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Experiencing the New Hampshire Primary
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| | Unformatted Document Text:
Elder Hofrenning Seligsohn
New Hampshire Primary
2
D
ESCRIPTION OF THE
C
OURSES
In January of 2004, we led two related experiential education courses based in Manchester, New Hampshire. Elder and Seligsohn took twenty students from Hartwick College, who completed a course called “The 2004 Presidential Election.” Hofrenning took fifteen students from St. Olaf College, who completed a course called “The New Hampshire Primary.” This paper examines the experiences of the thirty-five participating students and the impact of those experiences on the students as analysts of politics and as citizens. This first section of the paper describes the structure and content of the courses. While the Hartwick and St. Olaf groups had slightly different experiences and remained distinct groups throughout, they also had much in common. While differences in the two groups’ experiences will sometimes be noted, for the purposes of this paper, we treat the students as one group. Both courses enacted a political immersion model of experiential education. Students arrived in Manchester in the early part of January and spent the three weeks leading up to the New Hampshire Primary in the center of the action.
1
Students stayed in a hotel just
over one mile from the center of Manchester’s downtown. Their learning was based in an academic component and an experiential component. A. Academic component
1. Advance
preparation
Before leaving for New Hampshire, all students were required to read Stormy Weather: The New Hampshire Primary and Presidential Politics, by Dante Scala; and The Making of the Presidential Candidates 2004, edited by William Mayer. St. Olaf students were also required to read The Presidential Nominating Process: A Place for Us?, by Rhodes Cook. Students were also required to familiarize themselves with the candidates and issues in the race.
2. Academic pursuits in New Hampshire
While the two courses differed slightly in this area, their general activities were similar. Students in both groups met an average of twice per week in classroom facilities at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at St. Anselm’s College in Manchester. These sessions provided an opportunity for students to discuss the scholarly works they had read and to reflect on developments in the campaign as it unfolded. These meetings also provided an opportunity for students to hear from guest speakers. Speakers included St. Anselm’s political scientist Dante Scala, author of Stormy Weather; Dick Bennett, president of American Research Group, a Manchester polling firm; and George Bruno, former Chair of the New Hampshire Democratic Party and co-chair of Wesley Clark’s 2004 presidential campaign. The
1
Hartwick students arrived January 8. St. Olaf students arrived January 5, in time to participate in the
College Convention.
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| | Authors: Elder, Laurel., Seligsohn, Andrew. and Hofrenning, Daniel. |
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Elder Hofrenning Seligsohn
New Hampshire Primary
2
D
ESCRIPTION OF THE
C
OURSES
In January of 2004, we led two related experiential education courses based in
Manchester, New Hampshire. Elder and Seligsohn took twenty students from Hartwick
College, who completed a course called “The 2004 Presidential Election.” Hofrenning
took fifteen students from St. Olaf College, who completed a course called “The New
Hampshire Primary.” This paper examines the experiences of the thirty-five participating
students and the impact of those experiences on the students as analysts of politics and as
citizens. This first section of the paper describes the structure and content of the courses.
While the Hartwick and St. Olaf groups had slightly different experiences and remained
distinct groups throughout, they also had much in common. While differences in the two
groups’ experiences will sometimes be noted, for the purposes of this paper, we treat the
students as one group.
Both courses enacted a political immersion model of experiential education. Students
arrived in Manchester in the early part of January and spent the three weeks leading up to
the New Hampshire Primary in the center of the action.
1
Students stayed in a hotel just
over one mile from the center of Manchester’s downtown. Their learning was based in an
academic component and an experiential component.
A. Academic component
1. Advance
preparation
Before leaving for New Hampshire, all students were required to read Stormy
Weather: The New Hampshire Primary and Presidential Politics, by Dante Scala; and
The Making of the Presidential Candidates 2004, edited by William Mayer. St. Olaf
students were also required to read The Presidential Nominating Process: A Place for
Us?, by Rhodes Cook. Students were also required to familiarize themselves with the
candidates and issues in the race.
2. Academic pursuits in New Hampshire
While the two courses differed slightly in this area, their general activities were
similar. Students in both groups met an average of twice per week in classroom
facilities at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at St. Anselm’s College in
Manchester. These sessions provided an opportunity for students to discuss the
scholarly works they had read and to reflect on developments in the campaign as it
unfolded. These meetings also provided an opportunity for students to hear from
guest speakers. Speakers included St. Anselm’s political scientist Dante Scala, author
of Stormy Weather; Dick Bennett, president of American Research Group, a
Manchester polling firm; and George Bruno, former Chair of the New Hampshire
Democratic Party and co-chair of Wesley Clark’s 2004 presidential campaign. The
1
Hartwick students arrived January 8. St. Olaf students arrived January 5, in time to participate in the
College Convention.
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