Students Learn Legislating

This is the 66th year for the N.C. Student Legislature, a student-run class designed to teach legislative process.

"NCSL indoctrinates you in the legislative process," said Will DuPont, a senior political science major who teaches the course.

"It shows you that you don't just show up and you are a legislator, that it takes work."

The class, offered every spring, meets once a week for 1 1/2 hours to debate resolutions and work on goals.

One weekend a month is reserved for mandatory interim councils, which are held at different colleges around the state where students debate their resolutions against members from other schools.

Eight schools have members who actively participate in the statewide program.

The eight are UNC-Chapel Hill, Campbell University, UNC-Pembroke, UNC-Wilmington, UNC-Charlotte, High Point College, Elon University and Lenoir Rhyne College.

Some of the governors of North Carolina -- such as Jim Holshouser, Jim Hunt, Bob Scott and Terry Sanford -- were members of NCSL.

During the fall, NCSL meets as a club and the members can choose to enroll in the class in the spring and receive three credits for it.

Club members who participate in the fall are not required to enroll to continue to take part in the legislative process.

The class is run by students, mainly by DuPont, who teaches students how to write and debate resolutions and bills.

Grades are based on class participation, attendance and projects.

Thad Beyle, UNC political science professor and adviser for the NCSL class, has final authority over grades.

"Students gain a chance to take part in a process that is out there," Beyle said.

"They get to meet people from other schools interested in legislature."

The culmination of the class is in April, when a formal session is held at the N.C. General Assembly building in Raleigh from Wednesday until Sunday.

During this formal event, NCSL splits into the House, Senate and committees and pretends to be the General Assembly.

Members of all eight universities attend and vote on the council of state, speaker of the House and Senate president pro tem.

"You make new friends, not only in Chapel Hill but throughout the state," DuPont said.

Throughout the year, the delegates pick issues that interest them and write resolutions.

Members bring the resolutions to debate during the interim councils once a month against members at other schools.

Those are then presented as a bill and debated on the floor when NCSL is in session in April, and students have a chance to act like members of the General Assembly.

DuPont said the class is a great experience because it makes people reconsider their points of view.

"Students come to debate pertinent issues that pertain to North Carolina and sometimes the nation," he said.

"It makes you realize how secure or insecure you are in your beliefs because you might change them once you hear someone else's point of view."

The Features Editor can be reached at features@unc.edu.