Coastal Carolina University students who attended the Fall 2009 session of the South Carolina Student Legislature (SCSL) won Best Large Delegation recently, beating out delegations from the University of South Carolina, Clemson, College of Charleston, Converse College, the Citadel and North Greenville University.

Of the 15 politics students who attended the session on Oct. 24, 11 of them wrote, introduced and had bills debated on the floor of the SCSL House and Senate. All 11 bills passed successfully.

A team of three students – Caitlin Spahr, Matt Cleary and Trent Ervin – won Best Brief before the SCSL Supreme Court.

Tyler Greatorex, a junior political science major from Virginia,, was elected lieutenant governor for the 2010 spring and fall sessions. He will be responsible for working with the SCSL governor to plan the next two sessions, and he will preside over the student senate each day during the next two sessions.

"We are so proud of these students," said Holley Tankersley, political science professor who attended with the students. "Our Coastal students conducted themselves with the utmost respect and care."

The South Carolina Student Legislature is a student-run mock legislature sponsored by the S.C. General Assembly. Colleges and universities in South Carolina send delegations to two annual sessions to debate bills and further their knowledge about parliamentary procedure and state government.