By: Journalist Chloe Oller (OSU)
Laginess (OBU) delivering her acceptance of nomination speech to the floor of the House
The second session of the fifty-sixth Oklahoma Intercollegiate Legislature (O.I.L.) kicked
off the opening session at 5:30 P.M. on April 2nd. Officers and members of O.I.L. gathered at a
joint session to begin the five-day event, beginning with the presentation of several “dad jokes,”
or “bad jokes” according to some delegates. Candidate for Lieutenant Governor, Kylee Laginess
(OBU), made her first appearance on the floor by presenting
a “dad joke,” which said, “What is a tornado’s favorite
game? Twister!”
Once the delegation had settled, the floor shifted its eyes and ears to a welcoming from the 55th O.I.L. Governor ,Adam Clifton. This year, O.I.L. is lucky to be hosted in the House, and is expressing their gratitude to the Oklahoma Capitol for such an iconic place of work. Following Governor Clifton, guest speaker, Brent Rivera, gave a meaningful and direct speech, covering all sides of how to bridge gaps between total opposite ends of the political spectrum. This was followed by nominations for and speeches of candidates running for Governor and Lieutenant Governor. Laginess (OBU) and her nominators kicked off the speeches and successfully grabbed the attention of the floor and provided a strong start to the nomination and speeches to come.
Overall, all of the candidates provided powerful messages about their plans and visions for O.I.L.
if elected to prestigious positions. Following the conclusion of the joint session, the candidates
met at a press conference at the host hotel to answer questions about their potential positions.
Both candidates for Lieutenant Governor and both candidates for Governor successfully navigated through a series of questions brought by delegation members and press in regards to
their future plans, their leadership experience and qualities, the inspiration to run for their
positions, and even what song or album they would use to describe O.I.L. An eventful way to
conclude the first day, the conference provided much insight about the upcoming elections.