The core values of the Honors College are wisdom, virtue and friendship. While the college encourages students to explore these tenets in the classroom, the Honors Student Association focuses on ways to build on these foundational principles through their community.
“We try to host events that help students build connections, have conversations or just take a break from class and have fun,” said junior biochemistry major and HSA President Madison Fillmore.
The organization aims to host events once a month, from trivia and movie nights, to tailgates, talent shows and more. They kicked off the year by hosting a film screening for first-year students. “The screening was really geared toward new students because we wanted them to get to know HSA right off the bat and foster community and friendship,” said Fillmore.
For the upperclassmen, the HSA hopes to begin informal reading groups that provide a forum for students who are no longer part of the structured, Honors College curriculum. “We want to try and help students continue to stay engaged throughout all four years,” she said.
For Fillmore, getting involved with the HSA was the perfect way to stay engaged with the college. “I hadn’t done much student government or leadership in high school,” she said. “But here I was very interested in the vision of Honors and the idea that I could get in on the ground floor and help shape it.”
Getting involved with the group helped push Fillmore out of her comfort zone. She joined as a representative in her first year and was assigned to work on the Honors College Constitution Committee. “I’d never drafted a constitution or anything, but the committee finished it by January and got it ratified,” she remembered. “We were pretty proud.”
After two years as a representative, Fillmore decided to run for president. “That was not the plan going in, but people trusted me so I decided I would take that chance and be grateful for their trust,” she said. “I have a great team around me and am very grateful I get to be president.”
The organization has grown exponentially, with increasing interest from younger students. “The freshmen are so invested in things and are interested in getting engaged,” said Fillmore. “I think that’s part of the wider culture at UTulsa, as well. If you’re willing to put in the work, you can get involved and make a difference. It’s not like that at other places.”
Getting involved means more than just making a difference, as the student leaders also get to enjoy the benefits of all their hard work. One of the best examples, Fillmore said, is the annual Honors Student Formal, which will be held this year on Dec. 13 at 101 Archer.
“This year our formal is called the Gilded Gala, with rococo style decorations. Think ‘Palace of Versailles,’” she said. The formal offers all Honors students the chance to take a break from studying for finals, have fun with friends and head off to winter break on a high note.
Ultimately the events hosted by the HSA are about building community among the students in ways that go beyond what they learn in the classroom. “Making these friendships not only helps you have better conversations, but it changes who you are,” said Fillmore. “When you surround yourself with people who are also interested in improving themselves and the world around them, it makes you strive to be better, too. I think that’s what being part of Honors is about.”