By Journalist Amaya Brooks (OBU).
The 2nd session of the 54th Oklahoma Intercollegiate Legislature kicked off March 29th with a bang. Opening session brought many incredible nomination speeches for incredible nominees for Governor and Lieutenant Governor. However, for the zero star this opening session may bring many questions to the forefront of their mind. Perhaps there is anxiety and a little bit of fear… what did they just get themselves into?
For the veterans of the esteemed Oklahoma Intercollegiate Legislature body, this is precisely the feeling that we cherish. Being able to introduce zero stars into the organization that for many has brought such fulfillment and joy into their lives is one of the many reasons that representatives and senators continue to come back to this fam-OIL-y.
Freshman Liasons in the House and the Senate have a unique role to play in the experience of these zero stars. Representative Adam Clifton (OBU) is a freshman liaison in the House. “I was a freshman not too long ago, I was in their shoes. I understand where they are at. I want to help them with parli pro, I’m really just a beacon to help them with whatever they need.” He says that it is important for zero stars to be able to have fun, because that is the source of so many fond memories that OIL members have here at session. “If freshmen are having a good time, they will come back and recruit more people and that’s good for OIL as a whole.”
Senator Bell (OU) finds herself as head freshman liaison this session in the Senate. “My goal as head freshman liaison is to just create as seamless a transition as possible into this wild marathon of a competition. You really go from your normal life to this immersive, 5 day long, 12 hours a day, subversive experience and it’s just kind of surreal.” Bell felt so incredibly grateful to have her Delegation Chair and Vice Chair in chambers with her during her zero star session, and wants to create that same form of support system especially for smaller schools but for all zero stars wondering what is going on! “My goal is to help them not only with bills and parli pro, but also to encourage them to get out of their shells, make friends, and talk to everybody. I want to make sure everyone is able to experience that to the best of my ability and making sure people want to come back.”
When asked what their advice to zero stars would be, both Representative Clifton and Senator Bell had a plethora of advice and encouragement. Representative Clifton says, “You learn more just by experiencing it. I thought I needed to read the books and watch videos, but the most beneficial way to learn is just by showing up to session and learning in real time.” The best learning happens when senators and representatives just allow themselves to fully experience the OIL legislative experience and don’t hold anything back. Senator Bell says, “Be as confident as you can. No one is going to judge you, even if we are on the third day and you’re getting things wrong, YOLO. Truly quote that,” she says jokingly, “you only have so many sessions. It goes by so much faster than you think. Soak it all in and don’t hold anything back.”
Uncut interviews:
Senator Bell
Representative Clifton