Two USAO students were recently appointed to serve on the College Democrats of Oklahoma, a chapter affiliated with Oklahoma’s Democratic Party with the goal to better outreach with college students.
Halli Humphrey, senior economics and sociology major, will serve as the Director of Programs while Ryan Moses, sophomore history major, will fill the role of Director of Digital Strategies and Mobilization.
Both were appointed by Lindsey Smith, the president of the Oklahoma College Democrats and pre-law political science student at Oklahoma State University (OSU). Humphrey and Moses will serve at the state level as well as represent USAO to the community of colleges around Oklahoma.
Humphrey served as the Vice President for USAO’s Student Government Association (SGA), and is currently serving as the State Treasurer for the Oklahoma SGA. She was also one of the founding members of the USAO College Democrats.
In this position, Humphrey said she seeks to get more of the USAO community involved with politics.
“We are looking to get more engagement overall, and involvement on the campus level as well as state level,” Humphrey said. “There’s people from all different schools and organizations within those schools that are working together to achieve this goal.”
Moses agreed with Humphrey’s statement, expanding the emphasis to the community around USAO as well.
“Halli and I are working closely together to help create events for rural schools,” Moses said.
Moses has served in USAO’s SGA for the last year and was elected as the Vice President for the 2023-2024 term; They are also a member of the USAO College Democrats.
Moses also acknowledged the stereotype that most, if not all, of the democrats in Oklahoma are found within the state’s urban areas. Moses had this to say regarding the topic:
“When it comes to Oklahoma politics, especially democratic politics, the view is that it tends to be centered in Oklahoma City and Tulsa,” Moses said. “The notion that all of the democrats are in the big cities is not necessarily true. Part of the reason why I was appointed to this position is that I work in rural spaces, but I am from Moore, so I am acquainted with the urban aspect as well.”
One way they said they hope to get more involvement from the community is through an outreach event called Desserts with a Democrat. This will be an event where students and faculty can meet with various members of the Democratic Party and special guest speakers, while enjoying many desserts. The event’s location on campus has not been determined yet. Moses said they hope that this event will not only reach the campus of USAO, but the community of Chickasha and Grady County as well.
“The first Tuesday in September we have Chaunte Gilmore coming as a guest speaker during the event,” Moses said. “She is running for House District 100, which serves Bethany and Warr Acres.”
Moses said on Oct. 9 Representative Arturo Alonso is scheduled to be a guest speaker for the Desserts with a Democrat event. Alonso is the youngest Oklahoma Legislator, currently serving at 23 years old.
“I think this demonstrates that young people can run for office too,” Moses said. “It shows that college-aged people can get involved and make their voices heard.”
Moses said that they will also work with the USAO United Hispanic Council during Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs from Sep. 15 to Oct. 15. The event will bring culturally Hispanic desserts to that month’s Dessert with a Democrat.
Humphrey summed up the goal of her and Moses’s new position:
“If you see an issue you care about, go out and participate,” Humphrey said. “Whether it’s attending protests or emailing your legislators, it makes a difference. It’s also simple things like going to vote. We [this current generation of people] are the ones going to be taking the mantle in the next few years.”
The USAO College Democrats will host a table during the USAO Club Fair on Wednesday, Aug. 30. The group will hand out essentials to help new freshmen during Welcome Week.
Paul Tointigh is a fourth-year communication major at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma.
