GU Politics Gets Creative to Keep Students Connected
Hands-on learning is at the heart of what the Georgetown Institute of Politics and Public Service (GU Politics) offers its students. Aspiring political leaders come to the program from all over the world for an up-close and personal Washington experience. So how does that work during a pandemic? Surprisingly well. Thanks to some bold and creative decisions, GU Politics was able to keep students fully engaged with Washington insiders on our virtual campus — and those insiders were exposed to a fresh student point of view. Here are some highlights:
Interacting in Real Time
GU Politics Spring’21 Fellows went online to introduce their students to Washington’s top thinkers. Fellow Julie Pace, Washington bureau chief for The Associated Press, brought her students together with White House Press Secretary (and Spring ’17 GU Politics Fellow) Jen Psaki to discuss the intersection of social media, trust and politics in the digital age. Fellow Guy Benson brought former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, former Ambassador Nikki Haley and Representative Adam Kinzinger (IL-16) to meet with students. Former U.S. Senator Doug Jones (D-AL) organized a lively conversation about the filibuster with students and Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV).
Asking the Tough Questions
Facing the need to cancel the White House Correspondents Dinner last spring, the White House Correspondents’ Association brought in GU Politics as a partner to launch an online symposium titled “The Press, The Presidency, and Trust.” Over the course of three moderated panel discussions, students and experts weighed in on everything from distrust of the media, to diversity in the briefing room, to how to move forward.
Staying Safe
Wanting to address concerns about COVID-19 safety on campus, GU Politics invited then-Chief Medical Advisor to the Trump administration Dr. Anthony Fauci to talk to the community about how to stay safe on campus during the pandemic. More than 300,000 people ultimately accessed the event through social media.
Contributing to the Community
More than 150 students contributed to the student publication On the Record — and readership increased 119% over the previous year. In the absence of campus clubs and activities, the publication provided students a meaningful way to connect to the Georgetown community — especially freshmen, who had never set foot on the Hilltop.
Getting out the Vote
Student-run GU Votes played a pivotal role in the 2020 election. Students designed innovative techniques to explain voting state-by-state and persuaded an unprecedented number of students to register to vote.