Electoral College: Studying the Election with "HNRS 2013: See How They Run"
Honors junior Madeline Peters (second from left) took Dr. Mann's course while also spearheading the Geaux Vote campaign, helping register more than 2,000 students to vote. Madeline is participating in an internship in Washington, D.C., for Meet the Press.
The 2008 election season proved to be one of the most significant in
history on many levels, one being the incredible involvement by young
voters and activists in the political process.
From the beginning of the campaigns to the final election, Honors
students were weaving their experiences into the story that will be
talked about and studied for decades. One Honors course, in particular,
provided students a unique perspective and a front seat to history.
Dr. Robert “Bob” Mann, political communication area head for the
Manship School of Mass Communication, taught a section of HNRS 2013:
The 20th Century, entitled ““See How They Run: The Substance and
Theater of the 2008 Presidential Campaign.” The course provided an
unbiased perspective on both major campaigns, their strategies and
their comparisons to presidential campaigns throughout history.
“It was a class in which we tried to look at the presidential election
from every conceivable angle, and it started out with a pretty good
foundation of presidential campaign history,” Mann says.
The course began with broad topics and narrowed as it progressed, Mann
says. Students first spent time studying the idea of narratives in
campaigns, then read Sen. John McCain’s biography and Sen. Barack
Obama’s memoirs, before eventually scrutinizing the actual campaigns.
“It was incredible to come to class and be able to discuss current
situations and compare them to past experiences as explained by Dr.
Mann,” says Honors junior Madeline Peters. “We would predict the outcome of events and their effect on the election and then be able to see how they played out.”
Students also benefitted from high-profile visits to the classroom by
former Louisiana Gov. Buddy Roemer and U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse
from Rhode Island. “They gave really good insight into the election,”
Mann says. “I want the students to know that they can’t take it all at
face value. Politics is in many ways very mysterious, and people don’t
understand it, but they really want to. They want to try to be more
sophisticated and more educated, and I think they really want to make
good decisions.”
The final project for the course was a comprehensive examination of one
or both of the campaigns, and students were put in pairs. “A number of
them were as good as anything I’ve ever seen,” Mann says. “And I don’t
give A’s away. I wish I could teach Honors students all the time
because they come prepared and are enthusiastic.”
While Mann’s goal was to enhance student’s understanding of the
electoral process, some can now apply what they’ve learned to their
careers and lives.
“The Honors College does a great job of creating classes that relate to
the issues and happenings of today,” Peters says. “It is a great way to
encourage students to learn and apply what we have learned in the
classroom to real world experiences. I was able to develop the
knowledge and skills to be an active citizen in the democratic process
and stay in tune to elections and the implications the policies that
could potentially be enacted effect me.”