Coastal Carolina University's student team to the South Carolina Student Legislature (SCSL) was named the best large delegation at the recent competition in Columbia, beating out Clemson University and the College of Charleston. One CCU student received an individual award, and another was elected Speaker of the House.

Other higher education institutions that sent delegations were Charleston Southern, Erskine, Bob Jones, Winthrop and the Citadel.

The Best Large Delegation Award is given annually to the delegation that, in the opinion of the Election and Awards Committee, best exemplifies cohesion and activity.

Brooke Morris, a senior political science major from Georgetown, S.C., brought home the Best Legislation Award, which recognizes legislation that employs thorough research, topicality and excellent use of language. She wrote legislation to create the licensing and regulation of money transfer businesses operating in the state, with a goal of giving state law enforcement agencies the ability to investigate money-laundering activities that occur.

Taylor Repp, a junior from Myrtle Beach, was elected Speaker of the House and a member of the executive committee of the Student Legislature.

Other students wrote bills on topics such as establishing a state-operated insurance program for farmers to protect against natural disasters, creating an animal cruelty registry, reforming the education system and other public safety measures.

In addition to Morris and Repp, students who attended the legislature included Benjamin Anderson, Shadda Corwin, Phillip Davis, Alexis DiMarzo, Ates Emiroglu, D'Jenique Inge, Ariel Lasher, Austin Nichols, Jonathan Pacheco-Arriaga, Dallina Vera, ArRone Washington and Charles Williams.

CCU's delegation is made up of students who take a high-level political science class taught by professors Frederick Wood and Adam Chamberlain. Each student is required to write a bill based on South Carolina Code of Laws.

"These honors serve to validate both the time that our students put into the many drafts and revisions of their bills and the professionalism with which they interact with the other delegations," said Wood. "Dr. Chamberlain and I are extremely proud of how serious our students take this experiential learning activity."

The SCSL 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 of parliamentary procedures and state government.