Interns Examine the Road to the White House

WASHINGTON, Sept. 6, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- As presidential hopefuls begin campaigning, students attending The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars (TWC) will have a unique opportunity to participate in a new and innovative course titled Road to the White House. Interns will not only analyze every step and misstep candidates make as they vie for voter support in the 2012 presidential election, they will have an opportunity to participate in a television program that will be filmed and shown on C-SPAN.

Former president of the White House Correspondents' Association, Steven Scully hosts the 'Washington Journal', a daily three-hour public affairs program on C-SPAN.  In addition to teaching the course, Scully will interview guests in front of TWC students for the broadcast. In essence, each student will be given a coveted backstage pass to watch as DC-insiders predict how the presidential campaign will unfold.

"This class is sure to be an exciting and informative review of the run for the 2012 American presidency," said TWC President Mike Smith. "Students will have unprecedented access to DC-power-houses and other prominent political players, giving them a unique understanding of the electoral process."

TWC, in collaboration with C-SPAN, George Mason University and Purdue University will teach students about the political process and how they can contribute to the conversations shaping the campaign. The course will be led by a world-renowned political expert, Steven Scully the political editor and senior executive producer for C-SPAN.  

"At C-SPAN, our primary mission is to educate and inform our audience on government and American politics," said Scully.  "This class and C-SPAN's new partnership with The Washington Center is an extension of that mission. Our objective is quite simple: to educate and excite the students about American politics." 

During the course, interns will also take away knowledge about the American political landscape and how the media (both social and traditional) influence the winners and losers in the political arena.

"Since 2006, we have seen three 'wave' elections, first with the Republicans losing control of the House, followed by Barack Obama's election in 2008, followed by the Democrats' loss of the House in 2010.  With these historic political markers, 2012 will be a significant political year.  The campaign and its results will likely shape the political agenda for the rest of this decade," Scully added.  

Instructors, guests and C-SPAN's archives will help reconstruct historical developments as they relate to the current political scene, affording students a better understanding of how candidates interact with voters and how they develop the political messaging behind every speech, slogan and phrase on the campaign trail. 

The class will be held on Monday afternoons at 3 p.m. in the Blinken Auditorium at The Washington Center's new Residential and Academic Facility. Road to the White House is one component of The Washington Center's presidential election programming, which includes a series of special seminars that will examine the political landscape and the 2012 presidential campaign. Included are seminars that will give students the opportunity to engage in fieldwork on site at the 2012 national political conventions in Tampa and Charlotte.

To learn more about TWC internships and academic courses, visit http://www.twc.edu/seminars/programs/national-political-conventions/campaign-2012.

About The Washington Center

The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars is an independent, nonprofit organization that serves hundreds of colleges and universities in the United States and other countries by providing selected students challenging opportunities to work and learn in Washington, D.C., for academic credit. The largest program of its kind, The Washington Center has more than 50,000 alumni who have become leaders in numerous professions and nations around the world. It was established in 1975.

SOURCE The Washington Center