Blackburn Institute

This semester I was honor to be selected as a new student fellow in the Blackburn Institute, an organization named in honor of Dr. John L. Blackburn. Not very many students know about this organization, so I thought I would inform ya'll about it and some of the great events that we sponsor, cause I would love to have some of you there! 

The Blackburn Institute takes thinking locally to a whole new level! Its purpose is "to develop a network of leaders, the Blackburn fellows, who have a clear understanding of the challenges that face the state of Alabama. The Institute provides the fellows opportunities to explore issues and identify strategic actions that will improve the quality of life for out state and nation." We get together and all put our heads together, or butt heads, and discuss all kinds of local issues and ideas. We all have a passion to makes things better and we all have different solutions. Hopefully, though, we will all be able to come together and change some things eventually. 

One of the big events we sponsor for the University students is the Frank A. Nix Lecture, which will be this fall Friday Oct. 17 in the Bryant Conference Center. Some of the people this lecture has brought to Tuscaloosa include Dr. Condoleezza Rice, former British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, and General Wesley Clark (U.S. Army, Ret.). I don't remember who is coming this year, but I think it is a former leader from South Africa. It should be very interesting, so if any of ya'll might be interested in coming I would be happy to keep you informed about the event! 

Anyway being a part of the group has really opened my eyes to some of the local problems around us! Our generation has a lot to change and fix, but I think we are up for the task at hand!