The OUSA marketing team’s TikTok content creator Amber Harrison has been slammed by commenters after giving away a Hybrid Minds double pass to her ex-flatmate. A series of extremely avid Hybrid Minds fans have protested the giveaway, alleging a conspiracy designed by the TikTok-famous Amber. Do Hybrid Minds give away drugs, or are we missing something?
After the TikTok showcasing the giveaway was posted, Critic Te Ārohi received a lengthy email from one student (who wanted to remain anonymous so she wouldn’t get visited by the OUSA hitman) describing it as “reprehensible behaviour.” She noted that she wasn’t alone in her outrage, saying, “I was absolutely shocked to see around four comments (the top one with nearly 30 likes!!!!) calling out the OUSA member for rigging the giveaway [...] but the next time I checked back I was appalled to see that the comments had been turned off on the video!!! Cheeky!!”
You may recognise Amber from her TikTok account which deals with the highs and lows of student life, boasting over 4k followers (more than Critic’s, we still need to ask the old editor for its login details). The flatmate who won the double pass is also an influencer. Repeated criticisms of OUSA’s “TikTokification” have reached Critic’s desk. A TikTok-spiracy is afoot, according to a series of students.
Critic reached out to OUSA (well, we walked across the hall) to search for an answer. In explaining the team’s process, marketing manager Ingrid Roding said, “Initially, we conducted surveys among people waiting in line at Tent City BBQ to inquire about their familiarity with Hybrid and determine a winner. Surprisingly, at least five people declined knowledge of Hybrid. Interestingly, the lady we ultimately featured turned out to be the first person who knew about Hybrid and also happened to be a friend of our TikTok creator.”
Ingrid said that “considering the connection,” the tickets were passed on by the winner to two exchange students. After hearing this news, the anonymous emailer said, “I’m still sus about it.”