Lenda Sherrell, the Democratic candidate running against Republican Scott DesJarlais this November for United States Congress, came to speak to MTSU students Tuesday night in the Carson-Kennedy Nursing Building.
Sherrell spoke on topics such as college tuition, employment rates and education, placing heavy emphasis on reforms she felt needed to occur in the educational system, especially at the collegiate level.
“Supporting education is one of my top priorities,” Sherrell said.
According to the congressional candidate, today’s students need to be better prepared for “jobs of the 21st century.” In order for students to be appropriately prepared, higher education must be made more available and the concern of debt should not be so great.
“I will fight to invest in the federal financial programs,” Sherrell says. “[I will] push to increase the reward.”
Another topic Sherrell expanded upon was employment.
“I think that our middle class families are the core of our country,” said Sherrell.
She noted that it has become common for people to feel the need to acquire a second job as their cost of living necessitated the additional income. Jobs are not paying as well today as they did during the generation of her parents, Sherrell said.
According to Sherrell, it’s time to raise the minimum wage.
“[It’s] not just the right thing to do,” Sherrell said. “It’s the smart thing to do.”
Near the end of her speech, Sherrell asked that students register to vote and that they encourage their peers to do the same, stating that bills currently in congress are bills that will shape the world current students will inherit.
“I have the fundamental belief that we are all in this together,” Sherrell said.
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