For the second time in five years, a Citadel cadet has
taken the top spot with the South Carolina Student Legislature. Cadet Ed Sutton
of Gilbert, S.C., will serve as the SCSL's governor this year, following the
footsteps of Frederic Marcinak '01, who presided over the 2000-2001 session.
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Ed
Sutton, governor of the
South Carolina Student Legislature,
with South Carolina
Gov. Mark Sanford |
As governor,
Sutton will represent South Carolina colleges and students before the South
Carolina General Assembly in March. The junior business administration major
will also meet with Gov. Mark Sanford and attend the National Student Legislature
in Washington, D.C., as a South Carolina delegate.
The SCSL is a state-funded
collegiate general assembly modeled after the South Carolina political system.
SCSL is made up of 15 colleges and 200 students across the state and meets regularly
to propose legislation to state lawmakers.
"You will see this
will be a year of substantial growth and development," Sutton said. "We
are working vigorously to bring more historically black colleges into SCSL so
the general assembly will be a better representation of our state colleges.
This will be the administration people will talk about for years."
Another
of Sutton's
goals is to combat the funding troubles of the SCSL by appointing a cabinet
position to explore fund-raising opportunities. Sutton
hopes to get the support of Citadel graduates in the State House to help with
his fund-raising initiatives.
An Air Force contract cadet, Sutton is from Hotel Company. He is a cadre platoon
sergeant, a member of the Round Table and serves as director for the Arnold
Air Society. He is also chairman of the Class of 2006 ring committee. After
completing his Air Force commitment, Sutton would like to combine politics with
a business career.
No stranger to politics, Sutton served an internship with Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer
last summer. He has actively recruited cadets to become involved with The Citadel's
student legislature club. "Everybody involved with SCSL has an interest
in politics and this is a chance to get hands-on experience," he said.
"It is also a good way for the General Assembly to hear the voice of college
students."
Working
with Sutton at the state level will be fellow cadet
Stanley "Beau" Quarles of Aiken who will serve as a state Supreme
Court justice.
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