IPPS 101
There is no shortage of interesting speakers, events, and programs at Georgetown. Some might say we’re an “over-programmed” campus. While that may be true, we hope you’ll come to see that what we’ll do at the Institute of Politics and Public Service (IPPS) is going to be different.
We’re less interested in simply talking about politics and more interested in creating the space for you to connect directly with the people in power. We feel strongly that you — as students, current and future voters, “millennials,” as people like to call our generation — are the most important part of not only what our Institute will do and accomplish, but more importantly, the success of our country.
As the Director of Programming, I’m most interested in knowing what you’d like to talk about and explore when it comes to the speakers, events, and programs the Institute will host. I want to know not just the “who” and “what,” but the “how” — how should we design a speaking program so that it doesn’t look and feel like just another lecture, which we know you’ll get plenty of from your classes. I’ll have a very open door policy for your suggestions. Or feel free to email me at sophie.goldmacher@georgetown.edu.
But to get us started, here are a few things we already have planned:
Fellows Program
Each semester, some of the top political practitioners including former elected officials, foreign dignitaries, campaign operatives, policy makers, journalists, and other key public servants will spend time at Georgetown discussing a range of issues and hot topics.
One Fellow this fall will lead a discussion on the “changing of the guard” in government, media, our political system; another will talk about the influence of money in politics; and another will look at the 2016 presidential election in real time.
These discussion groups are open to all students and the broader Georgetown community. No sign-ups required; attend any — or all! — of the sessions, which will take place on campus once a week throughout the semester. We’ll have a new set of Fellows each semester, so the discussion topics will change and evolve.
A key way for you to be involved with the Fellows Program is to apply to be a part of a Student Strategy Team. As a member of the Student Strategy Team, you and a small group of other students will be assigned to one of our Fellows and it will be your job to advise them on what it’s like to be a student at Georgetown, campus life, how to reach students. You’ll get to work one-on-one with some incredible professionals who are most excited about learning from and mentoring you.
On that note, one of the really fun things you’ll get to do as a part of the Student Strategy Team is explore the question, “What’s broken about politics?” You’ll think about the answer to that question, then take it a step further and think about how, why, and what we can do to improve it. You’ll be participating in a “political hack-a-thon” of sorts and we can’t wait to see what your teams come up with!
Speakers and Events
The 2016 presidential election is in full swing. There’s plenty to talk about — from the debates (how the candidates performed, what it takes to prepare), to campaigns (how they’re run, who runs them, how they make strategic decisions), to the candidates themselves (who they are, what are their priorities). We’ll do a number of events around the presidential election.
But politics doesn’t stop on election day. We’ll talk to the politicians and policy professionals behind the scenes in the West Wing and on the Hill. We’ll design events around specific issues like college affordability, the Iran nuclear deal, climate change, and our justice system, bringing in experts and practitioners for discussion and debate.
In our HIPPSters program, short for “Hoyas in Politics and Public Service,” we will bring Georgetown alumni back to campus to talk about their path from the Hilltop to everywhere from the White House, Congress, and the Pentagon.
Mentorship Program
Politics is all about relationships. We want to provide you with the opportunity to meet and get to know professionals in and around Washington who are doing interesting things that might be in line with what you want to do in the future. We’ll launch a mentorship program to do just that — more to come on how to get involved in this program, but we hope you’ll take advantage of this opportunity.
I hope you like what you see so far from the IPPS. I can’t emphasize enough that you — students — are at the center of what we’ll do, so we can’t wait to engage you in our programs. Hoya Saxa!
Sophie Kim Goldmacher is the Director of Programming at the Georgetown Institute of Politics and Public Service.
