UTM had a successful time at the Tennessee Intercollegiate State Legislature by having the Speaker of the House and a TSAC nominee elected.
The Tennessee Intercollegiate State Legislature, or TISL, is a mock legislature that every Tennessee institution of higher education is allowed to participate in. TISL is an annual event that occurs in the Tennessee State Capitol each November, which is in the off-season for the Tennessee Legislature.
During TISL, students get to experience life as the state representatives and senators do during session.
This year, Jessica Watts was UTM’s first State Executive Council member elected since now-Sen. Roy Herron had been elected as the TISL Governor 33 years ago. Watts also made history being the first female State Executive Council member from UTM.
“I feel beyond honored to have the opportunity to represent UTM as the Speaker of the House of Representatives. I am overjoyed with excitement and am so eager to begin working with the other member of the TISL Executive Council,” Watts said.
“I certainly could not have done it without the help and support of UTM. Not only do I thank the delegates who helped and supported me throughout the election, but also the sponsors of our TISL delegation back here in Martin, who, without them, our trip could never be possible,” Watts said.
The UTM delegation is extremely proud of Watts for getting elected as the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
“At TISL, it could be argued that the Governor and Speaker of the House positions are the most difficult to win, mainly because of such large voter pools. With over 40 colleges and universities attending, there were four very capable candidates in the race, and Jessica did not even allow them a runoff,” said Grant Monroe, UTM TISL delegation president.
“This victory is the culmination of her hard work and dedication to the organization, as well as her skill and composure when commanding a chamber with over 100 very opinionated college students. She is more than up to the challenge, and I look forward to seeing her succeed as she carries out her duties,” Monroe said.
Cassie Rogers, a UTM freshman, won the election to be the TISL nominee for the Tennessee Student Assistant Corp. This was the first year for this election to be held.
“TISL was a little intimidating at first since everyone else that went from our school were all upperclassmen, but they were great company once I got to know them. I wasn’t sure I would even get selected for one of the positions since I was the only freshman who applied, but I worked hard politicking anyway, and in the end, it paid off,” said Rogers on her accomplishment.
“I really hope I am selected because it would be a huge honor to work with Governor Haslam to potentially improve the lives of college students all over Tennessee,” Rogers said.
“Cassie Rogers was able to claim the most votes of six public school candidates. Not only is her victory a display of her impressive leadership abilities, but the fact that she is a freshman and was a first-year delegate to TISL is even more impressive,” Monroe said.
“In her election, she was able to defeat seasoned TISL veterans with numerous connections to the organization. For anyone that knows Cassie, it should come as no shock that her colleagues at TISL selected her for this position,” Monroe said.
The UTM TISL delegation also participated in the Appellate Moot Court Collegiate Challenge, or AMC3, this year for the first time. AMC3 is a competition among legal teams to argue a case before the TISL Supreme Court.
The AMC3 team had to submit briefs, and prepare for vigorous competition from the other schools. Abigail Castleberry led the AMC3 team.
“UTM’s AMC3 team did a wonderful job. Each member of the team put in a lot of hard work, and the program will only grow from here. We had a great time competing, and the learning experience was fantastic for those of us planning on a legal career,” Castleberry said.
The entire UTM TISL delegation stressed their gratitude to the sponsors who made it possible: Dean Ernest Moser, David Belote, and Dr. Chris Baxter. The delegation said that this year would not have been nearly as successful without their support.
