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Please click here for more information about the Road to the White House 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020, and 2024
Friday, May 3, 2024
Wednesday, May 1, 2024
USF St Pete Road to the White House BOOK -- edited volume of student Journals, Blogs, Internship Papers
Click here to read student reflections in their Internship Papers, Journals and Blogs -- and to see pictures from the campaign trail in the Fist in the Nation/First in the South Presidential Primary in South Carolina
LINK to the ROAD to the WHITE HOUSE 2024 BOOK
Saturday, April 13, 2024
Wednesday, March 13, 2024
Thursday, March 7, 2024
WUSF University Beat -- USF Students Take On the South Carolina Presidential Primary with Road to the White House course -- by Kayla Kissel
Click here to read Kayl Kissel's article and to see the photo gallery!
Twenty-four USF students are on the ground in South Carolina, working on presidential campaigns for the internship/course, "Road to the White House."
by Kayla Kissel
Two dozen University of South Florida students packed their bags and stacked into vans to travel 500 miles away for the South Carolina presidential campaigns.
The program, Road to the White House, is an internship weaved into a course. Every four years, USF students of any major read scholarly literature about presidential campaigns and travel to an early primary state to get hands-on experience.
Judithanne McLauchlan is an associate professor of political science. She started the 6-credit course in 2004 when she brought students to New Hampshire for the first of the nation primary.
This year, they embarked on Feb. 16 to campaign for South Carolina’s Republican primary election that takes place Saturday. President Joe Biden won the Democratic primary on Feb. 3.
“These students are going to have a new perspective, because they're going to have been on the ground in South Carolina,” McLauchlan said. “They're going to see the candidates, they're going to hear from the candidates and take away experiences and knowledge that they could never have learned just inside the four walls of our classroom.”
Traveling alongside her are students that she said were competitively selected and represent USF at the “highest level.”
Every morning, the students assemble for a seminar over breakfast before going into the field for the day.
Seventeen students are working with the South Carolina Democratic Party, five with Donald Trump’s campaign, and two with Nikki Hailey.
“I'm 100% committed to making sure every student, regardless of political views, has a great learning opportunity,” McLauchlan said. “I always allow the students to select where they work, I will never tell a student that they have to work for one candidate or another candidate. It's always the students' choice.”
Click here to read the USFSP Road to the White House class and student blogs
Richie Marini Jr.
Lana Sleiman is a senior political science major. Even though the Democrats have already held their primary, the students are working with the SCDP on the "retail politics" that states like New Hampshire and South Carolina are known for.
“We're still phone banking, because they do have a state convention coming up,” Sleiman said. “We're trying to recruit people to go to the state convention and run for the open chair position that's there."
"We'll do some data analysis work to follow up with those people who said yes, or with those people who were hesitant and see what we can do to get them to go.”
Sleiman said that on the trip she has been able to meet political figures in person, including U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn.
“It's been a humbling experience, because sometimes the person you see on the screen isn't the same person you meet," Sleiman said. "Sometimes they are a lot nicer of a person than you realize."
Steven Brown is a political science student. He’s also a veteran and is using his time in South Carolina to work on vet outreach for the Trump campaign.
“I saw the need for reform in the VA (Veterans Affairs), it's a problem and people are struggling and killing themselves,” Brown said. “I thought that the best way for me to serve my country again and serve my community was to work in policy. One of the best ways to get these things done is to work with legislators and to work with officials.”
USF Road to the White House
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Student blog
Brown added that while working on the Trump campaign, he canvassed 93 houses in one day and that his classmates have been climbing the leadership board for phone banking.
Both Sleiman and Brown said they are planning to continue with campaigns through the November general election, adding that they have gained invaluable networking opportunities through Road to the White House.
“It's going to be incredibly beneficial, the connections I've already made in the days we've been here,” Brown said. “It’s one thing to be a volunteer, but it's another thing to come from an educational angle."
"Having productive conversations across the aisle and explaining why we believe the way that we believe rather than just yelling at each other on social media in all caps, has been a way to kind of bridge the gaps between the two ideologies," he added.
Sleiman even said that finding out about this internship was meant to happen.
“It felt like everything had lined up. It was honestly a dream come true,” Sleiman said. “I had wanted this for so long. I knew it may have been one of the only opportunities to be so immersed into the political field and to learn so much about the primary process.”
McLauchlan said she’s proud of her students for their stamina and hard work as they work long hours ahead of the primary.
“They're 24 different individuals, 24 personalities, but it's really a beautiful cohort of strong and interesting, smart students who have diverse views,” McLauchlan said. “It’s just been a wonderful thing to watch the students get to know each other. They are from different majors, different campuses, different backgrounds, and we are all the Road to the White House.”
The students will hold a public roundtable discussion about the primary and their trip on Feb. 29 from 11 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. at the Poynter Library on the USF St. Petersburg campus.
Monday, February 26, 2024
Newsmax by John Gizzi -- interviewed USF Road to the White House students in South Carolina
For the full article, see this link:
https://www.newsmax.com/john-gizzi/trump-youth-vote-biden/2024/02/25/id/1154854/
By JOHN GIZZI
CORRESPONDENT
Young Volunteers Tell Newsmax Why They Like Trump
B Sunday, 25 February 2024 07:22 AM EST
It has often been conjectured that if younger voters turn out in large numbers, the odds on Donald Trump unseating Joe Biden will drop dramatically.
The former president’s seeming dismissal toward youth-embraced issues such as climate change, not to mention his opposition to legalized abortion and his demeanor, the argument goes, are strong reasons that a “youth-quake” of voters will finish him.
So, in noticing a large contingent of University of South Florida interns for the Trump campaign at its Columbia, South Carolina headquarters on the day of the Palmetto State’s presidential primary, Newsmax decided to ask just what motivated them to work for the candidate who is easily the most controversial among many of their contemporaries.
“He has the power and influence to make the U.S. a superpower again,” said freshman Olivia Borek. “I am most interested in international relations and I think President Trump would know best how to deal with the world situation.”
Borek’s fellow freshman Grace (she did not want to give her last name) explained she was “very interested in the process and was especially focused on the issues of border security and the economy. I agree with his policies on those issues and I like him personally.”
“He’ll put our nation first,” said Valaria, a USF senior who also requested we not use her last name. “He’s restored our sense of nationality and get our priorities right.”
Ellie Barton, a junior, recalled how “in Trump’s first term, gas prices were at $1.17 a gallon and then they shot up when Biden came in. Trump will be good on energy and I hope he finally opens up the Keystone XL pipeline.”
Steve Brown, who is study at USF after a stint in the U.S. Navy, said: “I am working for Donald Trump because he made my life better when I was in the service. He took special interest in the plight of veterans and was in the process of overhauling the Department of Veterans Affairs.
"Where one sometimes had to wait 30 days to get an appointment with VA, Trump was in the process of cleaning things up. Now, under Biden, the VA is failing veterans and veterans are killing themselves at a higher-than-ever rate. Trump will take care of veterans.”
Monday, February 19, 2024
USF Road to the White House students, Aiken Black History Month Parade - interviewed by WRDW TV station
On our first full day in South Carolina, the students interning for the Democratic Party visited the Aiken County Democratic Party Headquarters. After a productive meeting and lunch with local Democratic leaders, the students went to the Aiken Black History Month Parade.
Here - you can see some of our students marching in the parade with the NAACP - and other students interviewed by WRDW
Click here for the full story - and the video
Published: Feb. 18, 2024 at 12:02 AM EST
AIKEN, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) - Aiken held its 24th annual Black History Parade on Saturday, “Doing it western style, riding high in the community for unity” in honor of Corporal Sonny R Ford.
Presented by the Black Historical Committee of Aiken, along with the city of Aiken on February 17, people and floats came out in droves.
“It’s like a reunion really, you know, because the community is far fetched. You know, Aiken county is one of the larger counties geographically, and it brings up us together from all over and the generations that are here, you know, it’s just wonderful. I love it. I grew up in this neighborhood,” said Alma Finnie, who attended the celebration.
People from different backgrounds, cultures, generations and even states came out to celebrate.
“My parents are Bangladeshi, so usually I’m trying to seek out other like people from my culture, so seeing that people are coming together here, it makes me like, you know, really happy to see all that,” said Sasha Hossain, who attended the celebration.
People lined the streets cheering on the parade and showing support for each other.
“Good to see people celebrating, come together and just enjoy each other’s time. Instead of it always being something different. It’s nice to see people just enjoy each other,” said Kieria Evans, who attended the celebration.
They say it’s important to lift each other up and show support, no matter where you come from.
“We need to let everyone know, of the past because it’s been extolled that he who does not know the past is subject to repeat it. So we’ve come to this community to get together and share our culture, you know, the things that are going on in the community and celebrate who we are, where we’ve come from. And more importantly, you know, where we are going,” said Finnie.
And the celebration didn’t end with the parade, many people gathered at Perry Memorial Park to continue the festivities and enjoy time together.
Copyright 2024 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
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Click here to read Kayl Kissel's article and to see the photo gallery! https://www.wusf.org/university-beat/2024-02-23/usf-students-sout...
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Thanks reporter Dalia Dangerfield and Bay News 9 for coming to our Road to the White House class - and getting the scoop on what our student...
