by Miranda Dabney
The Oklahoma Intercollegiate Legislature (OIL), a collegiate replica of the state government, is holding Governor and Lieutenant Governor Elections on Thursday afternoon at the capitol. Late Wednesday night, OIL delegates attended an open forum to hear the candidates’ platforms and ask them questions.
Representative Brian Hughes and Chief Justice Chase Maxwell are running for Governor, while Senators Preston Shatwell and Cory Shirey are running for Lieutenant Governor. While all candidates are well-qualified and gave inspiring candidacy speeches, Chief Justice Maxwell and Senator Shatwell stood out from group because of their clear plan for office and strategic, realistic goals for the organization at large.
Maxwell and Shatwell, who are running for their respective offices together, targeted three main areas to focus their campaign on: Recruitment/Retention, Alumni, and Entertainment. Maxwell and Shatwell believe in the cyclical nature of a collegiate organization, meaning that effective recruitment efforts lead to good delegates who come back for the next session, which leads to alumni who remain involved and invest in the opportunities for the next generation of OIL. A better entertainment pass gives delegates new and fun ways to blow off steam during the long days of legislative sessions and provides more opportunities for alumni to get involved.
Maxwell currently serves as the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, nearly tripling the size of the moot court competition in his year in office. Shatwell has served 3 sessions in the Senate and is currently a Freshman Senator Liaison, assisting senators in their first session with OIL.
Representative Hughes, admired among delegates as a fatherly figure, plans as Governor to focus more on internal relations, such as ensuring the right people are put in office on OIL’s Board of Directors and streamlining communication between the branches of government. Hughes has served as Sergeant at Arms of the House of Representatives, Chief Clerk of the House and Parliamentarian of the House.
Senator Shirey’s goal as Lieutenant Governor is to create a scholarship or grant program to help delegates finance their trip to OIL each semester. Shirey has served on the Senate for 3 sessions, has held the position of Assistant to the Lieutenant Governor and is currently the Sergeant at Arms of the Senate.
Across the board, all candidates hope to improve communication both within the executive branch and between delegations and branches of government. All candidates also agreed on the need to revamp OIL’s online presence, both on Facebook and other social media sites as well as the organization’s website.
Despite these platform agreements, Maxwell and Shatwell’s clearly outlined plan for office signifies a greater preparedness for the rigors of their respective potential offices. They have realistic expectations as to what a full-time student can accomplish while holding such an intense office, yet still promise to work as hard as humanly possible to make OIL a better environment not only for the collegiate delegates, but for the universities they represent and the state as a whole.