By Lily Nussbaum | Staff Writer
Packed into a large van, a delegation from Baylor student government traveled about nine hours to Lawrence, Kan., from Oct. 14 to Oct. 15 for the annual Big 12 Student Government Conference.
Out of the 10 current Big 12 schools, eight attended. Additionally, the University of Houston was invited and attended as a future member of the Big 12.
Baylor hosted the group in 2021, but this year, it was the University of Kansas who invited the other schools.
“It’s a time for all the Big 12 universities’ student governments to get together,” Bethel Tesfai, student body internal vice president, said. “Even through differences, we were still able to relate to challenges that we’re facing or initiatives that we want to work on.”
Some of the differences are shown through the schools’ structures within their governments. Tesfai said she oversees the student Senate as part of her job, but at another school, a committee head, rather than an internal vice president, does so. Additionally, other than Texas Christian University, Baylor is the only private Christian university in the Big 12.
“A lot of these schools I think discredited Baylor originally,” Hunter Walker, student body president, said. “It was beautiful that I had an ability to explain that we are no different than they are, because, even though we have this Christian faith, we are actually more eager to sit and listen about conversations of diversity or conversations of equity.”
Each school in attendance spent about half an hour presenting on past initiatives, current initiatives and challenges it is facing within its government. These presentations took place over two days.
Six students from the legislative, executive and judicial branches made up the Baylor delegation. They presented in front of the other schools on student health and wellness, marketing and transparency, diversity of representation and the allocation of resources.
“We were just kind of collaborating on how we can bring more representation into our Senate or ways for those people who aren’t necessarily represented to voice their concerns or ideas to senators, because we do represent them,” Walker said.
Tesfai said a majority of Big 12 schools faced a similar issue of student body engagement. She said hearing they weren’t alone in struggles and challenges brought her comfort and reassurance as they navigate finding solutions.
“Just having the student body not only know of student government but know the resources we have for them and the tools that we have to enrich their student experience here is important,” Tesfai said.
In the afternoon of the second day of the conference, each Baylor student met with the others in their respective positions. Walker said it was interesting to hear how other student body presidents brave their position and handle both victories and anxieties.
“It’s a privilege to be a leader, but also at the same time, some people say leadership can be the loneliest place you find yourself,” Walker said. “It was encouraging to hear other people talk about the opportunities they have but also the responsibility they carry.”
The fall conference also serves as the initial groundwork for Big 12 on the Hill — a conference held in Washington, D.C., every spring. This year, Baylor is responsible for coordinating the conference and creating an agenda of issues higher-level education is facing in order to lobby in front of U.S. representatives and senators.
“We have such an opportunity to not just change our campuses but to change our states, and then when we get to D.C., change the future of our country and policy that is being written and voted on right now,” Walker said.
