CSCC had nine students participate in the Tennessee Intercollegiate State Legislature held at the state Capitol. Pictured from left to right: (Front row): Maddie Scoggins, William Dickinson, and Haley Hodgson. (Back Row): Ryan Ledford, Cassandra Jordan, Joseph Owens, Kyler Evans, Doug Ledford, and Justin Deal.
Cleveland State Community College had nine members of its Student Senate participate in the 47th General Assembly of the Tennessee Intercollegiate State Legislature held at the state Capital. Students served as either house members, senators, media representatives or lobbyists and were part of a total group of more than 300 students from nearly 40 different colleges and universities across the state.
TISL is a forum for the top echelon of campus leaders and political science students to exchange ideas and express their opinions on state, federal, and local issues. TISL’s General Assembly, which first convened in 1966, meets in the legislative chambers of the State Capitol each November.
Three of the nine students received special recognition at the close of the event. William Dickinson was recognized as best broadcasting student; Maddie Scoggins was named outstanding criminal justice lobbyist; and Ryan Ledford received recognition as the outstanding healthcare lobbyist.
Other members of the CSCC delegation were Haley Hodgson and Justin Deal (Senators); Kyler Evans, Cassandra Jordan, and Joseph Owens (Representatives); and Doug Ledford (Lobbyist).
CSCC Student Senate President Haley Hodgson, said, “I was in the Senate, which meant a lot of debating on bills that had been submitted. I really enjoyed being in the Senate and I hope to be able to go again next year with ETSU's delegation. I was able to learn a lot about the process of getting bills passed in the Tennessee State Legislature and learn about Robert's rules of order as well. I think TISL is an excellent opportunity for any student interested in state government, and there are also other options like media, lobbying, and mock trials for people interested in law. My favorite part about this trip was getting to meet new people and build relationships with them.”
Student Senate Advisor Katie Willingham, said, “TISL is an incredible educational event for students to be a part of. It gives opportunity to students across the state to come together at our state capitol and learn what they are passionate about. I believe this year's CSCC group not only learned about the event, but they learned a little more about how the capitol is run and most importantly, they learned more about themselves.”
Ms. Willingham went on to state, “I’m very proud of these students. This year’s delegation did a great job representing the college at TISL and returned with a greater appreciation for our government and the legislative process.”