Journalist: Jasmine Hornek (ORU)
When political science major Xavier Williams first started attending the Oklahoma Intercollegiate Legislature club at Southeastern Oklahoma State University, it was nothing more than an unplanned hobby—something he had not even known existed.
“I was taking poli-sci classes and one of my classmates recommended it to me,” Williams said. What began as a casual suggestion quickly grew into something more meaningful. Williams attended a few meetings out of curiosity, but soon discovered he genuinely enjoyed the structure, debate, and community the program offered.
“When I first did it, it was more of a hobby,” Williams said. “But I just started to really enjoy it.” As he became more involved, OIL began to reshape his perspective on politics. Williams explained that the program challenged many assumptions he had held before participating.
“With OIL, I have learned to build a tolerance and a progressing respect for the other side,” he said. “Before I was in OIL, it was very much like—you disagree with me, or you are a bad person. And I realized that it was a very immature view.”
Growing up Black in Oklahoma, Williams said politics was never abstract—it was personal. That background initially shaped the way he engaged with political disagreement, often through a lens of frustration or defensive caution. However, the collaborative nature of the program pushed him to broaden his outlook.
“OIL has really helped me understand people I do not necessarily agree with,” he said. “It has helped me learn how to compromise with people I do not agree with politically.”
For Williams, compromise is not just a skill; it is a fundamental principle.
“It is what our government was founded on,” he said. “The ‘my way or the highway’ attitude does not work. You will not get far from that. I think we can all learn to compromise with each other more.”