SPS 2016, Week Three: Sunday Game Time! Bowling and the Euro Cup Finals

The St. Albans School of Public Service students work hard, but they also know how to relax on the weekend. Sunday of Week Three was all about competition. Good-natured competition on the lanes with some bowling at Georgetown's Pinstripes, and then most of the group assembled in the theater to watch the final game of the 2016 Euro Cup soccer tournament. (In a demonstration of good karma, Bradford, who is a tech wizard and was able to run the theater booth for us, saw his underdog rooting interest, Portugal, win the championship.)

This is a man who LOVES bowling! (Zach I.)

Surely Emily W. rolled a strike on this one!

From left: Dillon, Emily Y., Georgia, Medhanit, Jocelyn, Emily W.

Good technique, Marie!

Dillon in full bowling form

Nothing like watching soccer on the big screen!

An intense reaction to a ball off the goalpost

The number one SPS Portugal fan, Bradford, celebrates Portugal's eventual game-winning goal in extra time

SPS 2016: Alumni Garden Party

Although the high heat in Washington D.C. meant it was a little impractical to have our 2016 Garden Party in an actual, you know, Garden, the St. Albans School of Public Service class of 2016 was able to mingle with some program alums at dinner in the Refectory and then up on the roof for some cooling ice cream. (See below for a slideshow of the photo album from the event: click the arrow for the slideshow to begin. NOTE: The slideshow is powered by Flash and will not appear on iPhones or other portable Apple devices.)

Created with flickr slideshow.

SPS 2016: Two Young Speakers in Week Three

Alex Wirth of Quorum talks after his presentation with SPS '16 student Medhanit 

We are fortunate each summer to host truly amazing speakers at the St. Albans School of Public Service, and this week was no exception, as we hosted two wonderful speakers both under the age of 30.  Daniel Lippman of Politico, the foremost political publication in the U.S., was first to meet with the group.  He spoke not only about his current work as a journalist covering the Presidential Election cycle, and as a contributor to the popular "Playbook" daily insider briefing feature of Politico but gave some highly practical (and valuable) advice on how someone just starting out can turn a passion into a career.

Later in the week, SPS 2016 had the opportunity to hear from Alex Wirth, a 2015 college graduate who is a co-founder of Quorum, an online legislative strategy platform that has been called "Google for Congress" and "the Moneyball Effect" on K Street.  Although Mr. Wirth has a wealth of political knowledge, he focused his presentation on entrepreneurship: "Why College is the Best Time to Start a Company And How to Do It."  

There's no question it was inspiring for SPS 2016 to hear from speakers who, although young, are making a difference.

Alex Wirth's presentation on entrepeneurship

Speaker Daniel Lippman of Politico

SPS 2016 Week Three: College Tours

The Washington, DC area is known for its many colleges and universities, and this week groups from the St. Albans School of Public Service Class of 2016 visited some of those local educational institutions, including Howard University, Georgetown University, and George Washington University.

SPS 2016 Week Three: Visit to the United States Naval Academy

You can't have a "School of Public Service" without doing some thinking about "the Service" -- as in, the United States Military.  This week the St. Albans School of Public Service Class of 2016 visited the United States Naval Academy, in Annapolis, Maryland, which is a four-year college that trains young men and women to be officers in the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps.  Our host was Professor Stephen Wrage of the Naval Academy's Political Science Department.  After a great insider tour of the beautiful and historical Academy Yard with Professor Wrage, he took our students through some case studies of moral and ethical dilemmas faced both by midshipmen (the students at the Naval Academy) and Naval and Marine Corps officers in combat.

SPS 2016: On the National Mall at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival

If you stick around for summer in Washington, D.C.., there's some good stuff going on!  Today the St. Albans School of Public Service was on the National Mall, exploring Washington D.C.'s summer cultural festival, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival.  Each year the festival focuses on one region of the United States and one international region to explore through music, dance, crafts, storytelling, and more.  This year the Folklife Festival is featuring Basque culture and music from California.

SPS 2016: Exploring DC Over the Holiday Long Weekend

As we reach the halfway point of the St. Albans School of Public Service 2016 program with the three-day Independence Day weekend, it's time for a restful and relaxing break.  No speakers or case studies over the July 4 long weekend, but still plenty of opportunities to explore Washington, D.C. with new friends.  On Friday night, SPS 2016 enjoyed the national past-time with an outing to Nats Park to see the Washington Nationals take on the Cincinnati Reds.  On Saturday, the group was down on the National Mall taking advantage of the wonderful Smithsonian Museums, open to the public free-of-charge, in the annual SPS "Museum Madness" Event.

Out and about on the National Mall

Checking out the map to Smithsonian Museums on the Mall

Checking out the Outdoor Sculpture Garden of the National Gallery of Art

Mapping out the museum visit (Zaki, Delia, Jack C.)

Hanging out on the steps of the National Gallery of Art after the visit

Alexandra, Daniel, and Nina on the Mall

Enjoying some ballpark cuisine!

Georgia and Tommy S. at the ballgame

This group of SPS-ers supported the Nats!

GareAna, Jalen, Mariah, and Dillon at the game

Chilling out at the ballgame

Enjoying the game with friends

SPS 2016: Two Weeks, Two Branches of Government

Two weeks into the St. Albans School of Public Service, the group has read case studies, had Q&A sessions with speakers ranging from a current Congressional candidate to the U.S. Global coordinator on AIDS, and started to explore the Washington area with off-campus trips.  Two of the highlighted trips occurred this past week, when, during a 16-hour span, the St. Albans School of Public Service class of 2016 visited Capitol Hill for a private tour of the Senate (including the Foreign Relations Room, the Old Senate Chamber, and the Senate Floor) and then visited the Supreme Court the next morning for private Q&A sessions with U.S. Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan and the Clerk of the Court, Mr. Scott Harris Esq.

At the Capitol, our host was former Senator Chris Dodd of Connecticut.  Senator Dodd not only showed us through the Senate side of the Capitol but, at each stop, spoke about the functions and history of the Senate tied to each location.  The favorite stopping point on the spectacular tour was the floor of the Senate, where SPS 2016 was fascinated to see the desks of current and former Senators such as President Obama, Secretary Clinton, and Senator Sanders, and even see the signatures inside the desk drawers in some cases.

At the Supreme Court, after enjoying the historical exhibits on the ground floor of the Court, our group had the opportunity for a Q&A session with a sitting Justice, the Honorable Elena Kagan, and then learned more about the inner procedural workings of how a Supreme Court case is heard from the Clerk of the Court, Mr. Scott Harris.  We ended the visit with a private tour of the awe-inspiring Courtroom where the arguments take place.

Outside the Senate Foreign Relations Room

Waiting to enter the Senate Foreign Relations Room

With our host, former Senator Chris Dodd, in the Old Senate Chamber (scene of famous debates such as over the Compromise of 1850)

SPS Super-Intern Judd L. at the lectern on the Senate Floor

Jalen on the Senate floor -- possible vision of the future!

Former Senator Dodd shows our group his old Senate Desk with his signature in the drawer, below that of his father, also a U.S. Senator

Jesus R. and Senator Dodd during our visit to Capitol Hill

The dome at night

SPS 2016 outside the U.S. Supreme Court 

SPS 2016 in the West Conference Room of the Supreme Court

Waiting to meet with Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan at the Supreme Court

SPS 2016 with U.S. Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan

Jesus and Zaki, looking like they own the place!