This blog will cover Dr. Judithanne Scourfield McLauchlan's ROAD to the WHITE HOUSE 2016 class (that will study the history and politics of U.S. presidential campaigns). She and her students will travel to New Hampshire for an intensive 10-day internship leading up to the first-in-the-nation primary.
Sunday, January 31, 2016
Meanwhile, back home We were featured on News Channel 8
While we were meeting as a seminar in New Hampshire, viewers back home in Tampa Bay saw a segment on News Channel 8 about the RTWH class. We learned about it when friends posted pics like this one on facebook.
First evening in NH for the #FITN
We arrived a few minutes early. The luggage came right away. The vans
were waiting for us. And check in at the hotel was a breeze. All the
advanced planning paid off!
We
heard the remaining candidate paper presentations. We played my
"Citizenship Bingo" (icebreaker)-- and awarded prizes! And students had a
chance to caucus with fellow campaign interns
We were about an hour ahead of schedule!
So we started our seminar over dinner a bit earlier.
 |
| Ms. Kendall, one of our Citizenship Bingo Winners! |
Seminar at TPA...RTWH Boarding Now
We met as a seminar at the gate. Students completed pre-internship surveys, and we reviewed the Itinerary and key logistics.
 |
| seminar at TPA |
 |
| Mitch Perry from Florida Politics interviewed students at the gate, |
 |
| Mitch Perry from Florida Politics interviewed students at the gate |
 |
| Go Bulls! The Captain made a special announcement welcoming RTWH 2016 on the flight to MHT |
Saturday, January 30, 2016
Mark Schreiner WUSF News Segment, "'Road to the White House' Takes USF Class to New Hampshire"
Click here for the WUSF News Link
'Road to the White House' Takes USF Class to New Hampshire
A University of South Florida St. Petersburg
political science class is taking off Saturday for the Granite State,
where students will be taking part in presidential campaigns ahead of
New Hampshire's first in the nation primary election.
The twenty-three students in the course, titled "The Road to the White House," will work for seven different candidates in both major parties in the days leading up to the February 9 primary.
Professor Judithanne Scourfield McLauchlan said they'll get to see just how much work goes into a campaign for the nation's highest office.
"They're going to have a real experience with grassroots organizing, with retail politics, they'll see the candidates at diners and town hall meetings and house parties and answering tough questions from voters," she said. "It's a very, very different animal from Florida campaigns, which tend to be paid media focus, advertising on television. This is going to be a real opportunity for them see a grassroots campaign."
The twenty-three students will take on internships with seven different campaigns, doing tasks like phone bank calls and holding signs at rallies and outside polling places.
In addition, they'll meet with political operatives from New Hampshire and across the country and have classes to discuss their experiences.
Scourfield McLauchlan, who brought similar classes to New Hampshire in 2004 and 2008 (the 2012
class stayed home to work at the GOP Convention in Tampa), said the
field experience will top anything the students could learn in the
classroom.
"I've worked on five presidential primaries in New Hampshire, I've worked in the White House, I can talk to them about what it's like and of course they're reading works in scholarly literature about presidential campaigns," she said. "But there's really going to be nothing like actually being in New Hampshire before the first in the nation primary and all they're going to experience."
The class is made up of underclass-level students from USF's Tampa and St. Petersburg campuses.
Thirteen will work for Democratic candidates: seven for Bernie Sanders, five for Hillary Clinton and one for Martin O'Malley.
Ten will campaign for Republican candidates: five for Marco Rubio, two for Jeb Bush, two for Ted Cruz and one for Donald Trump.
In addition, the class is blend of majors, not just political science.
Senior Victor Sims, who's volunteering for the Clinton campaign, said talking to potential voters should help him as he pursues a degree in psychology.
"Whenever I'm talking about Hillary Clinton, how have I captivated their (potential voters) interest in wanting to know more about her and her campaign specifically," Sims said. "So I think that's going to be a cool part, learning how the political process works and how to look at body language and know if I've engaged them enough to want to vote for her."
Students will be able to continue volunteering for their candidates when they return home in advance of the Florida primary election March 15.
You can follow the students on the campaign through their blogs and the class' website. I'll also be joining the group in New Hampshire in the final days before the primary. We'll have more of their story on upcoming University Beat reports on WUSF 89.7 and WUSF TV, as well as on Florida Matters.
You can also see University Beat reports on the 2012 and 2008 classes below.
2008 RTWH University Beat Link
The twenty-three students in the course, titled "The Road to the White House," will work for seven different candidates in both major parties in the days leading up to the February 9 primary.
Professor Judithanne Scourfield McLauchlan said they'll get to see just how much work goes into a campaign for the nation's highest office.
"They're going to have a real experience with grassroots organizing, with retail politics, they'll see the candidates at diners and town hall meetings and house parties and answering tough questions from voters," she said. "It's a very, very different animal from Florida campaigns, which tend to be paid media focus, advertising on television. This is going to be a real opportunity for them see a grassroots campaign."
The twenty-three students will take on internships with seven different campaigns, doing tasks like phone bank calls and holding signs at rallies and outside polling places.
In addition, they'll meet with political operatives from New Hampshire and across the country and have classes to discuss their experiences.
"I've worked on five presidential primaries in New Hampshire, I've worked in the White House, I can talk to them about what it's like and of course they're reading works in scholarly literature about presidential campaigns," she said. "But there's really going to be nothing like actually being in New Hampshire before the first in the nation primary and all they're going to experience."
The class is made up of underclass-level students from USF's Tampa and St. Petersburg campuses.
Thirteen will work for Democratic candidates: seven for Bernie Sanders, five for Hillary Clinton and one for Martin O'Malley.
Ten will campaign for Republican candidates: five for Marco Rubio, two for Jeb Bush, two for Ted Cruz and one for Donald Trump.
In addition, the class is blend of majors, not just political science.
Senior Victor Sims, who's volunteering for the Clinton campaign, said talking to potential voters should help him as he pursues a degree in psychology.
"Whenever I'm talking about Hillary Clinton, how have I captivated their (potential voters) interest in wanting to know more about her and her campaign specifically," Sims said. "So I think that's going to be a cool part, learning how the political process works and how to look at body language and know if I've engaged them enough to want to vote for her."
Students will be able to continue volunteering for their candidates when they return home in advance of the Florida primary election March 15.
You can follow the students on the campaign through their blogs and the class' website. I'll also be joining the group in New Hampshire in the final days before the primary. We'll have more of their story on upcoming University Beat reports on WUSF 89.7 and WUSF TV, as well as on Florida Matters.
You can also see University Beat reports on the 2012 and 2008 classes below.
2008 RTWH University Beat Link
Thursday, January 28, 2016
Studio 10 Live! WTSP Channel 10 News discussion about the Road to the White House
What fun to have the opportunity to stop by WTSP's Studio 10 Live (our CBS affiliate) and chat with host Stephanie Webb about The Road to the White House. I was joined by one of the 23 students in the class, Emily-May Thatcher.
Channel 10 Live Video
WTSP Channel 10 News (CBS affiliate) morning show: "USF Students Head to New Hampshire Primary"
What a great line up of guests on this morning's Studio 10 Live program. Our segment about "Road to the White House" followed a segment "Mutts Gone Nuts," a tough act to follow.
Link to Video WTSP CBS Channel 10 News
Link to Video WTSP CBS Channel 10 News
Creative Loafing article by Kate Bradshaw: "Primary School: USF St Pete Poli Sci Class to Get Firsthand Glimpse of NH Primary"
Here is a link to the full text of the Creative Loafing article
Copy and pasted below
But there they were.
Sanders supporter Emily Thatcher, a senior and political science major at University of South Florida, and her classmate, Nick Encinas, a junior of the same major, talking about why they like their guy.
“What I like about him is that he’s got such a long political career, and he hasn’t really flip-flopped on a lot of issues,” Thatcher said of Sanders. “He’s kind of just stayed the same with his own points of view. And he just seems very personable, an approachable kind of guy, not someone that is scary, if that makes sense.”
Encinas, meanwhile, said his support for Cruz stems from years of listening to conservative talk radio with his father.
“Most of his political views align with mine,” he said. “He has a consistent track record of leadership and conservative values. That’s something that really appeals to me.”
The two are part of a USF course called Road to the White House, an intensive, hands-on political science class that focuses on the run-up to the 2016 presidential election, namely the early-state primaries. On Sunday, they head to New Hampshire to observe—and take part in—the state’s Feb. 9 primary.
“I’m really excited, but also kind of nervous. I’m originally from up north,” Thatcher said. “I guess the thing I’m most nervous about is how cold it’s going to be. I haven’t been in a New England in a really long time.”
The class is the brainchild of Dr. Judithanne Scourfield-McLauchlan, a veteran politico whose resume consists of everything from a Clinton White House staff position to an unsuccessful bid for State Senate on the Democratic ticket against incumbent Jeff Brandes (R—St. Petersburg) in 2014.
The class runs every four years, of course, to correspond with presidential years. For those that take it, the experience is a once-in-a-lifetime deal.
“This class happens once in four years,” said Victor Sims, a senior psychology major who will be helping out on Hillary Clinton’s campaign. “And if we really think about it, we only have four years in college if we take the traditional route and get it done in four years. So it’s a once-in-a-college career opportunity. So it’s really exciting. I decided to end this year with a last hurrah.”
It’s the fourth class of its kind, though in 2012 Florida early position on the primary calendar led the class to stay in town rather than head north.
The nearly two-week stint in the Granite State entails a rigorous schedule for the students.
“We have a very ambitious itinerary,” Scourfield-McLauchlan said. “We’ll be up there the last ten days before the primary. Generally speaking, in the mornings, we meet as a seminar at the hotel. We have guest speakers, we go on field trips. So, for example, we’ll be visiting the Republican Party headquarters, the Democratic Party headquarters, we’ll go to the State House, we’ll be meeting with elected officials from New Hampshire to learn about the political scene there. We’ll be meeting with reporters and journalists covering the primary, and with pollsters; all the latest information, et cetera. So we meet every morning at the hotel, and then from lunchtime on they’re basically with their campaigns.”
McLauchlan and her students will also be blogging on their experience while they're up there.
“The New Hampshire First in the Nation primary is such an electrifying experience,” she said. “It’s hard to think of the right adjective to describe, really, what it will be like for them up there. But it’s very grassroots, retail politics, so they’re going to get to see candidates, presidential candidates, who are talking to guests at diners, who are in townhall meetings answering tough questions. So it’s a very different animal once (candidates) come down here to Florida.”
She said she chose New Hampshire for a number of reasons. Even though it’s actually the second state to pick its presidential candidates—Iowa decides Feb. 1—it’s the first to have a primary election rather than a caucus, which Iowa has, and to her, elections tend to be more exciting.
“Personally I’m a little biased toward primaries rather than caucuses. Caucuses are such a strange animal and not as reflective of voters, I don’t think, just because it’s a small, small percentage of people that come out to caucus. Whereas, in the New Hampshire primary, turnout is extraordinarily high. So people are engaged in the process. It’s very different. So I’m kind of partial to the New Hampshire primary.”
Plus, she said, students can watch the Iowa caucuses from New Hampshire and observe the “sea change” that can often take place between the two, the rise of some candidates as others see their candidacy fall apart.
The students’ campaign work will likely consist of what she calls get-out-the-vote efforts, such as phone-banking and sign-waving at a Republican debate that will take place while the students are there.
This year the group is not only bigger than classes past, it also consists of a nearly even split between Democrats and Republicans—13 to 10, about as close as you get in a room full of young people, who tend to be liberal.
The students got to choose the campaigns on which they worked. Seven are helping out on the Sanders campaign, five are working for Clinton, one for former Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley,
two for former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, five for U.S. Senator from Florida Marco Rubio, two for Cruz and one for Donald Trump.
“So it’s a nice, diverse group,” Scourfield-McLauchlan said. “Usually we have all the campaigns covered and I pride myself on that. I knew that with 15 campaigns, given the number of seats in our vans, we couldn’t cover every campaign. It’ll still be a nice, diverse group of campaigns, though.”
While not everybody in class has an idea of what path they’ll take after graduation, most say the experience in New Hampshire will help their careers.
“I’m not sure what I want to do post graduation yet, but I think it would be a great steppingstone if I want to get involved down here or just get involved more in the Democratic party,” said sophomore Jack Zygadlo, an economics major. “I think this is a great place to start.”
USF St. Petersburg Regional Chancellor Sophia T. Wisniewska said hands-on experiences like this are often a more effective means of learning about a given subject than listening to a lecture in a classroom.
“I think this is an extraordinary opportunity for students for many reasons,” she said. “They’ll (observe) the political process. They’ll get to meet the candidates. But most of all, I think these kinds of learning opportunities, the internships, the practica, those are the ways that students learn best. That will have more impact, probably, than many of the theoretical classroom experiences that you have. That’s what I think what really makes it exciting.”
Copy and pasted below
Primary school: USF St. Pete poli sci class to get a firsthand glimpse of N.H. primary
Posted By Kate Bradshaw on Thu, Jan 28, 2016 at 10:37 AM
It’s hard to imagine a Ted Cruz fan and a Bernie Sanders supporter sitting at the same table without getting into a heated debate about the two U.S. Senators-turned-presidential hopefuls’ two extremely disparate worldviews.
But there they were.
Sanders supporter Emily Thatcher, a senior and political science major at University of South Florida, and her classmate, Nick Encinas, a junior of the same major, talking about why they like their guy.
“What I like about him is that he’s got such a long political career, and he hasn’t really flip-flopped on a lot of issues,” Thatcher said of Sanders. “He’s kind of just stayed the same with his own points of view. And he just seems very personable, an approachable kind of guy, not someone that is scary, if that makes sense.”
Encinas, meanwhile, said his support for Cruz stems from years of listening to conservative talk radio with his father.
“Most of his political views align with mine,” he said. “He has a consistent track record of leadership and conservative values. That’s something that really appeals to me.”
The two are part of a USF course called Road to the White House, an intensive, hands-on political science class that focuses on the run-up to the 2016 presidential election, namely the early-state primaries. On Sunday, they head to New Hampshire to observe—and take part in—the state’s Feb. 9 primary.
“I’m really excited, but also kind of nervous. I’m originally from up north,” Thatcher said. “I guess the thing I’m most nervous about is how cold it’s going to be. I haven’t been in a New England in a really long time.”
The class is the brainchild of Dr. Judithanne Scourfield-McLauchlan, a veteran politico whose resume consists of everything from a Clinton White House staff position to an unsuccessful bid for State Senate on the Democratic ticket against incumbent Jeff Brandes (R—St. Petersburg) in 2014.
The class runs every four years, of course, to correspond with presidential years. For those that take it, the experience is a once-in-a-lifetime deal.
“This class happens once in four years,” said Victor Sims, a senior psychology major who will be helping out on Hillary Clinton’s campaign. “And if we really think about it, we only have four years in college if we take the traditional route and get it done in four years. So it’s a once-in-a-college career opportunity. So it’s really exciting. I decided to end this year with a last hurrah.”
It’s the fourth class of its kind, though in 2012 Florida early position on the primary calendar led the class to stay in town rather than head north.
The nearly two-week stint in the Granite State entails a rigorous schedule for the students.
“We have a very ambitious itinerary,” Scourfield-McLauchlan said. “We’ll be up there the last ten days before the primary. Generally speaking, in the mornings, we meet as a seminar at the hotel. We have guest speakers, we go on field trips. So, for example, we’ll be visiting the Republican Party headquarters, the Democratic Party headquarters, we’ll go to the State House, we’ll be meeting with elected officials from New Hampshire to learn about the political scene there. We’ll be meeting with reporters and journalists covering the primary, and with pollsters; all the latest information, et cetera. So we meet every morning at the hotel, and then from lunchtime on they’re basically with their campaigns.”
McLauchlan and her students will also be blogging on their experience while they're up there.
“The New Hampshire First in the Nation primary is such an electrifying experience,” she said. “It’s hard to think of the right adjective to describe, really, what it will be like for them up there. But it’s very grassroots, retail politics, so they’re going to get to see candidates, presidential candidates, who are talking to guests at diners, who are in townhall meetings answering tough questions. So it’s a very different animal once (candidates) come down here to Florida.”
She said she chose New Hampshire for a number of reasons. Even though it’s actually the second state to pick its presidential candidates—Iowa decides Feb. 1—it’s the first to have a primary election rather than a caucus, which Iowa has, and to her, elections tend to be more exciting.
“Personally I’m a little biased toward primaries rather than caucuses. Caucuses are such a strange animal and not as reflective of voters, I don’t think, just because it’s a small, small percentage of people that come out to caucus. Whereas, in the New Hampshire primary, turnout is extraordinarily high. So people are engaged in the process. It’s very different. So I’m kind of partial to the New Hampshire primary.”
Plus, she said, students can watch the Iowa caucuses from New Hampshire and observe the “sea change” that can often take place between the two, the rise of some candidates as others see their candidacy fall apart.
The students’ campaign work will likely consist of what she calls get-out-the-vote efforts, such as phone-banking and sign-waving at a Republican debate that will take place while the students are there.
This year the group is not only bigger than classes past, it also consists of a nearly even split between Democrats and Republicans—13 to 10, about as close as you get in a room full of young people, who tend to be liberal.
The students got to choose the campaigns on which they worked. Seven are helping out on the Sanders campaign, five are working for Clinton, one for former Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley,
two for former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, five for U.S. Senator from Florida Marco Rubio, two for Cruz and one for Donald Trump.
“So it’s a nice, diverse group,” Scourfield-McLauchlan said. “Usually we have all the campaigns covered and I pride myself on that. I knew that with 15 campaigns, given the number of seats in our vans, we couldn’t cover every campaign. It’ll still be a nice, diverse group of campaigns, though.”
While not everybody in class has an idea of what path they’ll take after graduation, most say the experience in New Hampshire will help their careers.
“I’m not sure what I want to do post graduation yet, but I think it would be a great steppingstone if I want to get involved down here or just get involved more in the Democratic party,” said sophomore Jack Zygadlo, an economics major. “I think this is a great place to start.”
USF St. Petersburg Regional Chancellor Sophia T. Wisniewska said hands-on experiences like this are often a more effective means of learning about a given subject than listening to a lecture in a classroom.
“I think this is an extraordinary opportunity for students for many reasons,” she said. “They’ll (observe) the political process. They’ll get to meet the candidates. But most of all, I think these kinds of learning opportunities, the internships, the practica, those are the ways that students learn best. That will have more impact, probably, than many of the theoretical classroom experiences that you have. That’s what I think what really makes it exciting.”
Wednesday, January 27, 2016
Bay News 9: "USF St Pete Students Heading to New Hampshire Primary"
Here is the link to the Bay News 9 website article about our Road to the White House class:
Bay News 9 web article link
As part of their class, Road to the
White House, these USF St. Petersburg students will head to New
Hampshire for the nation's first primary where they will take part in a
presidential candidate's campaign to learn first-hand how the political
process works.
ST. PETERSBURG --
A group of students from the
University of South Florida. St. Petersburg are headed to New Hampshire
for the nation's first primary.
Each student will take part in a presidential candidate's campaign to learn first-hand how the political process works. It's part of their class "Road to the White House."
"I've worked on five presidential elections in New Hampshire," said USF Professor Judithanne McLauchlan. "I can talk to them about it, but there's really nothing, no substitute for being up there and seeing it yourself first-hand."
The students will blog daily about their experiences on the campaign trail.
"It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," said student Terran Winegeart. "You can campaign for senators, but for the potential Presidential of the United States, it's a really big deal."
They leave for New Hampshire this weekend. The primary is Feb. 9.
Bay News 9 web article link
USF St. Pete students heading to New Hampshire primary
As part of their class, Road to the
White House, these USF St. Petersburg students will head to New
Hampshire for the nation's first primary where they will take part in a
presidential candidate's campaign to learn first-hand how the political
process works.
Last Updated: Monday, January 25, 2016, 6:26 PM
Each student will take part in a presidential candidate's campaign to learn first-hand how the political process works. It's part of their class "Road to the White House."
"I've worked on five presidential elections in New Hampshire," said USF Professor Judithanne McLauchlan. "I can talk to them about it, but there's really nothing, no substitute for being up there and seeing it yourself first-hand."
The students will blog daily about their experiences on the campaign trail.
"It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," said student Terran Winegeart. "You can campaign for senators, but for the potential Presidential of the United States, it's a really big deal."
They leave for New Hampshire this weekend. The primary is Feb. 9.
CBS News Channel 10 story about USFSP's Road to the White House: "USF Students Take to Campaign Trail"
Here is a link to the WTSP Channel 10 News story about our "Road to the White House" class
WTSP Link -- Road to the White House
WTSP Link -- Road to the White House
Last seminar before leaving sunny Florida (1/25/16), Send Off by Chancellor Wisniewska
Our last meeting on the USFSP campus before leaving for New Hampshire was on Monday, January 25th
We reviewed our NH Itinerary, expectations for the internships, listened to additional student presentation about presidential candidates -- and -- we were pleased that Chancellor Sophia Wisniewska came by to wish us well on our journey.
We proudly presented the Chancellor with one of our USFSP RTWH 2016 shirts, with appreciation for university support for this program (including a 50th Anniversary Grant).
We were also joined by our local NBC and CBS affiliates, Bay News 9, Creative Loafing, and WUSF. (Those stories to be posted in separate links)
We reviewed our NH Itinerary, expectations for the internships, listened to additional student presentation about presidential candidates -- and -- we were pleased that Chancellor Sophia Wisniewska came by to wish us well on our journey.
We proudly presented the Chancellor with one of our USFSP RTWH 2016 shirts, with appreciation for university support for this program (including a 50th Anniversary Grant).
We were also joined by our local NBC and CBS affiliates, Bay News 9, Creative Loafing, and WUSF. (Those stories to be posted in separate links)
 |
| with Mark Schreiner from WUSF...this radio interview will air on Friday, 1/29/16 |
 |
| with Candace McGowan of NBC affiliate WFLA News Channel 8 |
 |
| Emily-May Thatcher chats with Kate Bradshaw of Creative Loafing |
 |
 |
| Dalia Dangerfield of Bay News 9 interviews Chancellor Sophia Wisniewska |
 |
| Mark Schriener of WUSF interviews Victor Sims |
 |
| Dr Mclauchlan presented Chancellor Wisniewska with a RTWH 2016 shirt |
 |
| Dr McLauchlan speaks with Kate Bradshaw of Creative Loafing |
 |
| Dr McLauchlan chats with Mark Schriener of WUSF |
Sunday, January 24, 2016
Presidential Campaign Presentations x 15
On the first day of our seminar, students presented papers about each of the 15 presidential candidates. I pre-assigned the papers to be sure that as a class we learned about each of these candidates.
Students' presentations included a brief biography, a brief review of policy initiatives/platform, a brief summary of his/her campaign strategy, and current standing in the polls (national, IA, NH, and FL).
These were multi-media presentations that included video clips of TV ads and excerpts of speeches/rallies/interviews.
Students' presentations included a brief biography, a brief review of policy initiatives/platform, a brief summary of his/her campaign strategy, and current standing in the polls (national, IA, NH, and FL).
These were multi-media presentations that included video clips of TV ads and excerpts of speeches/rallies/interviews.
Democrats
Clinton O’Malley Sanders
WARD BATEMAN KENDALL
DOAN LEGAC
Republicans
Bush Carson Christie
SONESTROM RUIZ HUGHES
PERMUY FORNOF
Cruz Fiorina Gilmore
ENCINAS WINSTON
LATIMER HAPPEL
Huckabee Kasich Paul
THATCHER McENTEE PEVY
WINEGART
Rubio Santorum Trump
ZYGALDO THOMPSON MARINI
ADAMS SIMS
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)