By Emma Velez, Staff Writer
Students will convene in November for a mock legislature to simulate what happens at the state level.
Members of the Oklahoma Intercollegiate Legislature will meet for their biannual session Nov. 7-11 at the Oklahoma State Capitol, 2300 N. Lincoln Boulevard.
Student delegates from Oklahoma universities gather at OIL for a five-day session in which they replicate the three branches of government.
The delegates will learn about Oklahoma’s government and have opportunities to interact with some of the state’s political leaders, said Joseph Pierce, second-year law and OIL’s lieutenant governor.
Pierce, who has been involved in OIL for the past five years, said his participation allowed him to overcome his fear of public speaking.
“Being a part of OIL has been a really great experience because you get to learn not only about government but about yourself,” he said. “It gives students a real life experience of what legislators do and what life is like at the capitol.”
OIL offers students a chance to meet like-minded individuals and become comfortable speaking in front of audiences, Pierce said.
Participants often apply the learned skills to their lives and move forward to do government work, he said.
Many become legislators through the contacts and friendships gained while involved with OIL, Pierce said.
Past contacts at OIL conventions include former Lt. Gov. Jari Askins and former Gov. George Nigh, who established the program.
Students also may win awards at OIL, Pierce said. The university’s delegation was successful in previous sessions.
The Spring 2012 delegation:
• Ranked No. 2 in the state,
• Won individual awards, such as Best Freshman and Best Senator and
• Placed second in OIL’s canned food drive.
OIL is an informative, effective experience for anyone wanting to learn about politics at the state level, said Katie Alsup, political science history/education senior.
“OIL is a program that helped me meet people my age with my interests,” she said.
OCU’s delegates meet each week to prepare for the statewide session each semester, Pierce said.
They engage in parliamentary procedure to brainstorm ideas for legislation to take to session.
Deadline for the Fall 2012 session passed, but students interested in participating with future delegations may attend the current delegation’s meetings. They are at 5:30 p.m. Thursdays in Room 161 in Walker Center for Arts and Sciences.
Leave a Reply