Besides his work in Student Senate, Landen Lama is involved in his hometown's local government and officiates international track and field events.
Landen Lama’s junior year is projected to be a busy one.
In the fall, he plans to continue his involvement in Ohio University Student Senate, take on more political science classes for his major and even head to Perth, Australia, to officiate an international track and field meet.
But those characteristics only scratch the surface in terms of Lama’s involvement in various areas of his life. He also can be identified as: a nursery home volunteer, an OU Parking Services employee, a Student Senate UNITE ticket campaign manager and a City of Lancaster committee member.
“People ask me if I am actually 20-years-old and not like 50, and I do tell them that I am 20, but there is a 70-year-old trapped in my body,” Lama said.
Students at OU may know Lama from his involvement on senate as the lead parliamentarian and a member on several committees, but many may not realize his political experience extends back home to Lancaster, where he was elected as a precinct committee member.
As lead parliamentarian, Lama is responsible for ensuring meetings follow "parliamentary procedure," through actions such as making sure people say the right phrases for adjourning a meeting or amending a motion.
“I was really surprised when he told me he already held positions within the city government, but if you know his personality that makes sense,” Gabby Bacha, Student Senate president, said.
Lama said he has been told that he is the youngest executive committee member in Ohio, as well as the youngest ever official from the United States to officiate an international track meet.
“People are generally surprised (by how much I do), but it’s important for youth to get involved at a young age,” he said.
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Lama said he has traveled around the county officiating track and field events at the high school and college level. He also has experience judging athletes in international competitions; the one in Australia is just one of his upcoming endeavors.
“A friend of mine who’s an official told me I should get certified,” Lama said. “I became the youngest varsity-level certified official in the state of Ohio for track and field. The average age of a high school track and field official in Ohio is 65. I was 17 at the time doing varsity-level track.”
Though he enjoys judging track and field events, his passion for maintaining the rules goes beyond the athletic arena.
“I’ve always loved history (and) government, but I didn’t think I wanted to be involved, like career-wise, until maybe middle school when I first ran for class treasurer,” he said.
Lama didn’t wait until after college to hold a government position. He said during his sophomore year of high school he created his own position as student representative to the school board and served for two years.
After high school, he went to the University of Akron where he served in its student government.
“I kind of picked my school, where I wanted to go to college, based on their student government,” he said.
After a semester, he transferred to OU’s Lancaster campus where he ran to be a member of Lancaster City Schools Board of Education. He ultimately withdrew from the race.
“I figured, you know what, school board can wait,” Lama said. "I can go into public office whenever I want, but I need to go do school."
Lama started attending OU in Athens at the beginning of this academic year. He previously had ties with OU’s Student Senate, as he served as the campaign manager for the Phoenix ticket last year, he said.
“I remember his interview for parliamentarian. He literally blew me away,” Bacha said. “I texted (the executive board) like right after, and I was like, ‘This kid though. He’s gonna be great in this role.’ ”
Abby Fairbanks, senate’s chief of staff, said Lama has changed Student Senate since he started last semester.
“He’s crazy and fun to be around,” Fairbanks said. “He’s a very hard worker. He’s very passionate about student government.”
Bacha said Lama is even known among senate members for his dance moves and “wonderful toe touches” that he performs in the senate office.
Lama insists that although he’s busy, he is still a stereotypical college student who likes to have a good time.
“He’s a really unique person in that he can be all business, but also all play,” Bacha said. “He has a good balance of it too.”
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