This Spring, SIGS professor Judithanne Scourfield McLauchlan offered her Road to the White House course for both undergraduate and graduate students. The course gives students a chance to get up close and personal with the political process, including a trip to the South Carolina primary to experience campaign work firsthand. Political Science major and SIGS student Laura Shaw took part in the class, which she described as “a complete overhaul of what my idea of politics is.”
Laura, who has experience working with Progress Florida and Emily’s List, has taken a few classes with Dr. Scourfield McLauchlan before, and has always been very interested in political campaigns. When she heard about Road to the White House, she felt it was the perfect experience for her. “The class almost seems like it was made for me and my interests,” she said. “It got me one step closer to figuring out what I want to do with the rest of my life.”
Laura Shaw pictured with Jay Parmley (left), executive director of SCDP, and Dr. Judithanne McLauchlan, SIGS faculty member.
The class trip to South Carolina produced some once in a lifetime experiences, including a guest speaker series that gave students the chance to hear from a variety of voices in the political sphere, including state representative Jermaine Johnson. “It can be hard to see yourself in some candidates, but he was just a regular guy,” Laura said of Johnson’s talk. “It gave me a lot of hope.”
Laura worked with the South Carolina Democratic Party, where she got to see the ins and outs of campaign work. She and her classmates worked closely with members of the campaign team, like the executive director and technology director, and got to learn about these positions from presentations given by team members. Laura also had the chance to contribute directly to the campaign, as she and other volunteers participated in phone banking and data entry to help verify voters.
Shaw, who also participated in USF’s study abroad program USF in London, described her experience with Road to the White House as “the most hands-on experience I’ve gotten in my time at USF.” She took a particularly important lesson away from Lindsay Green, the get-out-the-vote director for the South Carolina Democratic Party. “She’s from the same county as me, so it was interesting to hear from her,” Laura explained. “It gave me a lot of hope for what I’m able to accomplish in life but made me realize I don’t have to have it all figured out right now.
Laura’s advice to anyone considering taking Road to the Whitehouse is, put simply, “Do it!” She feels that the class is perfect for those considering a career in politics, but really, for anyone who wants to get involved and learn more about the political process. “The class was intense, but it was so worth it. The best learning experiences in your life aren’t going to be easy.”