Jasmine Farrar's Road to the White House 2024

 Today the class went to Lizard's Thicket, a local spot known for being a prominent campaign spot, and had breakfast while watching a newscast with Ainsley Earhardt. Shortly, we went to the market being held in front of the capitol building and got to see all the local businesses displaying their products and even tried some food and drinks. Seeing a city come together and uplift local businesses and promote community engagement was heartwarming and I had a great time walking around.  Sasha DEVOURING some BBQ chicken! We also got to visit the University of South Carolina and walk around the campus. The buildings and layout was gorgeous and felt very welcoming. I enjoyed seeing people on the green having picnics or reading books. I am sad this trip is coming to an end as I have made so many great memories and built new friendships as well. 

 We went to see authors Knotts and Ragusa as they wrote one of the books we read for the class. They were very enlightening on South Carolina's importance in gauging how people vote in both parties. Following our conversation the class walked around the Charleston area and went shopping!   Here's a cute local boba place we stopped at. I had taro milk tea with tapioca pearls it was SO good.  Later that day, we went to Nikki Haley's Rally held over by Fort Sumter. The naval ship, USS Yorktown, was MASSIVE and honestly served as an inspiring background relating to Haley's platform points on veterans and mental health services. Following the rally, we ate at this local seafood restaurant. Sasha and I shared a shrimp and crabcake platter and it was amazing. 

  Shirt: Marshalls  Pants: Gap Shoes: Marshalls

 Today we went to the South Carolina State House and it was mesmerizing. We saw the intricacies of design choice and learned about the history of its construction. We got to sit in the House of Representatives and also listen to an active Senate meeting.  The representatives we met with were more on the moderate side and were extremely kind to us. I was able to ask questions on topics of concern that I had. While their answers were not what I expected I still respected what was said and thanked them for answering my question.  From the gift shop, the class all bought a souvenir I found something for my mom and we all took pictures by the beautiful banister. 

 Today we went to the GOP SC Headquarters and talked to directors there. We all got a tote bag and a pretty cool book. Afterward, we all tried Cookout and the prices were so low it was unbelievable the food was also delicious. I got a double cheeseburger with cheese curds, fries, and a peanut butter milkshake. Following our lunch break we went to the SCDP and had guest speaker Carol Fowler.  The class learned that ex-candidate Vivek Ramaswamy was holding a podcast at a brewery and we ran into Trump fans and they were very kind.  Here is Vivek! He definitely discussed things from a unique perspective but overall it was a good time as I got tacos after he finished his discussion.

  Shirt:Marshall's Pants:Target Shoes: Mom's closet

 If it could not be inferred by the title the class went to the Governor's Mansion it was stunning. We met Mack the governor's bulldog he was a cutie.  We were told about the history of the estate and the intricacy that went into the furniture and decor details. We looked into the history of South Carolina as a whole and its' historical figures. The garden area was colorful especially for it being winter here.  Here's a car selfie with Steven on the drive there!

  Shirt: Calvin Klein Pants: My mom's closet Shoes:Marshalls

 Today we went and saw Nikki Haley AGAIN!! We stood in a line in the cold for 30 minutes it was pretty frigid, but it was worth it. We even got some cute Instagram pictures for our personal accounts.  Me with Emma(not pictured us freezing) We got to see a live-action news casting and it was such a cool experience I was mesmerized by the tall camera that swung above us. Definitely interesting to see Haley when the camera was on versus when it was off. John Roberts was the reporter and we got a picture with him at the end! 

Our Democratic and Haley interns collided again at the Nikki Haley event in Irma. We all had the opportunity to take a picture of her and ended up on her Instagram as well. We got merch and posters and even met her son. Her son, Nalin, was very kind and gave us insight into what it has been like following his mom on this bus tour. We all got a picture with him and even got this Villanova student to hold up a "Go Bulls" sign.                                                         Some of us were REALLY excited to meet Nalin. 

 Yesterday we met with the Aiken County Democrats and discussed with them the demographics and voter turnout in Aiken County. Soon after we went to the Black History Month Parade. My classmates Steven and Nathan were able to join in and another group got interviewed by the local news channel.                                                      Aiken was such a quaint town with a Hallmar-like appearance. It was nice to see a different landscape than that of Florida. Following our meeting, my group went to Kroger, or the North's version of Pulbix, on our trip to see Nikki Haley's event.

 The trip to South Carolina was nearly 10 hours, but it felt shorter. I rode with some amazing people and arguably in the best van! We had Professor JSM listen to some great music AKA Bonfire by Childish Gambino.  We stopped at Burger King and it was so good which is shocking as I had not had Burger King in a while. JSM absolutely killed her parking job... After a long trip, we finally arrived at our hotel. We all crashed fast asleep soon after.

 Hey!  If you haven't already seen the massive header with my name on it my name is Jasmine.                            There's me with my cat baby, Moo ❤  I am a political science major with a double minor in history and criminology at the University of South Florida at St.Petersburg. I love my cat and watching Netflix, but if I am not relaxing I am pretty academically driven and find some enjoyment in my schoolwork. I have aspirations for law school and hope to be somewhere in the criminal justice field. 

  I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference. -Robert Frost Perhaps when most people, or I should specify non-politically interested individuals, hear about a Road to the White House Class I'm sure it was not something that sounded attractive. While I would fall into that category I thought "why not?" I mean I need it for my degree anyways. However, as I have started my journey in this class I have noticed that the connections among peers that I am fostering are something so exciting. This opportunity is one that I am glad I did not overlook as I get to grow my network of future job relations, but also friends. Oh, and it's also good to mention that I will gain some hands-on experience in my major field and learn a little bit about the inner workings of the United States electoral system.  Regardless of how you got to this blog hope you en