Posted: Wednesday, December 15, 2010 12:45 pm

The Messenger 12.15.10

The University of Tennessee at Martin has several students — including one from South Fulton — gaining experience in the state legislature.
Allison Jones, a senior political science major from South Fulton, will serve as an intern in the legislature in Nashville in the spring.
Also serving will be Grant Monroe, a junior political science and history double major from Linden.
UT Martin has participated in the state legislative internship program every year since it began in 1973.
Miss Jones was the lead delegate for the UT Martin delegation to the 2010 Tennessee Intercollegiate State Legislature. She plans to pursue a career as a lobbyist.
In related news, UT Martin’s nine-member delegation was voted Best House Delegation at the Tennessee Intercollegiate State Legislature’s 41st General Assembly recently.
About 200 students representing 37 Tennessee colleges and universities were in attendance.
Miss Jones said claiming Best House Delegation “meant that we had the most people speak up and debate, and we were just really excited about winning that award.” She said this is the third year a delegation from UT Martin participated.
Other UT Martin delegation members included Monroe, Joel Ellegood of Union City, Abigail Castleberry of Duck River, Sarah Appleton of Jackson, Jamie Arnett of Memphis, William Morris of Madison, Jarod Saucedo of Smyrna and Jessica Watts of Pal-myra.
TISL, operated by an alumni board of directors and an elected student executive council, conducted student legislature elections and debate and voted on bills that could affect the future of Tennessee. The top bills passed by the student legislature will be sent to the Tennessee State Legislature for consideration. Tennessee’s seat belt law originated as a TISL bill.