Dr. David R. White, Department Chair of Political Science and Geography, will be supervising a trip to the 2013 Presidential Inauguration Academic Seminar, an eight-day seminar sponsored by The Washington Center (TWC) in Washington, D.C. With the help of Professor Tim Hanson, Associate Professor of mass communication, three mass communication students and three political science students will accompany White to Washington, where they will get to see the presidential inauguration in January.
For White, the seminar is a very familiar experience.
“Four years ago, I went to be an instructor at TWC,” White said. “So, this past year when I was thinking of taking students, I mentioned it to Professor Hanson because it was very media oriented.”
The three mass communication students attending the trip are Brooke Holden, Melissa Rollins and Veronica Stark. The three political science students are yet to be determined. Students will leave Florence by train Friday, Jan. 11 and return Monday, Jan. 21. While in the city, they will stay at TWC’s housing facilities a few blocks away from Capitol Hill and Union Station and will navigate the town by walking, taxi or the subway system.
Students will be exposed to many government speakers, important media leaders and a diverse number of interest groups during the seminar. They will also get a chance to tour Washington, D.C. and explore different political and historical sights. White hopes to share his experiences of having lived in D.C. for six years and take the students to some restaurants and neighborhoods less familiar to tourists.
“I’d like them to experience the big city and to see the diversity that’s out there…and maybe learn what opportunities there are out there.” White said.
TWC is a non-profit organization that gives students at colleges around the world opportunities to work and learn in Washington, D.C. FMU students will be given a grade at the end of the seminar; however they will not receive college credit.
The cost of the trip to students is $2, 295. However, these mass communication and political science majors will only have to pay $540 for their 10-day stay in D.C. The FMU Quality Enhancement Program (QEP) grant pays for nearly 79% of the cost of the trip.