Blackburn Institute

Blackburn students start year with AL 102

October 14, 2010

As a part of the new Blackburn first year curriculum, student fellows convened at Alabama 102 to hear speakers discuss various issues facing the state of Alabama.

Blackburn Institute Director Dr. Philip Westbrook said that Alabama 102 was designed for the purpose of preparing students for the upcoming year and exposing them to new perspectives on state issues.

“Alabama 102 will be an exciting opportunity to learn about the state and will provide a general understanding of issues that will be further discussed throughout the year,” said Marshall Houston, Student Chair of the Blackburn Institute and a senior double majoring in English and Economics.

The event, held in the Carmichael Hall Rotunda, featured three main speakers: Dr. Bill Stewart, Professor Emeritus of the Political Science Department and expert in Alabama Politics; Dr. Gary Hoover, Professor of Economics and Assistant Dean in the Business School; and Dr. Cheree Causey, former Director of the Blackburn Institute and current member of the Advisory Board.

Regarding the ongoing debate on constitutional reform, Stewart discussed many of the problems associated with Alabama’s 1901 State Constitution.

Stewart addressed issues ranging from the lack of home rule, and excessive earmarking of state funds to special interest groups, and political corruption.

After also discussing the upcoming gubernatorial election, Dr. Stewart illustrated ways in which the state’s political parties have changed over the course of the last 110 years.

After hearing Professor Stewart speak, CadeAnn Smith, a 2009 Blackburn Student and a senior majoring in Political Science said, “He is truly a wealth of knowledge on all things Alabama politics; good and bad. Having him speak to the Blackburn Institute is an opportunity for even native Alabamians to learn a little more about the way our state is working for us.”

Dr. Gary Hoover expanded on Dr. Stewart’s discussion of state issues by focusing on economic development and problems associated with Alabama’s tax structure. An expert in public finance and income distribution, Hoover spoke on tax regressivity and the negative effects that a poor tax structure can have on underprivileged families and economic growth.

Mark Foley, a 2010 Blackburn Student double majoring in Economics and Biology, said, “Dr. Stewart and Dr. Hoover provided concrete examples of issues that occur in Alabama and enumerated some of the underlying causes of these problems.”

Finally, Dr. Cheree Causey spoke to Blackburn students and addressed the art of professional and effective communication.

As a part of the 2010 Curriculum, the Institute will visit Greensboro, AL, this October and Oneonta, AL, during the Spring Semester. Causey stressed the need for Blackburn students to be respectful when visiting different communities and interacting with local leaders.

Causey said that our purpose in visiting local communities is to gain a better understanding of the issues they face. This starts with a willingness to analyze a community from perspectives other than our own, she said.

Looking forward from the day’s event, Foley said that, “With a framework for understanding Alabama issues, we can better assess state problems and collaborate with community leaders to develop long term solutions.”

Alabama 102 was a successful start to the 2010-2011 school year. Lisa Elizondo, a 2010 Blackburn Student majoring in American Studies, summed the day up by saying, “I really enjoyed Alabama 102 and thought it was very beneficial in laying the groundwork for our knowledge of the state of Alabama.”

-David Simpson, Blackburn Class of 2009

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