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USFSP web article about Road to the White House 2016
Here is a copy of the text:
"On Jan. 31, students at USF St. Petersburg will head north as part of the
Road to the White House
class. During the quadrennial class, which has been offered every four
years since 2004, they will visit New Hampshire and participate in the
presidential campaigns for seven Democratic and Republication
candidates.
Associate Professor of Political Science
Dr. Judithanne Scourfield McLauchlan
will hit the road with a class of 23 students. As part of the 10-day
trip, the students will serve as interns for the campaigns of Democratic
candidates Hillary Clinton, Martin O’Malley, and Bernie Sanders, as
well Republican candidates Jeb Bush, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, and Donald
Trump, leading up to the first-in-the-nation primary on Feb. 9. The
course allows students to learn about the history and politics of U.S.
presidential campaigns and the election process through an intensive
internship and seminar.
USFSP student Richard Marini
“We want them to be enthusiastic about their candidate and to try to
have every campaign covered,” said McLauchlan, who allows students to
select the candidates’ campaigns for which they want to work by only
steering them within their conservative or democratic political
preferences.
“It’s not just an internship,” said McLauchlan, who describes the
class as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see a presidential
political campaign up close. In addition to their internships, students
will have daily class meetings and seminars with guest speakers, and
will go on area field trips. Each student also will
write blog entries about their experiences while in New Hampshire, and the
general course blog also will feature a photo gallery.
USFSP student Miranda Latimer
Each student has his or her own goals and reasons for enrolling in the class and choosing to represent a specific candidate.
Mass Communication sophomore Richard “Richie” Marini, 20, who has
volunteered to work for Sen. Bernie Sanders’ campaign, said he was
excited about the course and knew he would regret it if he didn’t take
the class.
“This election has a lot of wild cards,” Marini said about the
presidential candidates in both major parties. “I like Sen. Sanders’
social and domestic viewpoints, as they may help him identify with more
Americans.”
USFSP student Victor Sims
Mass Communications major Miranda Latimer, 18, whose interest is in
Advertising, said she hopes to learn about how candidates sell
themselves to the public during the campaign process. She hopes to work
as an intern for Marco Rubio’s campaign during the class.
Psychology major Victor Sims, 20, said he was a fan of Hillary
Clinton until the attack on Benghazi occurred. Sims said he has elected
to work for her campaign for this class because he wants to give her a
second chance.
“Her being a family woman is a good value,” he said about Clinton,
who added that she has been pushing for foster care system reform for
many years. Having grown up in the Florida foster care system, Sims said
he thinks she can make a difference for future kids whose experiences
are similar to his as a child growing up in the system.
