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9.21.04 South Carolina Capitol Building Erskine student attends mock congress during summer Erskine College junior David Foltz hopes someday to enter politics. The English/philosophy double major from West Pelzer isn’t sure if he’ll actually take the plunge into the political arena, but he’s having fun testing the waters. Foltz is the chairman of the Erskine student delegation to the South Carolina Student Legislature, which he said is a “good stepping stone for young politicians.” Through his involvement in the state group, Foltz attended the U.S. Student Congress at UNC-Wilmington this past summer. South Carolina was one of only five or six states represented at the meeting, which was designed to draw up bylaws and establish the organization for the group. Foltz said it was a student Congress “Constitutional Convention” and representatives attempted to “simulate what happened in the late 1700s” when the United States government was organized after the Revolutionary War. His interest in the national organization was sparked by his participation in the student legislature. The S.C. Student Legislature meets twice a year and the fall session is scheduled for Oct. 13-16. During the fall session, the students experience the surroundings that state lawmakers enjoy. “We get to use the chambers at the Statehouse (in Columbia) – it’s very impressive,” Foltz said. “Various state government and party leaders come in to speak.” Student legislators are encouraged to write “bills” for consideration by the General Assembly. Foltz said two or three bills and resolutions are usually forwarded to committees of the S.C. House for consideration. Foltz said the “axis” of the S.C. Student Legislature runs from Clemson to the University of South Carolina – the state’s largest universities. Representation in the S.C. Student Legislature for each college or university is determined by the school's enrollment. Foltz said Erskine is one of the smallest colleges represented. “It’s really good for students interested in politics or any profession that requires working with people,” he said. “You get to see how the government is supposed to work and how it actually works.” In the Student Congress, for example, there was a conflict between larger and smaller state groups concerning representation. “You see a direct correlation to real life,” Foltz said. Both the state Student Legislature and the Student Congress provide opportunities for networking and getting Erskine’s name before different groups of people, according to Foltz. Plans are in the works to strengthen the Erskine College delegation to the state Student Legislature. “We are getting ready to start meetings,” Foltz said. “We will have an orientation session for people getting ready to get involved in the near future.” He said an effort to increase membership is being made this fall and next spring. “We’re trying to get the pulse of the student body and it looks like we’ve got some bright people interested in joining us,” Foltz said. “I hope to leave behind leadership (for the group) when I graduate.” Students who want to get involved should have “obvious people skills, a willingness to care about significant issues, to care about things outside your own personal bubble and a willingness to work,” he said. Foltz said the Erskine chapter of the S.C. Student Legislature is apolitical – party affiliation is not an issue. “The idea is not about parties and backgrounds,” he said. “It’s more about learning about the (legislative) process.” Foltz wants Erskine to play an active role in the state Student Legislature and the Student Congress. Still, he said, “I hope SCSL can become more than a club. It’s one of the only organizations like it on the Erskine campus.” Students have used their experience with SCSL as a springboard to entering state politics. Foltz said a recent graduate of USC, a participant in the Student Legislature, was elected to the S.C. House. For more information, call Foltz at 379-3697 or e-mail him at dfoltz@erskine.edu |
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