Meet Ole Miss senior and ASB Senator Makala McNeil. HerCampus Ole Miss was lucky enough to snag a few seconds with Makala as she bustles around campus, working on the legacy she plans to leave when she graduates in December. Makala is from Grenada, Mississippi, and is majoring in Integrated Marketing Communications and Sociology with a minor in Business Administration. Just for our readers, here is the scoop on Makala’s thoughts on ASB Senate, her advice for girls interested in running, and her plans after graduation.
HC: What is your birthday?
MN: April 22, 1996
HC: Do you have any nicknames?
MN: KK
HC: Are you involved in Greek life?
MN: If so, how so? Yes, NPHC org. Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated is the first black Greek-lettered sorority, established by African-American college women and founded January 15,1908 at Howard University. I went through the rush and intake process my freshman year and was fortunately chosen to be a part of the organization.
HC: If you were an animal, what animal would you be?
MN: Hah, I would be domestic dog in a very nurturing home.
HC: Who are your role models?
MN: My mother, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Fannie Lou Hamer
HC: Got any signature dance moves?
MN: Ha, the crump.
HC: What is your biggest pet peeve?
MN: Hypocrisy
HC: What is your favorite quote?
MN: “Injustice anywhere is threat to justice everywhere” – The Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr.
HC: Favorite song?
MN: At the moment, Ctrl, an entire album (I know- I couldn’t pick), by artist SZA, is my jam.
HC: Favorite movie/ show?
MN: Yikes this is hard. I’m a big fan of films of Paul Thomas Anderson, Spike Lee, Wes Anderson and Gretta Gerwig. Love the shows, Rick and Morty, Handmaid’s Tale and Stranger Things.
HC: Pressure time! What are your plans after graduation?
MN: Either Teach for America, public policy internship/fellowship, or law school!
HC: What extracurricular activities are you a part of?
MN: Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, ASB, Office of Sustainability Intern
HC: What is ASB Senate?
ASB stands for the Associated Student Body and is the governing body of the university. Senators represent justly the student body, in accordance with The University of Mississippi’s Creed, by prioritizing students’ interests and needs above personal ambition and prejudice.
HC: What is your favorite part of Senate?
MN: I enjoy that Senate is a responsive organization that cares and takes action towards addressing the concerns of our campus community.
HC: What is your least favorite part of Senate?
MN: The organization has periods or inactivity where no legislation is brought to the floor. Respectfully, I believe we should be working constantly to serve our student selflessly, and situate responsibilities tied to ASB as a top priority while holding a seat.
HC: What advice would you give to a girl who is thinking of running for Senate in the spring?
MN: RUN, RUN, RUN! What’s the fastest way to fix a broken system and disproportionately affect minorities and women? Take it over. There is an unprecedented surge of first-time female candidates, overwhelmingly Democratic, running for offices big and small, from the U.S. Senate and state legislatures to local school boards. Although women are more than half the American population, they account for just a fifth of all U.S. representatives and senators, and one in four state lawmakers. If we want to be an integral part of demanding a better government and policies, we must rid ourselves of the “confidence gap” and run for public office and positions of power.
HC: Favorite Oxford food?
MN: Rice and Spice
HC: Where can you be found on a typical Friday night?
MN: At the house watching a movie with the beau, stuffing my face, hanging with sorority sisters- anything to get my mind off of school/ responsibilities. Lol.
HC: Favorite memory at Ole Miss so far?
MN: Organizing with peers and creating communal bonds with social justice warrior circle.
HC: Most embarrassing?
MN: I’ll just say, watch the ice on the sidewalks when mother nature decides to make Oxford a winter wonderland.
HC: What advice would you give to someone coming to Ole Miss?
MN: Do not conform to the “norm”. Be who you are. College has so many resources from the clinic to the gym to organizations to the library database… so use them.
Thank you so much Makala for not only taking the time to answer our questions, but for leaving such an absolutely amazing legacy on the Ole Miss campus. We wish you luck with the next chapter of your life!
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