South Carolina State University students, alumni and stakeholders came dressed to impress and showed their Bulldog tenacity on Tuesday as they commemorated SC State Legislative Day at the State House in Columbia, SC.
“We got the opportunity to network with alumni and be recognized by various legislators. It was a very eyeopening experience,” SGA President Zyah Cephus said. “For many students, this was their first time inside of the State House.”
Tuesday marked the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic that the university was able to celebrate Legislative Day, also known as SC State Legislative Day, at the State House.
Student leaders from various campus organizations attended – the Student Government Association (SGA), the Campus Activity Board (CAB), Royal Court, Dr. Emily E. Clyburn Honors College, NAACP, Call Me Mister, Dedicated Outstanding Ladies Living Strong (D.O.L.L.S.), 1890 Agricultural Innovation Scholars and more.
Throughout the day, students had the opportunity to network and talk with legislators. Legislators welcomed them as they toured the Senate
and House of Representatives.
“Today’s purpose was to have our stakeholders – primarily students, faculty, staff and alumni – show up in Columbia with the General Assembly so that they know that we’re present, that we’re registered voters and to ask for their continuous support for SC State,” SC State President Alexander Conyers said. “Going forward, our mission is to simply be assertive and to ask for a greater investment in SC State so that our students and our community will benefit from it.”
SC State Legislative Day was established for students and other university stakeholders to be able to advocate for university funding and other university needs that legislators can address to help improve the SC State campus.
Some of the university
needs addressed at the State House included:
- Master Plan funding.
“SC State Legislative Day is all about us showing our support for our university; and more importantly, letting our elected officials see the type of support we have for our university with the long and short-term goal of getting their increased support,” said SC State Trustee Hank Allen. Allen is a loyal alumnus from the class of 1978 who acts as the president of the SC State National Alumni Association.
