The Talon staff sat down with Maria Jones, Oklahoma Christian University’s new vice president of the Student Government Association, to discuss her goals for the semester and the inner workings of SGA.
What inspired you to get involved with SGA?
I got in SGA because one of my friends was in charge of a committee for SGA, and she didn’t have enough people in her committee. She said, “Do you want to do it?” and I said, “Might as well try something new.” That was it. The rest is history.
Why did you want to be vice president?
I wanted to be vice president for a couple of different reasons. I think I have a pretty good relationship with a lot of people on the exec team, and I figured I might as well spend a little more time with them. I also am doing a lot academically in terms of how to manage social media, and that’s a huge part of the VP’s job. I wanted to work on my skills in that area.
The other reason is that I just wanted to try something new. I would love to be a representative of OC students to SGA. I just love being a part of this campus, and I want to represent those of this campus better.
What was your previous role in SGA, and how did that prepare you to become VP?
My previous role was co-chair of the Activities Committee. That means I planned stuff like Date Week and helped fund other activities here on campus. That prepared me for VP because I think it allowed me to really get connected with people who showed up to events. A lot of people who showed up to events were people I had never met before. I think it helped me get more plugged in with OC’s community for sure. The other thing is, with SGA’s social media, I would like to move it in a direction where there’s more of a relationship between SGA and its students. I think activities are a great way to branch that, SGA throwing parties for OC students or improving relationships. I would love to see that reflected in social media.
What are the duties of vice president, and what do you hope to accomplish through this role?
That’s a great question. My duties are three-fold. I’m here in case something happens to our president; I would fill that spot. My job is also to act as a representative of OC students to SGA. Lastly, a big part of my job is social media, ensuring SGA has a presence on social media and that we are available to be connected to students through social media.
I would love to accomplish establishing that presence on the internet, as well as making SGA a little more public and a little more known to students and the student body, making OC a better place for everyone here.
What is something about SGA most people don’t know?
SGA does so much here. It’s crazy. I sat in on my first executive meeting this week, and just the stuff that we talked about in terms of athletics, academics, activities and a variety of stuff. It’s crazy what SGA has a hand in here and just how far that spreads.
All the different ways they’re involved in the student body as well as the administration. It’s just crazy, everything that they do. I didn’t realize that until the meeting, and realized, “Wow, this is a lot bigger than me and my Activities Committee.”
If you could say anything to the people who elected you to office, what would you say?
I think I would say I appreciate the support. I appreciate that you trust me enough to be able to represent you. I’m going to try to use this opportunity. I know I’m kind of interim vice president in a lot of ways because I just ran for the semester, but I’m going to try hard to use the limited time that I have to make OC a better place, to make you feel like SGA is here for you specifically. SGA is involved and wants to make your OC experience better.
For people at OC who don’t know you, how would you describe your personality?
How would I describe my personality? I think pretty loud, pretty out there. Not necessarily in a brash way, in more of a “What is she doing? What is she talking about?” kind of way. I think I have a pretty big personality. I like having fun. I like helping other people. I like creating community wherever I go.
What legacy do you want to leave behind at OC?
That’s a good question. I’ve actually been thinking about that a lot. I’m halfway through my junior year, and I’ve been thinking about that because my time at OC is slowly but surely coming to a close. I think what I want my legacy at OC to be is I want to be someone known for bringing other people together, known for making a place for people who feel like they don’t have a place. Someone who strives for connectivity, positivity and community wherever they go.
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