Not long after sunset, seven students and one professor crammed into a small faculty office on the fourth floor of Varner Hall to discuss a long list of upcoming events.
This was the executive board of Nu Omega — Oakland University’s chapter of the Pi Sigma Alpha National Political Science Honor Society — at work. Despite the close quarters, and the inevitable long commute home that would follow, a smile could still be found on President Taylor Richardson’s face.
“We’re usually in the conference room across the hall,” Richardson said, laughing. “This is the busiest the organization has been in years.”
Aside from the executive board role, she is also the director of internal affairs for the Oakland University Student Congress (OUSC), and a co-author of an ongoing research paper concerning presidential term limits worldwide. Her interest in political action on both small and large scales have been shaped by the many opportunities Richardson has taken advantage of.
One of those opportunities came in the form of an email over the summer, which expressed the need for inspectors during this year’s primary election. She jumped at the chance.
“It was one of the most eye-opening experiences,” Richardson said. “They understand that your vote counts, and [they] want to make that vote mean something.”
Despite a drastic age gap, Richardson said she appreciates what she learned from her fellow election inspectors at the polls.
“I didn’t see a lot of young people there, and yet I still had a fantastic time with them,” Richardson said. “They’re awesome people who are engaged in politics in the right way.”
At OU, Richardson’s second year of involvement in Nu Omega has given her experience with multiple sides of the operation. Considering the junior or senior class standing requirement, the organization’s executive board changes often. Her initial position as director of social media quickly advanced to vice president, then president.
Dr. Nicole Asmussen Mathew, adviser for Nu Omega, said she appreciates Richardson’s unwavering dedication to the student organization, which has won Pi Sigma Alpha’s Best Chapter Award for 11 consecutive years.
“We can invite freshmen and sophomores to come, and say ‘This can be you in a couple years,’” Mathew said. “[She shows] what kind of opportunities are available to you if you’re open to them.”
Richardson also has developed strong connections with her fellow executive board members.
“I talk a lot with managers and supervisors at work about what a leader should look like,” Landon Julius, vice president of Nu Omega, said. “Taylor checks all of those boxes.”
Having almost finished her bachelors degree in political science, Richardson said she appreciates the environment that the department has fostered for students like her. It is this environment, she said, that made her professor-co-authored research possible.
“There have been so many amazing opportunities here at Oakland for political science,” Richardson said. “Knowing faculty, and knowing who I can go to about resources … has been the biggest reward.”
Within her studies, Richardson said she prefers to look abroad. Minoring in international relations, she hopes to continue research on foreign case studies after earning a master’s degree.
With these experiences under her belt, Richardson said she hopes that younger people become even more politically active. Politicians, she said, are even recognizing the untapped potential within this new generation. Advocating for the importance of research and action can help to counter generational concerns.
“I’m bringing my friends to the polls, especially as an election worker,” Richardson said. “The more we encourage each other — the more we make [voting] the norm — the more people are going to follow the trend.”
