fall 08 southern_FINAL draft:southern magazine_text pages_draft 1 10/13/2008 11:39 AM Page 34 Veteran political science professor Dr. Natalie Davis during a class session. 34 / ’southern fall 08 southern_FINAL draft:southern magazine_text pages_draft 1 10/13/2008 11:39 AM Page 35 Democracy in Action eing hailed as a training ground for future public servants and politicians is certainly not a goal of Birmingham- How BSC inspires its students Southern. Yet the college is producing a Bvibrant conglomerate of opportunities for and alumni to become engaged students to move out of their comfort zone and to become aware of the political activities in activity for the public good available on the campus and in the community. “It’s difficult to separate the intellectual, by pat cole cultural, social, and engaged learning aspect of a student’s education,” says Dr. David Pollick, BSC president. “If you don’t have an informed citizen, you can’t have an effective citizen. “Though the college doesn’t set out as its primary goal to create an activist and someone who is politically engaged, I think our first intention is to make students as thoughtful as possible while helping them to develop all the skills they can at this age within an academic community. So the ultimate end is for them to be involved in the world as effectively as they can be.” The full liberal arts experience at Birmingham- Southern has long involved so much more than the traditional classroom education, which by itself seeks to develop thoughtful U.S. citizens by the time students become alumni. The Latin origin of the term “liberal arts” is “artes liberales,” which can be translated from English-Latin dictionaries as the skills, knowledge, or practice of freedom. So it would follow that the liberal arts at its deepest level teaches students the skills they need to become not only better thinkers, but better citizens, which in turn strengthens a democracy. Through the service and leadership programs, interdisciplinary curriculum, organizational memberships, and travel that Birmingham- Southern offers, students can step into leadership roles, voice their opinions, and get involved in numerous issues of civic importance to their city and nation. All of these opportunities encourage BSC students to develop an appreciation for their communities, to become politically engaged during college, and to remain so after graduation. fall 2008 / 35 fall 08 southern_FINAL draft:southern magazine_text pages_draft 1 10/13/2008 11:39 AM Page 36 FEATURES and text- messaging—has made 2008 the year of the young voter. Using cyberspace and other high-tech means, candidates in this election have been reaching out to Millennial-age students in a way that’s never been done BSC Political Science Professor Dr. Natalie Davis (center, beige suit) invited Rep. Artur Davis, D-Ala., before. (left of center), and Republican Luther Strange (right of center), who ran for Alabama lieutenant governor “Plus, issues in 2006, to the campus for a mock presidential debate as part of an intensive two-week course she taught including the in August on the 2008 presidential election—designed for first-year students at BSC. war in Iraq, job creation and availability, energy costs, and Student engagement in the 21st century affordable college tuition have motivated and mobilized students,” What do the words “civic unpopular war and the civil rights says senior political science major engagement” really mean? movement. The uniqueness of the Gary Crosby, president of the BSC According to a study by Thomas 2008 elections has created a chain of College Democrats, who attended Ehrlich in Civic Responsibility and excitement across the nation and the Democratic National Higher Education, civic engagement helped to fuel candidate momentum Convention in August. means working to make a difference and increase interest among voters. BSC College Republicans chairman in the civic life of our communities Americans, in general, are Alex Masterson, a sophomore through political and non-political deepening their commitment to history major, is hopeful the extra processes and developing the service and civic engagement as they interest in politics and the electoral combination of knowledge, skills, witness the first African-American process this year will continue past values, and motivation to make that presidential candidate, Democratic the 2008 elections. difference. Engagement also entails Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois, and “For there to be continued developing an understanding of the first presidential nominee who is involvement in the political process one’s part in a larger social fabric above the age of 70, Republican Sen. after the elections, student and building a shared sense of John McCain of Arizona. Then there organizations like the BSC College community. is New York Sen. Hillary Clinton, the Republicans and College Democrats The trend toward increased civic first woman who came close to need to facilitate speakers, programs, engagement and advocacy among being her party’s nominee, and and activities that will encourage college students in this historic 2008 McCain’s running mate, Alaska Gov. students to remain active in the presidential election year harkens Sarah Palin, who might become the political scene,” Masterson expresses. back to the activist days of the ’60s first woman vice president. “I believe that it is imperative for the when young people were heavily In addition, “new media”—in the students of my generation to be involved in politics because of an form of the Internet, YouTube, blogs, engaged in the process of becoming 36 / ’southern fall 08 southern_FINAL draft:southern magazine_text pages_draft 1 10/13/2008 11:40 AM Page 37 Survey says BSC students examine political views of Alabama voters for group research project A class of Birmingham-Southern students delved a little deeper into the 2008 U.S. elections with a statewide survey which drew out the belief systems of Alabamians and the way they pick presidential candidates. The 15 students, who were a part of the PS 304 Research Methodology course this past the educated and responsible citizens spring, spent several weeks designing and then conducting “The Birmingham-Southern of tomorrow. If today we do not College Annual Survey of Alabama Voters.” regard our liberty with a responsible When it was over, students had received some interesting pieces of the public’s sentiment. attitude, we might very well lack that According to survey results, Sen. John McCain slightly edged Sen. Barrack Obama with a 56 same liberty tomorrow.” percent approval rating among Alabamians, while Obama and Sen. Hillary Clinton went Many Birmingham-Southern almost toe-to-toe with 46 and 45 percent of approvals. In another portion of the survey, students worked in campaigns—both respondents were asked “If the election were held today, who would you vote for?” Between Democratic and Republican and in- Obama and McCain, 33 percent said they would vote for Obama, 60 percent stated they state as well as out-of-state—during would vote for McCain, and less than eight percent of respondents said they didn’t know. the 2008 January Interim term, and Generally-speaking, the majority of individuals surveyed were between ages 51-64, and 60 plenty are volunteering right now. percent of respondents were female. Regarding the ethnic breakdown, 75 percent were white According to the 14th Biannual Youth and 25 percent were African-American. Survey on Politics and Public Service The Research Methodology course is a required interdisciplinary class for political science, by the Harvard Institute of Politics sociology, and economic majors of BSC. This year, the course was taught by political science conducted this year, voters aged 18-29 professors Dr. Alicia Weaver and Dr. Natalie Davis. will comprise nearly a quarter of the “Students take a statistics course in the social sciences in the fall term, and then in the eligible electorate in 2008. spring, they apply what they have learned about statistics to a large-scale survey project,” “18 to 24 year olds are preparing to explains Davis. “Although we’ve been doing the survey for about 30 years, there have been vote in November in significant, if not, many changes with its content.” record numbers, further extending the The survey of 479 Alabama voters was conducted March 16-20. Not only did the students trend of increased participation that in the course learn the tools for gathering and analyzing political data, but they also got to be began in 2004 and extended to the firsthand witnesses to the survey going high-tech. For the first time in the course, more than 2006 mid-term elections,” the report half of the survey was sent through cyberspace using a random sample of Alabama adults cites. “Every measure of political who were the youngest registered voters in their household. The remaining portion of the engagement [among this age group] survey was completed by the students who interviewed by telephone. has increased since our last survey.” For Gary Crosby, a senior political science major from Jasper and leader of the BSC College So often, the evolution spurring Democrats, it was more than just a typical survey; it was beneficial to his goal to run for these changes in students can be traced public office. to their perception of what is “It was amazing to me how many people don’t even recognize a name like Artur Davis important for them when they go to [U.S. Representative from Alabama] or have any idea who their elected officials are,” says college. Crosby. “It taught me the importance of pushing for name recognition in the public domain. “Students don’t enter college “Overall, I was pleased to discover from the survey that 64 percent of Alabamians are either thinking about all the dramatic social very active or somewhat active in their communities; thus, the majority of Alabama residents issues of the world,” Pollick notes.