Course to focus on death penalty

CACTUS, or the Citizens' Assembly for Critical Thinking About the United States, will be tackling the idea of capital punishment and the death penalty in the upcoming 2010 spring semester. POL 301 could be a suitable addition to schedules if students are interested in political debates.CACTUS debates will focus on whether or not the penalty should be kept, abolished or changed. The class will also approach the topic at a federal and state level, as well as discuss moral and ethical standpoints.

Glenn Rainey, co-coordinator of CACTUS, said they based their decision for the 2010 topic on a variety of things, such as complexity, student interest and the government's current interest to resolve the topic.

"[We] didn't want to choose a topic that was going to be resolved before we could make ours," Glenn said.

"[The death penalty] is a serious topic, but around that we do things in the class to have fun," said Jane Rainey, co-coordinator of CACTUS.

The class will be divided into three separate stages - learning, public hearing and deliberation. The learning phase will consist primarily of researching the death penalty and incorporating guest speakers into lectures. The public hearing stage will allow the public to weigh in on the subject, through speaking and public discussion boards. Lastly, the Assembly will enter a deliberation phase where students come to a conclusion based on consensus, and then type a recommendation.

Jane said the class' idea of citizens' assemblies essentially practices a lower model of government based on citizens' assemblies in Canada, where it was practiced in British Columbia and copied in Ontario.

Jane said the idea these assemblies are based upon is deliberative democracy, which essentially means government by discussion. Canada has had the biggest influence on this ideal, she said. Jane said CACTUS will develop strong skills within its participants, such as building confidence by working with others in small discussion groups, enhancing critical thinking and boosting communication skills.

Jordan Yurt, a junior double major in political science and French, took the class when students debated the value of the Electoral College. Yurt said he gained an overall appreciation for the topic.

"I learned the most about the electoral college and what it was meant to do," Yurt said. "Now, I can help others learn about the deep intricacies of the college itself."

"The ones who finish have a great time," Glenn said. "[Students] will walk out having more friends."

Jane said the class has created links between students and others.

"[We work toward] turning students into citizens," Jane said. "We try to avoid calling it a class. It's a class, but it's larger than a class. "

For more information on CACTUS contact Jane or Glenn Rainey or visit their Web site at www.cactus.eku.edu.