SPS 2017: Break out the Stadium Seats! A Summer Friday Night in the DMV Means Outdoor Movies

Looking for a fun, free outdoor activity on a warm summer night in the DMV (local terminology for the DC Metropolitan area)?  Outdoor movies, my friend.  SPS loves outdoor movies so much that we keep a supply of stadium seats for added viewing comfort in an outdoor environment.  Tonight's showing?  The iconic 1980s hit Dirty Dancing.  Remember, folks: "Nobody puts Baby in a corner."

SPS 2017: The "Other" Air & Space Museum (Visiting the Udvar-Hazy Center)

Most people who have visited Washington, D.C. know about the wonderful Air & Space Museum on the National Mall.  But fewer know of the "other" Air & Space Museum: the National Air & Space Museum's Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia.  The Udvar-Hazy Center includes two giant hangars with hundreds of full-sized aircraft, including the Concorde and even the Space Shuttle Discovery!  Whether you're an aviation buff, a fan of history, or just appreciate something out of the ordinary, the Udvar-Hazy Center is well worth the trip, as our St. Albans School of Public Service class of 2017 learned today.

SPS 2017: And 24 Hours Later . . . A Visit to the "Real" United States Supreme Court

Within 24 hours of participating in a Supreme Court simulation, the St. Albans School of Public Service Class of 2017 visited the real thing.  SPS '17 had the opportunity not only to tour the Courthouse, but to speak with a sitting United States Supreme Court Associate Justice and gain further insight into the role of the judiciary in contemporary American society. 

SPS 2017: Court is in Session! (Mock Supreme Court Argument)

It's one thing to take part in a mock trial exercise -- but quite another to prepare for and argue an actual pending U.S. Supreme Court case from the current Court's docket . . . and all in less than 48 hours!  This is only the third full day of the St. Albans School of Public Service program, but the SPS '17 class members have already successfully prepared for, argued, and decided (they play the roles of both lawyers and Supreme Court justices) the travel ban case under consideration by the "real" Supreme Court.  Pretty good for halfway through week 1 of SPS 2017!

SPS 2017: First Full-Group Off Campus Trip . . . To Australia?!!!

For our first off-campus trip of the 2017 session, the St. Albans School of Public Service made it a good one: to Australia!  Well . . . maybe not quite that far, but we did visit the Australian Embassy, by custom considered to be Australian territory.  Our host, the Honorable Joe Hockey, Australian Ambassador to the United States, spoke to our students about the strong Australia-U.S. alliance and a day in the life of an ambassador.  We are so grateful for the opportunity to kick off the 2017 SPS session with such a fascinating visit.

SPS 2017: And They're Off! The SPS 2017 Amazing Race, Cathedral Close Edition, Has Begun!

St. Albans School is fortunate enough to share a campus (or "close" as it is called when you are talking about the environs of a cathedral) with the sixth largest cathedral in the world: the Washington National Cathedral.  The "Cathedral Close," as our overall campus is known, is 51 acres and includes not just the Cathedral but two additional schools: the National Cathedral School and the Beauvoir School.  This morning, the members of the St. Albans School of Public Service class of 2017 are exploring campus, with a little competition thrown in, by taking part in "The Amazing Race: Cathedral Close Edition."  Team photos at the starting line are below!

SPS 2017: Ice Cream Social on the Roof at the End of SPS Arrival Day

There will be plenty of time for reading case studies, drafting mock legislation, and venturing off campus to meet with public servants . . . starting tomorrow.  Tonight, the St. Albans School of Public Service students ended off the "official SPS Arrival Day" with an ice cream social on the roof of St. Albans School.  A time to relax, laugh with new friends, and check out the amazing view of the city in which they'll be spending the next four weeks.