Ed publicly endorses Amina’s appointment as treasurer on behalf of the Student Outreach Committee. Beatrice threatens to do the same on behalf of the Extracurricular Subcommittee of the Arts. To avoid infighting between student council appointees and the independent committees, Irene enters talks with Amina, Ed, Beatrice and Chloe Dean, the then vice president-elect.

On the second-to-last day of the 2017–2018 academic year, Irene appoints Amina as treasurer and Katie as director of communications. Jess, who was not involved in the set of talks leading up to the announcement, is furious, while Ed, Beatrice, Harmony and Nadia rejoice. Later, Ed spots Irene and Jess talking secretively with one another, but cannot hear what they’re saying.

In the present day, Angie and Javier thank Ed for speaking to them about Amina’s past and for allowing them to record their talk. As the two leave Ed’s room, they bump into Daphne, who is suspicious that two Carnegie freshmen are in the Vanderbilt dorms. Javier makes up an excuse that they were just talking about soccer practices conflicting with the *Daily Saints* meeting schedule. As he and Angie walk away, Daphne looks unconvinced.

## Cast

### Starring

* Ally Joyner as Angie Maynard
* Antonio Galarza as Javier Ríos
* Zoey Kapsimalis as Daphne Roussopoulos
* Maya Kumar as Amina Malik

### Featuring

* Jenna Abernathy as Beatrice Reid
* McKenna Dennis-Lee as Nadia Howard
* Cindy Norris as Jess Mitchell
* Kayla Oriol as Irene Roussopoulos
* Roxie Palmer as Harmony Stone
* Stefanie Penner as Chloe Dean
* Cooper Sherwood as Ed Woodard
* Stella Taylor as Katie Neal

## Episode navigation

 *Strange New World* | "Woodycrats" • "Top of the Class" • "Freedom of the Press" • "Witness Intimidation" • "Portrait of a Football Star" • "Heated Halloween" • "Priorities" • "Scorched Earth"