By Sarah Powers

Ellen Shuck wants to tell Americans about good family values, how much money they are spending and the severe change in society.

Shuck is president of College Republicans on the East Tennessee State University campus. This step into the spotlight has given her a chance to let others know about what she considers important.

“What I feel is the biggest issue in today’s society is that there is a generation of people in our nation with an entitlement mentality,” Shuck said. “Saying I’m entitled to this whether I work for it or not, whether I deserve it. Like the example from Congressmen Phil Roe with the price of milk being what it has been recently. A dairy farmer could make more by not doing anything than by actually waking up at 4 a.m. and working really hard. If that can happen something is wrong.”

Shuck said with this mentality, society is a world of taking but not giving, with people feeling as if it was theirs in the first place. As with the dairy farmers, the business owners are no longer doing the job themselves. Someone else does it for them, but the owners get all of the benefit.

With Democratic President Barack Obama in office, Shuck is still positive. She encourages all of the club’s members to support Obama not only in positive thoughts but also in prayer. Although she says that it depends on the individual to decide how they feel about the president, she makes it clear to club members that not liking him does no good.

At the moment the club is regrouping with hopes to come back stronger in support of the next election but to have fun while doing it.

The Rogersville native’s main goal at the moment is to build membership in hopes of creating a place where conservative students can have a peer group. Having made many of her best friends in the organization, she stresses how it is a great way to meet like-minded college students.

Shuck is making all efforts to get more people involved. There are ideas of everything from just having fun nights out, like going to eat, to discussing meeting with another campus organization that supports the same conservative views. There has also been some discussion of a pro-life event.

With local elections coming up soon, Shuck has already started planning events for the group. She plans on leading the group in support of the Republican candidates. Even though they will not get involved in the primaries, she will make sure there is an event where the members can meet with the candidates.

Although College Republicans is a large part of Shuck’s life, she does not see herself in politics after she graduates in 2011. Shuck says she is not really that big of an arguer and that everyone is entitled to an opinion. Right now she just wants to get her opinions heard, and this is as far as it goes.

The group it is not the only thing she is involved in at ETSU. She is also the worship leader at the Wesley Foundation. Having done some of the singing in the foundation’s band last year, Shuck has been given the opportunity to be a leader there as well.

“I just want to use anything that God has given me to help the Wesley Foundation in any way and just help the church in general,” Shuck said.

The accounting major has spent the past three years of her college life learning how to be a leader, taking on positions that many would not and standing above the crowd. When giving attribution to what has made her such an outgoing person, Shuck gives her credit to the Preview program on campus.

Preview allows incoming freshmen and transfer students to learn about the campus, meet new people and get involved with the school. Being a leader for two years has given Shuck the experience and courage to take on the positions she has on campus and in her life.

“It’s crazy to say that a program helped make you who you are,” Shuck said. “But even with just being a leader, Preview did.”