May 2011 Volume 10 No. 4 The Student Newspaper of the Johns Hopkins University Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies

U.S.-China Relationship Status:

“It’s Complicated”By Valerie Mock and Kristen Handley, Contributors

Dreading a 3 AM wake-up call, and given that it was St. Patrick’s night after

all, it was a popular choice among this student contingent to revel in the

evening’s festivities to the fullest and to just push on through the night.

Directly following an evening of beer-gone-green and Irish jigging on the very

stage where Secretary Clinton stood not six months prior, 23 SAIS students

made their way to the airport. Where were they going at such a ridiculous hour?

China, of course!

This journey would mark the inaugural joint expedition of the Latin American

Studies, American Foreign Policy, and Global Theory & History programs.

Funded by a generous grant from the Starr Foundation, the students ventured to

the other side of the world to gain some first-hand knowledge of China’s econ-

omy, Going Global strategies, currency management, and politics. Beijing,

China’s official and political capital, and Shanghai, the commercial metropolis,

hospitably hosted two groups of enthusiastic and inquisitive students. The Latin

American Studies (LASP) track focused its meetings on China’s growing

investment in Latin America while the American Foreign Policy (AFP) and

Global Theory and History (GTH) crew honed in on economics, monetary pol-

icy, and domestic market development. After bonding over a 14-hour plane ride

over the North Pole and a day of trekking along the Great Wall and the

Forbidden City, the two groups spent their days fervently pursuing their respec-

tive itineraries.

Meeting schedules proved rigorous and varied between the two groups. On the

group’s third full day in China, for example, we really hit the ground running!

Our marathon day began at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, where we discussed

China’s perplexing “strategic ambiguity,” the ever-changing dynamics of the

Sino-U.S. bilateral relationship, and the importance for each country to be

mindful of the others’ nuanced perceptions of political, economic, and domes-

tic interests. The day’s events were punctuated with the AFP/GTH’s group

meeting with David Dollar and the LASP luncheon at the Mexican Embassy.

Dr. Dollar, the Treasury Department's Economic and Financial Emissary to

China (or more informally: Secretary Geithner’s “main man” in China), taught

us more about U.S.-China currency relations than one could ever summarize in

one article. Wide-eyed and mystified, we left hoping that just maybe someday

we could be as brilliant and well-spoken as Dr. Dollar. The LASP group like-

wise had the privilege of being hosted by an esteemed diplomat: Mexican

Ambassador to China, Jorge Guajardo, welcomed the LASP students for lunch

at the Mexican Embassy. Ambassador Guajardo’s warm reception, charm, and

witdelighted us all over pan de elote and flan as he shared stories about working

with Chinese diplomats, the implications for Mexico as China continues to rise,

and personal tales of cultural encounters and adventures in China.

Once reunited after lunch, these meetings were contrasted sharply by the entire

group’s subsequent visit to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to meet with

Chinese diplomats. It was fascinating to catch a glimpse of Chinese diplomatic

culture and bureaucracy. Chinese diplomats, needless to say, choose their

words wisely. They are so cautious and thoughtful in fact, that they dutifully

pre-composed, printed, and read their pre-approved words to us in a joint group

meeting. We were grateful for our hosts’ attentive consideration of our curiosi-

ties and the weight of importance they clearly applied to a visit from our group

of U.S. graduate students.

Continued on page 2

Fist pump. ‘Hoorah! We got him.’ Bin Laden is Dead.

As twenty-some U.S. Special Operatives sat silently, blades of their MH-60 chop-

ping air at diminutive decibels, bee-lining to Abbottabad, Pakistan, I was running

a 200-mile relay race through Civil War Gettysburg, Pennsylvania with four other

SAISers. As Team Red, White, and Blue, we had raised nearly $8,000 to support

wounded veterans. As we were running up Little Round Top, those twenty-some

Special Operatives powered their way into the Bin Laden compound, and after

some forty minutes of fire-fly, five lay dead. Back on our side, tears were shoring

up under my eye lids watching hand slap after exhausted, muscle-torn hand slap,

leg after leg, over thirty consecutive hours. Into the dusk, the midnight oil dis-

persed into dawn, we ran alongside amputees on prosthetics and hand crank bicy-

cles, veterans carrying multiple tours, in moments of solidarity, while twenty-

some U.S. soldiers were just going to work in Pakistan. This weekend in early

May one Special-Ops team finished with a body, another alongside our team:

Red, White, and Blue.

As I ‘Oh, so gently’ limped on tip-toe back to my apartment and re-visited my

iPhone feed, there, I saw: ‘Osama Bin Laden: Dead.’ Right there I was hit by one

of those the moments when you know the world has shifted, the narrative new. He

had plowed his way into our national consciousness on the 11th of September,

2001 as two hijacked planes destroyed our most sacred towered treasures; like a

gladiator bursting into a coliseum. We’ve been watching him, waiting for a

decade. The moment came in early May 2011.

Continued on page 11

Exclusive Interview: The Secretary General of

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)Anders Fogh RasmussenBy The SAIS Observer Editors

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang Bin LadenBy Susie Taylor, Editor

Article on p. 12

A N O T E F R O M T H E E D I T O R S

Goodbye and Hello, Revolutions, Terrorists, Students

“As for me, all I know is that I know nothing.” -- Socrates

This semester has been one of immense changes in the international sphere, but

the question of progress is still left up to future decision makers, if not genera-

tions. We’ve witnessed a long-overdue Arab Spring in North Africa and the

Middle East, an earthquake and nuclear dilemma in Japan, and the death of Osama

Bin Laden in Pakistan. Relations between nations are morphing but so are rela-

tions inside boundaries.

Identities therefore are in flux at SAIS, the place where we come to study our

human atmosphere. Is it still worthwhile to study Strat or the Middle East? Is the

War on Terror going to be not just decapitalized but over? A new push in interna-

tional development perhaps? We are professional wonderers and wanderers, if

nothing else.

These are all interesting thought experiments but ultimately ones for which we are

clearly unprepared to give confident answers, even as graduate students of inter-

national affairs. If life is uncertain, the interactions of many of them are even

more so. New theories will emerge to explain what is going on but perhaps we are

in a post-theory world in which there is no clear end-game in sight? As random-

ness expert Nassim Taleb explains, “The twentieth century was the bankruptcy of

the social utopia; the twenty-first will be that of the technological one.” There are

no more intellectual crutches.

We’ve seen many students with little or no background in a particular topic show

up to talks discussing the big issues of the day. What more of a reason do we need

to study no one region or function but the world writ large? What more of a reason

do we need to declare that we know much less than we think? Assuming this is the

case, we should take stances on history and politics humbly. We are at SAIS but

the world is not ours. The truth may be closer to the exact opposite: that we are

the world’s plaything.

To the new students: welcome. To be sure, Washington, D.C. is a great place to

study international relations, economics, and public policy. The city must have

the world’s largest concentration of think-tanks, institutes, non-profits, and pri-

vate sector organizations. Living in the nation’s capital, Washington provides you

with an experience unlike any other. There is almost every country’s embassy

within a few blocks, and experts in every field that has anything to do with inter-

national relations, buzzing about. In terms of clubs and organizations, there are

many to choose from. The great thing about SAIS is that due to the small number

of students and the many things going on, there is often little competition for

great leadership positions and jobs.

There are numerous sources of funding across SAIS, and ample chances to fund

unpaid internships, many of which even second year students haven’t heard about.

Many of us have gotten involved simply by showing up to a meeting, helping out

with one or two events, and then mentioning our interest in next year’s activities.

Student Government too is very accessible, as is the Administration.

You may have heard at Open House that SAIS’ faculty and administration is ded-

icated to its students and this can be easily glossed over without much thought

paid. However, consider that the faculty and staff are here to serve only you. The

great thing about SAIS is that there is no one else to demand their attention. No

undergrads, no other graduate schools to split time between, and no one else to

keep tabs on. They know the SAIS structure, its curriculum and student body, and

the jobs we want and they know them well.

This all ties into networks: when it comes to governmental and international sec-

tors and employment potential, DC and SAIS give students here an extraordinary

edge. During your stay, you may have the chance to travel around the world on a

school trip or two (or three) and through the process come to understand what it

means to be a SAIS alumnus working abroad—in an embassy, think-tank, private

company, or an NGO. SAIS will truly increase your ability to understand the

world we live in. The world is your oyster and if you are fascinated by it, this is

the school for you. If you haven’t already guessed it, we believe the opportunities

to launch your personal development and career are here.

2011 has been a year of tremendous world affairs. We on the editorial staff can

speak for the SAIS student body when we say it’s a privilege to be here while his-

tory is being re-written every day.

Best Regards,

The SAIS Observer Editors

Peter Gruskin, Ryan A. Pallathra, Susie Taylor

THE SAIS OBSERVER STAFFEditors-in-Chief

Peter Gruskin is a second-year M.A. candidate concentrating in MiddleEast Studies, Global Theory & History and International Finance

Ryan A. Pallathra is a second-year M.A. candidate concentrating inStrategic Studies

Susie Taylor is a first-year M.A. candidate concentrating inInternational Law and Organizations

Contributing WritersAnne Angsten, Bobby Bray, Michael Carbone, President Ronald J.Daniels, Gary Decker, Lena Diesing, Nicole Epps, Carolyn Florey,Conor J. Halloran, Kristen Handley, Lindsay LaForge, JasonLoughnane, Valerie Mock, Andrew Noh, Professor Thitinan

Pongsudhirak, Alex Rosen, Eddie Walsh, Ray Wang,Mia Warner, Rebecca Zimmerman

The SAIS Observer is a newspaper written, edited, and produced bythe students of the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced

International Studies (SAIS) of The Johns Hopkins University.SAIS students, faculty and members of the administration at theWashington, D.C., Bologna and Nanjing campuses are encouragedto submit articles, Op-Eds, photographs, and other items for con-

sideration.

Materials for publication, comments or inquiries may be sent tous at: observer@jhu.edu. The online edition of The SAIS Observer

and its full issue archives can be accessed at:<www.saisobserver.org>.

The SAIS Observer is an approved SAIS student organization.Opinions expressed in The SAIS Observer are not necessarily theviews of the editors, SAIS, or The Johns Hopkins University.

2 The SAIS Observer May 2011

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

FEATURE: INTERVIEW WITH NATO SEC-GEN .....page 1CHINA TRIP................................................................page 1BIN LADEN OP-ED ....................................................page 1SRI LANKA TRIP ........................................................page 3SPAIN INT’L STAFF RIDE .........................................page 4SPECIAL NOTE FROM PRESIDENT DANIELS ........page 4PANAMA TRIP ...........................................................page 5COSTA RICA TRIP .....................................................page 6BOLOGNA & NANJING PERSPECTIVES ................page 7INSIDE SAIS PROGRAMS .........................................page 9FEATURE: LIFE 20 YEARS AFTER SAIS .................page 11BOOK EVENTS AT SAIS ..........................................page 12DATING AT SAIS .....................................................page 13CLUBS & ACTIVITIES ..............................................page 16

It’s Complicated (Continued from page cover)

Rousing further inquiry were the countless contrasts between the

sprawling cities of Beijing and Shanghai. Both are unmistakable and

alluded to further domestic complexities that make China unique. China

is a nation that seems to be one country in name, but two countries in

reality, given the stark contrasts between urban and rural China. The

Chinese policymakers conveyed an acute awareness of this seemingly

contradictory concept. Many cogent questions addressing the need for

enhanced intellectual property rights, how to promote indigenous inno-

vation, future challenges of the growing income disparities, China’s

enigmatic relationship with North Korea, or the future of the Chinese

Communist Party amidst a rapidly emergent middle class, were dutiful-

ly and consistently answered by a knowing glance and the statement,

“it’s complicated.”

All in all, our trip was an outstanding success. We seized the opportu-

nity to engage and learn as much as possible from meetings with gov-

ernment officials, research scholars, and trailblazing members of the

burgeoning private sector. Traveling to China and engaging with

experts across such a comprehensive spectrum endowed us with an

invaluable, nuanced understanding that can only be discovered while on

foreign soil. Between the many shared moments in the hotel, bargaining

with street vendors, and a birthday dinner for one of our esteemed class-

mates (Niraj Patel), we grew closer as colleagues and friends.

Somewhere between the 12-hour time difference, the Peking Duck, the

sun glimmering of the skyscrapers in Shanghai and the smog that con-

cealed that same sun in Beijing, we all had a fantastic adventure—and

hey, we may have even learned a little something, too!

Valerie is a second-year M.A. candidate concentrating in American

Foreign Policy. Kristen is a second-year M.A. candidate concentrat-

ing in American Foreign Policy.

SAIS GOES TO SRI LANKA:By the International Law & Organizations

and South Asia Studies Programs

Through a generous grant from the Starr Foundation, the International Law

and Organizations Program sponsored an academic field trip to Sri Lanka

over spring break, led by the Director of the ILAW program, Professor

Ruth Wedgwood, and Associate Director, Tiffany Basciano, with support

from South Asia Studies Program Manager, Rahul Madhavan. Fourteen

ILAW students explored issues surrounding the nearly three decade ethnic

civil conflict, the country’s impressive economic development, and Sri

Lankan culture. While there, we met with a variety of officials and institu-

tions, including senior government officials, such as the Secretary of

Defense, the Governor of the Central Bank, and a member of the Lessons

Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC), leading members of UN

agencies and the U.S. Embassy, as well as a variety of non-profits, includ-

ing Sri Lanka Unites, the Asia Foundation, Emerge Global, and the

Humpty Dumpty Institute. In exploring the country’s textile industry, we

met with MAS Holdings, South Asia’s largest intimate apparel manufac-

turer.

Our cultural explorations included a lecture from a famous archeologist

and preservationist, regarding Sri Lankan archeological sites, and a visit to

the Sacred City of Kandy, including the Temple of the Tooth—a UNESCO

World Heritage site. The students also had a roundtable discussion with

their Sri Lankan counterparts at the Public International Law Department

at the University of Colombo.

As we met with more organizations and individuals, there seemed to be a

consensus and a sense of relief that the bloody conflict is finally over. The

war came to a decisive and violent end in May of 2009. Thus, it is apparent

that peace was not forged through efforts at national reconciliation, but

more perhaps due to a national exhaustion: a breathlessness from the con-

stant security checks (still abundant in the city, though perhaps with a more

symbolic rather than pragmatic role), the constant fear of bomb threats,

family members killed, or having disappeared, and certainly a numbness

from the constant bombardment of information and reports of an epic

national struggle to suppress the Tamil Tigers.

However, with the end of the conflict has come a window of opportunity

for national reconciliation and peace building. Sri Lanka Unites, a non-

profit led by a dynamic and energetic Sri Lankan native, has taken the ini-

tiative to not exactly force reconciliation, but to define it. Bringing together

groups of young people from the Tamil majority North and from the

Sinhalese majority in the South for several week-long recreational and edu-

cational retreats is a small but necessary first step. The hope and future of

Sri Lanka's peaceful existence depends on these vibrant youth, who learn

to see beyond an artificial hate, and to recognize a common purpose in his

or her fellow Sri Lankan.

Our trip was but a small glimpse into the lives of these fascinating people

and will forever be ingrained in the minds of those who spent a short spring

break in Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka:

Not Another Heart of Darkness

May 2011 The SAIS Observer 3

Sri Lanka Unites:

Youth Movement for Hope and Reconciliation

Sri Lanka Unites is a Non-Profit, started by activist and leader Prashan De Visser in

2006. Through nearly four years of heavy violence and opposition Prashan worked to

united Tamil, Singhala, Buddhist, and Christian populations through Art, Music, and

Athletics.

Visit and support: www.srilankunites.org

Emerging out of decades of great adversity, and a culture of suspicion and divisiveness,

the end of the war finally marks a window of opportunity for us to rebuild as one nation.

Yet, we are still faced with a common threat - an inability to find a sustainable peace.

We are standing on the cusp of a new era, where an all too familiar polarised society

could be replaced with one that is determined to correct the wrongs of the pre

vious generation; a society that comes together in the spirit of reconciliation.

As such, the defining question of today is, “how will the youth engage in reshaping the

next decades and give leadership to positive changes that must take place?”

Sri Lanka Unites aims to do just that.

Our vision is, "to unite the youth of all ethnic and religious groups across Sri Lanka in

a movement that promotes reconciliation, creating a peaceful and prosperous nation for

future generations”. Our mission “To be a symbol for, and an example of, the powerful

potential of united Sri Lankans to work towards sustainable development, peace and

prosperity”.

As young citizens of Sri Lanka, we now have a unique opportunity, and a strong respon-

sibility, to turn a new page and write a new story. We must firmly resolve to pro

moting reconciliation among our fellow Sri Lankans.

As the next generation moves into leadership, we, the youth of Sri Lanka hold the future

of our country in our hands. In this critical period of transition for the country, We have

the opportunity to replace a culture of divisiveness and conflict and be a voice for

change; for hope and reconciliation. The Sri Lanka Unites movement represents this

choice of our nation’s youth, from ethnic and religious groups, from across the country,

to rise up and provide a new voice

Ph.D. Perceptions on the International Staff Ride to Spain

By Rebecca Zimmerman, Contributor

In the reflective stupor that always marks the painfully early morning after a

staff ride’s final night, I sat in the lobby of the Hotel Emperador with department

head Eliot Cohen, waiting for the bus. We spoke about the staff ride and why

PhD students are encouraged to come, despite the fact that, as former MAs, most

of us have already had more than our fair share of time on the famed ISR.

On my second pass through SAIS, I see my discipline as a way of constructing

answers to a reality that can never be fully explained, and I now see what Dr.

Cohen calls “childlike” questions about the subject as the most penetrating. On

this trip to Spain I asked how to define victory in war when it seems that so often

it is achieved simply by avoiding self-defeat. I wondered about the minds of

great men and the cycle of power, isolation and delusion that seems to destroy

them all. I asked if later French heroes of counterinsurgency took conscious les-

sons from the Peninsular War, and even wondered how regiments became the

size that they are today.

As a MA student, the field of Strategic Studies seemed too big to grasp. I always

felt that I was operating without a sense of its taxonomy; that perhaps there was

some master reading I had skipped my first week of school that told me every-

thing. I found staff rides to be challenging exercises, as I tried hard to prove my

mastery of a subject I didn’t feel I fully comprehended. Five years later, I

slumped on the couch that rainy morning and wondered why this staff ride

seemed both more fun and more satisfying than the others. From the depart-

ment’s perspective, PhD students bring a different viewpoint to the trip, and I

realize now how true this is.

Most of my MA classmates will go on to careers in government and business,

enabled by this experience of scholarly inquiry to think more deeply than their

inboxes normally allow. If the success of my peers from the first time around is

an indicator, this is a powerful tool in the real world. But for a few of us, asking

these questions is an end in itself.

Strategic Studies is more than campaign histories or policy memo assignments:

it is the study of victory and defeat in all its impenetrable complexity, not to

mention the consequences, both political and human, of those end-states. But

more than other academic disciplines, Strategic Studies is tied to the world we

actually live in and a belief that this knowledge, ably applied, can make a critical

difference.

Nowhere in the Strat experience is this partnership of pragmatism and academia

better realized than in the international staff ride.

Rebecca is a Ph.D. candidate in the Strategic Studies Program.

International Staff Ride 2011:

Strategic Studies Hits Spain

A Special Note from the President of

The Johns Hopkins University

With a fantastic trip to the Hopkins-Nanjing Center last fall, a journey across

Spain as part of the SAIS International Staff Ride, a whirlwind weekend at the

Hopkins Bologna Center, and frequent trips to SAIS’ home here in Washington,

I’m lucky to say this has been my “Year of SAIS.” From Washington to Nanjing

to Bologna and beyond, SAIS embodies the spirit of our one university.

Harnessing expertise between disciplines, among institutions, and across national

borders, SAIS is training our future leaders to tackle the 21st century’s most

daunting challenges from international climate change to global economic stabil-

ity. One only has to look at today’s headlines to realize that a SAIS education –

one that deepens cultural understanding, demands intellectual expansiveness, and

joins us all in challenging dialogue – remains more vital than ever.

Sincerely,

Ron

President Ronald J. Daniels is the 14th President of The Johns Hopkins

University, and has held the position since 2009.

SAIS Strategic Studies Director, Dr. Eliot Cohen (right) presents an award to Johns Hopkins

University President Ronald J. Daniels (left), who joined the students during the week-long trip

across Spain during Spring Break 2011. Dina Nawas (bottom), was co-Quartermaster of the 2011

International Staff Ride -- the 12th annual ISR sponsored by the Strategic Studies Program.

4 The SAIS Observer May 2011

SAISers in Spain during the March 2011 International Staff Ride

This year, for the fourth year in a row, SAISCorps selected a group of volunteers to

assist in a community development project in Panama. From March 18 to March 28

nine SAIS students went to Isla San Cristobal to help in a local Peace Corps sanita-

tion project and to build latrines with the indigenous Ngobe community. After

months of planning and fundraising and thanks to the support of the SAIS commu-

nity, the service trip was a great success. Together with Peace Corps volunteers and

members of the community, we were able to build four compost latrines and we

spent an incredible week with the Ngobe community, living in host families and par-

ticipating in various community events. In this article, three of us describe our

impressions and what parts of the trip were especially important to us.

By Andrew Noh, Contributor

The SAISCorps trip to Panama was a new experience for me on many fronts. I’m

ashamed to admit it given that I’m student at SAIS, but this trip was my first trip to

Latin America–not to mention my first trip to a developing country. It was also my

first experience in a country where I didn’t speak the language and had to rely on oth-

ers to communicate on my behalf. I pride myself on my independence and doing

things the way I want to, so it was difficult for me to accept the fact that I needed to

rely exclusively on my teammates in order to communicate.

The trip was another first on the volunteer front: I’ve always limited my volunteer

work to my local city, and this was my first international volunteer trip. I’m sure a

lot of my friends back home were worried about me traveling to a developing coun-

try given the “high-maintenance” image I project, and to be honest, I wasn’t quite

sure what to expect given my lack of international development and volunteer expe-

rience. The only thing I knew for certain was that I would do whatever it took to

make this trip a success for the SAIS team, the Peace Corps volunteers and the

Ngobe people. I was determined to leave my impact on the small island of Isla San

Cristobal and to leave it a better place than I found it. After all, wasn’t that the very

reason I came to SAIS?

The six days we spent on Isla San Cristobal absolutely blew me away. I was over-

whelmed by a range of emotions I have never felt as we walked through the village

for the first time in the dark of night; but words cannot begin to describe my feelings

when I saw the village at sunrise the next morning. The simple image that lay before

me at the break of dawn stood as the antithesis of the life I want to live yet there I

stood overcome by a sense of peace that I have never felt before.

Arising to the smell of ojaldras and coffee made by our sweet host mother added to

that sensation. I don’t remember the first time I woke up to the smell of my mother’s

cooking as a young child, but I remember the feeling well, and it was a truly out-of-

mind experience to feel that again as a twenty-five year old man with my new host

family.

Walking through the village and working with the Ngobe for the next five days

proved to be the most enriching experience.

I don’t speak Spanish—my knowledge is limited to a handful of words—nor

do I speak the Ngobe dialect, but it has been said that over 80% of human com-

munication is non-verbal, and I’m actually glad that I didn’t come to the island

with a working knowledge of the language. That barrier forced me to commu-

nicate using hand motions and other body language to get my message across.

I’m not certain if they felt the same way, but I felt that I was able to success-

fully convey my thoughts to the Ngobe.

The week we spent on Isla San Cristobal flew by, and it was Friday before I

knew it, when we were soon heading back to civilization. Civilization—the

very word and concept has taken on new meaning for me. The week we spent

on Isla San Cristobal reminded me that not everything civilization provides is

necessary—there are ways to live a fulfilling and exciting life without all those

amenities. Take the camera for instance. Cameras are meant to capture your

memories and remind you of a time long ago. They require electricity, mem-

ory cards, and a whole list of things that only civilization can provide. I didn’t

bring a camera with me on the trip and I’m glad I didn’t because I was given

one by the Ngobe, one not requiring civilization to operate it. My camera on

this trip is the necklace given to me by the villagers and all I need to do is look

down and touch it to access those emotions and experiences I made on Isla San

Cristobal.

Andrew is a first-year M.A. candidate concentrating in Korea Studies.

By Anne Angsten, Contributor

Skyscrapers, lots and lots of skyscrapers. That was my first impression of

Panama when arriving Friday night in Panama City. This image faded away

during the 10-hour bus ride towards Bocas del Toro, where skyscrapers were

quickly replaced by beautiful landscape on our drive through the country, and

completely vanished when we arrived in the village on Isla San Cristobal,

where we would be working for the next week. The village was beautiful, with

about 40 wooden houses set in green hills next to the water and in front of the

jungle. At the same time it seemed surreal that only 10 hours from the moder-

nity of Panama City, with McDonalds and more plastic surgery than I’d ever

seen, there could be a totally different world without electricity, concrete

buildings or running water. Even though both places are so close to each other,

there was so little connection between them.

It was an amazing and enriching experience to work on such a practical project

together with the local community. It also showed me that the questions you

raise in every “Intro to Development” course are even harder to answer in

practice: How do you create ownership and responsibility of a project?

How do you differentiate between your priorities and the priorities of the peo-

ple you’re trying to help? Having of course not answered these questions, I am

greatly thankful that we had the opportunity to ask them in person. By living

and working with the people of the village, even if only for a limited time, we

tried to understand as much as we could about their life and point of view. The

openness of the community was amazing and while I hope that our stay bene-

fited them by advancing the project, I am convinced that they gave us much

more through their hospitality and openness. Continued on next page

Panama: A Collection of Student Perspectives

PANAMA

May 2011 The SAIS Observer 5

Leaving Isla San Cristobal and going back to Panama City was as surreal as getting

there had been. In a matter of hours we were back in “our” world. All this suddenly

mattered again. Where there is internet, and the events in Libya, we had heard

nothing. It was almost scary how fast I transitioned from one mindset to the other.

Above all, I hope that I remember that while for us this was partly a great adventure

that makes cool stories that you can tell your friends (“Remember the time I had to

take a bucket shower outside?”), for other people it’s their everyday life with its

own ups and downs and perspectives and hopes.

Anne is a first-year M.A. candidate concentrating in Energy Resources and

Environment.

By Gary Decker, Contributor

Your eyes are still closed, but you are between asleep and awake. You can smell

wood burning as your breakfast of ojaldras and café is being prepared by your

warm and vibrant host mother. And, just as you are about to open your eyes, a roos-

ter crows from beneath the house. You open your eyes to see three fellow SAISers

asleep on their mats on the floor in a room that is barely large enough to hold you.

As you carefully step past them, move the curtain to exit the room, and walk to the

open front door, you are greeted by a lazy breeze. Looking out the front door you

see the village, the hills, the clouds, the brilliant sun, and some children already

hard at play. A smile comes to your face as you look forward to another day of hard

work and life-long memories.

SAIS Corps’ 2011 trip to Panama was amazing. Six days working with the Ngobe

people and Peace Corps volunteers on Isla San Cristobal building latrines was an

experience I will not soon forget. The power of the memories led me to contem-

plate the role that pictures and video play in our experiences abroad. Do pictures

and video cheapen the experience? Without a camera, aren’t you forced to hold on

tightly to every precious memory without recourse, truly revealing the most pro-

found of them? Coming from someone who took a few hundred pictures and a fair-

ly large amount of video on the trip, I feel these questions are necessary. Of course,

having a tangible representation of these amazing memories is valuable. There are

countless trips from my past where the pictures jog my recollection and bring a

memory and a smile. However, the most profound of my memories, from any trip,

come without prompting from technology. Indeed, pictures and video cannot cap-

ture what the mind can; specifically, the smell, feel, and atmosphere of that

moment. And so, as I continue to digest my experience in Panama, and plan the

next trip(s) to fill up my passport, I will take these questions with me. Maybe, just

maybe, my camera will remain at home the next time I feel that familiar sensation

of a plane lifting off the runway…

Gary is first-year M.A. candidate concentrating in Conflict Management.

As a group we decided to ask any and every Tico we could what this meant to

them. Over the course of the next week we proceeded to do exactly this asking

everyone from the taxi driver, to the Director of Earth University, to the go-go

dancer, to President Chinchilla what made Costa Rica exceptional. To me the

thing that really made Costa Rica exceptional is that everyone mentioned the

same thing. The pacifist direction of the country and the decision to forgo an

Army made Costa Rica either the most forward thinking country in Latin

America, or the dumbest. Either way it certainly was a unifying goal for the

people and one they took great pride in. By the end of our trip the closest we got

to the beach was dipping our toes in the Caribbean in the port town of Limon.

However we emerged with a much richer reward. The deeper understanding of

a nation and some of the elements which make it tick. Beaches are every where

but experiences like that are once in a lifetime. As they say in Costa Rica,

PURA VIDA MAE!

Alex is a first-year M.A. candidate concentrating in Latin American Studies.

“This American Life”By Lena Diesing, Contributor

Coming to SAIS as a foreign student is an adventure. There are lots of small

things that happened to me that made me say, “Hum, really?“ in daily activities.

I am far away from home, I rarely communicate in my most comfortable lan-

guage, I cannot find my favorite food in the supermarket... And I am only from

Europe! If you ask me to summarize all of it, I would say the pattern is change.

Granted, this happens with everybody who goes abroad. But as a foreigner at

SAIS, there are basically two ways in which I changed: 1) I became interna-

tionalized. 2) I became Americanized. Yes, that's a bit confusing.

Here's what I mean. You become internationalized because you are not the only

foreigner around. That sounds a bit trivial; this is a school for international rela-

tions after all. But it is something that I realized changed my personality in a

very significant way. Suddenly, facing my graduation and the prospect of mov-

ing back to the German countryside, I realized how I became addicted to a

place that feels like a global village. At SAIS, you read about some far-away

country in a class, and at lunch you run into your classmate from there to have

a short briefing on how things were in a time of crazy inflation. You receive e-

mails from friends from another far-off country that detail the revolutions you

would have never guessed were possible from TV reports. You celebrate par-

ties for holidays in foreign lands you didn't even know existed. So, even though

I am a foreigner in the United States, I am a citizen of the global village, and

my blue student ID is my passport.

And what's up with the Americanization?, many have asked me. When I went

back home over Christmas, one of my best friends told me: “You speak so

‘American’”. I was shocked! I spoke German, didn't I?—how can I speak

American German? Something had changed, my friend told me. Despite the

international community, we live in the American capital after all, and we are

exposed to all its good and bad cultural nuances. And that means you often do

things the American way, even if that means your accent changes.

A discussion about the hot topic in international relations? Not without tuna

sandwiches. A beer with your colleagues? Let's start as early as possible, when

it would be the right time for coffee somewhere else. Need a car, a fridge or

some ice cream? Take the bigger version (and buy the one where you get some-

thing in addition). Well, I could go on like this forever. To all those small

things, there are the big things of the capital: seeing three lights settle near the

Washington Monument, hearing sirens and thinking: “that's Obama coming

home for dinner”, or counting diplomat's cars on Mass Ave. In the end, you like

it or hate it I suppose—but your friends will know in any case that you have

spent time in the United States.

Lena is a second-year M.A. candidate concentrating in Global Theory and

History.

C O S T A R I C ABy Alex Rosen

Eleven of us met up at the gate at DCA not really knowing what to expect. The

idea of Spring Break in Costa Rica brought with it images of sandy beaches and

drinks with umbrellas. The fact that it was sponsored by the Latin American

Studies Department made it even more alluring. Our arrival in San Jose was met

with more questions than answers, but our enthusiasm was by no means damp-

ened. Upon reaching our accommodations, the first thing we did was meet our

twelfth member of the group who had spent the past 24 hours flying from Bologna.

We hit the ground running the next morning with a team building exercise. A two

hour bus ride into the rain forest of Costa Rica brought us to the Sarapique river

where we spent the morning zip-lining across the forest canopy and the afternoon

rafting. By the end of the day we were famished, drenched, feted and fully bonded;

bonding mission accomplished. After our adventures in the Jungle, it was on to

some serious business. The next morning we met with our host Dr. Urcuyo who

helped us to steer the focus of our journey; What is Costa Rican exceptionalism?

Our meeting with Dr. Urcuyo was bitter sweet, in that he brought us the wonderful

news that we were to have a personal meeting with Costa Rican President Laura

Chinchilla, but alas our one free day to head to the beach was taken by this meet-

ing.

Foreign Perspectives

6 The SAIS Observer May 2011

Our Life in NanjingBy Michael Carbone & Ray Wang, Contributors

Inside the Hopkins-Nanjing Center (HNC), a co-run academic institution which

formed in 1986 between Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced

International Studies and Nanjing University in Nanjing, China, SAIS students

get to sharpen their Mandarin skills while exploring a country rising on the global

stage.

With a student population split evenly between Chinese and international stu-

dents, the HNC provides a unique environment for interacting with international

affairs. Students are offered a variety of classes to better understand Chinese soci-

ety and related areas such as international politics, law, and economics, with

courses challenging international students to take everything they have learned

from past language classes and travelling experiences and apply it to contempo

rary issues in a modern day society in their target language: Chinese.

Opportunities to travel around the Nanjing area and beyond, such as doing field

interviews in the rural Anhui province for a rural development class, allow stu-

dents to gain a new perspective in applying their class work to the world around

them. While the HNC offers a rich learning environment, there is more to Center

life than coursework.

The Center regularly invites speakers to the Nanjing Center to speak about vari-

ous isses regarding Chinese and international affairs. Speakers this year included

New York Times journalist Sewell Chan, former ambassador Chas Freeman, and

U.S. Food and Drug Administration County Director Chris Hickey. Topics dis-

cussed in these lectures are just as varied, with current American Co-Director

David Davies doing a recent lecture on the culture changes at Walmart in China.

In addition to these opportunities to listen and discuss, the HNC offers other

activities for students to engage in and enjoy.

For sports, the HNC has a long tradition of basketball and dragonboat. The bas-

ketball team, a mixture of Chinese and international students, continued tradition

and won the annual tournament between universities in Nanjing this year. “At the

HNC both Chinese and international students have such an affinity for basket-

ball,” said David Lewis, a certificate student here. “It gives us the edge to be

extremely competitive in the tournament.” During the Dragonboat Festival every

year, a competitive boat race is held and the Center does its best against amateur

and professional racing teams, last year scoring sixth and gaining the quip, “the

best of the teams that can't row straight.”

Students engage in the Nanjing community outside the Center in a variety of

ways, such as the Migrant School Initiative and the Five Project. Begun this year,

the Migrant School Initiative teaches English to the children of migrant workers

in Nanjing, whose opportunities for public education in the city are limited due to

the hukou household registration system that discourages migration in China. The

Five Project in turn works with individuals with developmental disorders in the

local community, who are often excluded from local schools. “Everyone seems to

really appreciate our efforts,” says Laura Dow, a first-year master’s student at the

Center.

Extra-curriculars aren’t just limited to volunteer opportunities. Justin Yang, an

HNC certificate student, notes that he is “a firm believer in putting [him]self out

there and taking risks,” and it seems that among HNCers the feeling is shared.

Three international students this year including Yang have so far appeared on

Chinese television shows: one on “Our World,” where the student's dream of

dueling the girl he likes from the gym for a date comes true (unfortunately she's

a blackbelt in gongfu); and two on “If You're the One,” an extremely popular

competitive dating show where both HNC students won free trips to Hawaii.

Appearing on game shows may not be high on the list of things students do, but

for HNC students it has proved to be a unique way of immersing oneself in

Chinese culture and practicing their Chinese at a much higher level. Although the

Center does not specialize in international law, this has not stopped students from

taking on the challenge of arguing cases in court, with the HNC participating in

the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition for the first time

this year. After successfully arguing for the participation of international SAIS

students in the competition, the HNC team faced off against teams from Chinese

law schools and specialized law programs and placed sixth in the nationals, with

the four team members individually placing first, third, ninth, and twelfth places

(no other team had more than one member in the top fifteen). As one of the pro-

fessors who headed the Jessup team Steven Hill noted, this was “incredible and

really unprecedented.” If the group and individual results seems rather discon-

nected, just remember that one of the components of an education at the HNC is

how politics is never too far away in the Middle Kingdom.

Every year seems to bring a new political controversy to the Center, and this year

was no different, with protests over the cutting down of historic trees by the new

city mayor to help expedite the building of a subway line, which caused much

controversy within the city. Add to it the sensitive political environment created

by the Chinese government’s over-reaction to the national Jasmine non-protests,

and the local arbor protests became that much more sensitive, with some Chinese

students at the Center being interrogated by the police. The mayor ended up sus-

pending his new policy. While not as internationally well-known as Shanghai or

Beijing, Nanjing's non-stop high-speed rail link to Shanghai is another effort by

the Chinese government to propel the city into the global conscience.

The most recent G20 seminar was held in the city, with a group of 19 nations plus

the European Union representing around 90 per cent of global gross national

product coming together to discuss the international monetary system. Those in

attendance included French President Sarkozy, SAIS alumnus U.S. Secretary of

the Treasury Timothy Geithner, and one of our very own HNC students, Laure

Pallez, who said that, as expected, “it was extremely interesting with high level

discussions on financial topics.”

Although the Hopkins-Nanjing Center is the youngest of the international institu-

tions connected to SAIS, the Center already has a vibrant alumni network, with

this year yielding the largest alumni weekend turnout to date, with well over one

hundred alumni in attendance. As the Chinese co-director Madame Huang says,

“we are a family here,” with Center traditions and a Center network throughout

the world, yet the HNC manages also be a unique and an important part of the

larger SAIS community. We welcome you to inquire about studying at HNC if

China studies is part of your path at SAIS, and if not, you are still welcome to visit

us in Nanjing anytime.

Michael and Ray are SAIS students studying at the Hopkins-Nanjing Center in

Nanjing, China.

May 2011 The SAIS Observer 7

Foreign Perspectives (cont’d.)

L I F E I N B O L O G N ABy Mia Warner, Contributor

Studying at SAIS for the past two years has been an exhilarating and humbling

experience, much unlike anything I could have imagined before I started my stud-

ies. I spent my first year of SAIS at the Bologna Center (BC) in northern Italy. I

came to SAIS after working in consulting in DC for three years and I was worried

that the slow pace of life in Italy would drive me nuts, but instead, it was refresh-

ing to ease back into student life in such an enriching atmosphere. Studying in

Bologna gave me the opportunity to learn in every aspect of life—not just in the

classroom, but also at aperitivo and in the bakery and on jaunts around Europe

with my classmates. One of the first times I realized I was at a special place was

during orientation. My newly arrived classmates and I attended a talk given by an

EU official and then we schmoozed at a wine and cheese reception. The talk was

definitely interesting, but the really fascinating part was listening to my fellow

classmates’ questions and comments. I was in awe of the range of perspectives

that the other students presented. I would say I have prided myself on trying to

listen to and read opposition viewpoints as often as I consider those that line up

with my own; however, in that moment, I was encountering opinions that I didn’t

even know existed! I knew then that SAIS was going to be an experience of a life-

time.

The perspectives of my fellow classmates turned every impromptu dinner outing

into a culture lesson. Each and every student had such an impressive background

that I could have never been bored just talking to my fellow classmates about their

life experiences and how they shaped their outlook on the world. My roommates

alone were some of the most interesting people I’ve ever met. One of my room-

mates in Bologna was a lawyer from Belgium who speaks five languages, has

volunteered in Palestine, and has travelled to a million countries, including Cuba.

My other roommate, who is originally from Singapore, had also studied and trav-

elled all over the world. It was amazing to learn that someone who had grown up

in a country halfway around the world from mine could be so similar to me. She

was pivotal in helping me establish a student organization in Bologna called

“Christianity Explored,” where SAISers came every week to share a meal and

discuss the book of Mark.

Each week, students from a variety of religious backgrounds raised questions that

led to thought-provoking conversations. Despite the diversity among the students

in Bologna, we were all incredibly close. Studying in Bologna brings a unique

aspect to the SAIS experience because immediately upon arriving at the BC, you

gain a family of 200+ students and faculty from all over the globe. There’s some-

thing about being thrown into a foreign city with a bunch strangers that makes

you want to make friends quickly! People say the “SAIS mafia” is tight, but the

Bolognesi students are arguably even closer.

The small, intimate setting of the BC also gave us the opportunity to spend quality

time with our professors. At the end of the term, many of our professors hosted

us for dinner and shared stories about their lives and careers. My professor for

Public Sector Economics (a brilliant yet sweet Italian economist who has advised

the Pope) opened his home, and he and his wife cooked lunch for our entire class

while they handed out life lessons. Another professor (a prominent art historian,

who has advised Prince Charles and who appraises pieces for Sotheby’s and

Christie’s) took us on a field trip to see the Accademia, the Uffizi, and the archi-

tectural sites of Florence, and then hosted us for dinner at her beautiful home.

Beyond travelling to neighboring Italian towns, we also took advantage of

Bologna’s proximity to many other exciting locales. One weekend in November,

I loaded into a bus with about 50 of my classmates and trekked to Zermatt,

Switzerland, where we rented a private cabin in the foothills of the Matterhorn.

Two months later, intercession break took us all over the world—people traveled

to Egypt, Turkey, Malta, the Canary Islands, and all over Europe and the U.S. I

helped coordinate a study trip to Bosnia and Herzegovina, where a dozen SAISers

examined the complexities of governance and conflict management through

meetings with local officials and international organizations, including a former

general of Serbian ethnicity who fought for the Bosniak army, Republika Srpska

officials, EUFOR, the Constitutional Court of BiH, and the World Bank. Among

my fellow travelers were SAISers from both sides of the conflict: a Serbian and

Bosniak who are great friends and who are both now working towards reconcili-

ation in their country.

After the study trip, I took a quick tour of Budapest before meeting up with my

classmates at the IAEA Ball at the Hofburg Palace in Vienna. I truly felt like I

was living someone else’s life during that week, especially as my well-dressed

classmates and I greeted each other at the Palace with double-cheek kisses and

exchanged stories of our trips over the break.

By the end of the year, I certainly felt like I had spent a “lifetime in the world,”

as the SAIS BC website advertises. I had visited 13 countries, tasted innumerable

varieties of gelato and wine, and became lifelong friends with some of the most

amazing people in the world. As I come to the end of my studies, I’m sad that it’s

almost over, but I’m grateful for the experiences I’ve had at SAIS and I’m excited

to see where we’ll all go from here. I also can’t wait until the five-year reunion in

Bologna, when I’ll get to eat authentic Italian food again and hear about the

incredible impact my classmates have made on the world!

Mia is a second-year M.A. candidate concentrating in International Law and

Organizations.

8 The SAIS Observer May 2011

Should I Take Corporate Finance?By Peter Gruskin, Editor

Oh the ever-present SAIS debate: “Oh, you’re taking corporate finance? I’ve

heard that class is a lot of work but it’s really good. Do you recommend it?”

asks Student A.

Follow up question by Student B: “Well, do you like finance?”

Follow up answer by Student A: “Um, I think so.”

If you’ve ever wondered if you should take corporate finance, here is the answer:

it depends. If you think you may ever want to do “finance stuff” or any type of

“economic policy stuff”—however loosely defined—you should look into the

class because it may be good for your life. It might even save you some hassle by

a stock broker or insurance agent later on. Why, it may even get you a job.

However, if you’re just trying to skate on by the economics requirement, I’d rec-

ommend not subjecting yourself to the hassle. The class will consume your life

and then some. For those of you not requiring advanced course analysis, that

about sums it up.

If you’re still wondering, suffice it to say there are many reasons why you

should learn finance.

No doubt, this wondering is a good thing. The financial crisis affected all coun

tries somehow, and don’t we study countries after all? Indeed, policy goes beyond

decision-making to incorporate the macro forces of the economy, such as compa-

nies. Like humans, corporations are subject to the forces of history. We may walk

hand in hand with economic schemes, but not necessarily with an economic des-

tiny. But this does not mean studying economics or finance is worthless.

Where to begin with corporate finance then? How about with bonds, since this is

where the course starts. Bonds surprisingly take up a huge part of the U.S. finan-

-cial system literature and to a lesser but growing extent, the emerging market

finance literature.

To know one then, you should know the other.

To those studying international security, consider the following: what more pow-

erful, explanatory, and significant realms are there after security and economics

in the international sphere? These are the two that come to mind immediately. So

if you study security issues because you recognize the subject’s inherent “macro-

focus,” consider knowing about the other major macro-force that you’re compet-

ing against.

For the philosophically minded (i.e., global theory and history), global finance, as

mentioned, is a systemic branch-cluster of the parent topic.

Alas, the liberal argument: arguably all international development studies stu-

dents should know about foreign economics and by extension foreign financial

markets. International law and conflict management students too.

And the conservative argument: economics is a core feature of the realist world,

Sir.

Regional studies buddies: studying emerging markets finance is a good compli-

ment to studying your region!

And Energy, Resources and Environment: Way to state the obvious.

Peter is a second-year M.A. candidate concentrating in Middle East Studies and

and International Finance.

SAIS on the Inside

A Revolutionary First Year in Middle East StudiesBy Peter Gruskin, Editor

I had studied revolutions and the Middle East but never the two together, until I

came to SAIS. This semester changed the landscape of the region—or was it the

other way around? Powerful narratives have emerged, but of what doctrine or

fate, I am still unsure. As my International Financial Markets course drilled into

my head only weeks ago: randomness. Because the opposite doesn’t explain

much. This certainly holds for the Middle East these days.

Trying to explain too much in one breath is a massive risk with non-commensu-

rate reward, even at a policy school. We all rely on syllabi for grounding in reality

but as events unfolded in the region this semester, we needed more than books

and articles. The buzz around the TV in the lobby was bright. The response of

expert faculty was rapid and bold.

Students of other regions and functions all of a sudden cared about our turf. Hail

the changes in the Middle East?, we humbly wondered. Among the student body,

as of the day before Tunisia’s uprising, who among us knew Tunisia well beside

the professors?

To be sure, we were all equally stunned. It’s amazing how much learning goes on

at a school like this outside of the pages of standard history—whatever that is. All

to its credit! The recognition of mankind’s inability to accurately see the future is

often lost in Washington, but it was dropped in front of us like a grand piano out

of a high-rise on more than one occasion this semester.

When Egypt hit, I suppose we knew considerably more about the place: Nasser,

a U.S.-brokered peace deal which led to the assassination of Sadaat, Cold War

rapprochement with the West, then Mubarak’s dictatorship. I had fatefully read

my first Middle Eastern novel about the brutality of life in Egypt just last fall in

another Middle East studies course, Politics and Literature.

Fortunately for spell-bound students of the world, such stories never end.

A plug for events in the Middle East Studies Program and SAIS more gen-

erally:

Lunch-ins with famous scholars and practicioners are a regular occurrence in

Middle East Studies Program, and all students are welcome to attend. The pletho

ra of talks and conferences hosted by the other departments at SAIS in any given

week is astounding too if you compile them (sais-jhu.edu/events). The SAIS

administration sends out a weekly synopsis from “dc.linktank.com” which sum-

marizes everything that’s happening in Washington during the week relating to

international relations, policy (divided into all its million subsections), domestic

and international economics, human rights, security studies, etc.

Monetary economics, revolutions in the Middle East, development, every war and

struggle on earth, the future of China, private equity in frontier states—this is just

a random sampling of the multitude of subjects, all with their concomitant cadre

of experts, that the SAIS student has access to morning, noon, and sometimes

night. You really could stay between 16th and 19th Streets and catch a great lec-

ture and lunch, if not both for free, almost anytime of the day, every single day.

Dinners on the other hand, you can count on paying for.

Peter is a second-year M.A. candidate concentrating in Middle East Studies and

and International Finance.

What Goes on in Strategic Studies?By Conor J. Halloran, Staff Writer

SAIS is full of active students, brilliant faculty and wonderful programs, perhaps

no place more so than the Strategic Studies Department. As with all departments

at SAIS, the courses are all stimulating and wonderful. There are a few infamous

professors and legendary courses, but to be honest, there are no bad courses and

professors. This turns out to be the larger problem. I find myself mourning the fact

that I can only take so many Strategic Studies courses!

What makes “Strat” such a stand-out department is the wonderful student-led and

organized events and programs. The most notable of all of these is the Staff Ride,

a field trip of sorts, either domestically or internationally. Like so many things in

Strategic Studies, the Staff Ride is an adapted military program which combines

research, role-playing, and campaign analysis to allow participants to learn about

military campaigns.

There are three Staff Rides each year: domestic trips in the Fall and Spring as well

as the International Staff Ride during Spring Break. While applications are open to

all students, the Staff Rides are planned by Strat students and the vast majority of

participants are Strat-affiliated.

For a weekend (or a week in the case of the International Staff Ride), students

teach each other about the politics, strategy, tactics, logistics and history surround-

ing many important military campaigns. As corny as it sounds, history has a way

of coming alive on these weekends.

To complement the Staff Rides—which though wonderful are few and far

between—there are several event series: The Strat Film Series, Defense Against

the Dark Arts, and the Strat Speaker Series. Every month of so, the Strat Film

Series presents a film related to Strategic Studies (examples from this year

include Breach, Dr. Strangelove, Seven Samurai and The Battle of Algiers). The

films often include an introduction and discussion of the themes of the movie,

and are overall a good opportunity to relax with fellow students. The Defense

Against the Dark Arts series is a series of discussions, lectures, guest panels and

more to advise students on how to be effective practitioners of defense policy

without being corrupted by DC bureaucracy.

Finally, there are several yearly traditions which help keep your calendar full.

One must-do event every year is the paintball game against IDEV (International

Development) students. For one Saturday each fall, Strat and IDEV battle it out

over a series of paintball matches. Though it’s always a fierce competition, much

fun is had by all sides regardless of the outcome. (In the interest of full disclo-

sure, this fall for the first time Strat actually lost to IDEV.) Another big event is

Dining-in, an end of the year banquet full of military tradition, pomp and circum-

stance, wonderful acts and a significant amount of alcohol for everyone (includ-

ing many of the professors). Lastly is the Quantico Leadership Venture, an

immersive experience at the Marine Corps’ Officer Candidate School designed

to, among other things, help teach students leadership skills.

I cannot talk about what goes on in the Strategic Studies without mentioning the

students. Everything that happens is a result of countless hours from so many

people. I personally have participated in almost all of the events mentioned

above, and have had a chance to help organize a few. This is what makes

Strategic Studies such a dynamic environment— everything is organized and

carried out through student initiatives.

Every year there are new initiatives and new programs born out of the brilliant

student body. For example, this past year, thanks to the hard work of one MIPP,

there was an amazing trip to Arizona for an intensive immersion experience with

the Marine Corps Aviation training program. Strategic Studies is a department

full of activities and things to do indeed; the challenge is not finding something

to do, but rather deciding between the many wonderful offerings to be had.

Conor is a first-year M.A. candidate concentrating in Strategic Studies.

Middle East Studies students on a all-expenses paid trip to Kuwait, Dubai and

Abu Dhabi (Winter Break, January 2011)

May 2011 The SAIS Observer 9

10 The SAIS Observer May 2011

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang Bin Laden(Conitnued from cover)

PBS ran a round table on the 3rd of May, where a young girl named Lauren

French - a junior at The George Washington University, and Editor-in-Chief of

the school newspaper - said, “Most of the kids in college today were between 9

and 12 years old when 9/11 happened... [Bin Laden] was our first introduction to

what evil was, in a sense, he was the first person you could say was a national

enemy... George Washington kids rallied at the White House after the news of

Bin Laden’s death, the last time they went to the White House en mass was when

Obama was elected... Monday died the man who stole my childhood.”

Facebook is crawling with viral photoshopped images of Bin Laden’s dead body.

Yahoo News reported on May 2nd that the successful killing of Bin Laden had

serious implications for Katherine Bigelow’s new film project, ‘Kill Bin Laden,’

because the film had been based on a previous special operation that had failed.

Would Bigelow have time to rework the plot? Mike Huckabee said, “Welcome

to Hell, Bin Laden.” Even Radio Free Europe ran a chilling photo gallery,

“Osama as a teenager..and here he is playing basketball as a young boy...” Why?

Because when the gladiator’s body hits the ground, falls flacid, and defeat

lies decided, the crowd stands up; like when the king comes to town, casts his

light upon a stressed pressed brow.

America’s sensationalist news industry is already discussing the ‘poll bump,’ or

better, the ‘Bin Laden bump‘. America’s sensationalist ‘leaders,’ call them

Poliwood, are practically linking arms and skipping, ‘ding dong the witch is

dead’. I think that mainstream western media outlets have a penchant for over-

simplification (the proverbial tea-party, if you will). There is a systemic attention

disorder they are pandering to, and it’s not helping to direct the conversation

towards any substantive topics. Osama bin Laden was not a leader; he was a wast-

ed figure head at best - frightened and guilty of succumbing to his own prejudice,

walled away in a million dollar cavernous compound. He accused the West of

building walls, allowing chaos and terror to reign throughout the wider world, and

charged us with ignorance and self indulgence; yet, he wallowed away his final

years, secluded and guilty, and the Arab world burned around him, ignited by

decades of ignorance and self-indulgence on the behalf of their leaders. Osama

is not responsible for the Arab Spring, as he’s not responsible for our future gen-

erations’ fear. There is no ‘glorious new age‘ there is only this age –

we must take care in how we interact with it.

May 2011 bore a collective moment for the Information Era. We are holding an

opportunity to address some of the outstanding questions surrounding what hap-

pened in the fall of 2001: how did we ultimately interpret and react to those

events, and what message did we send to the wider world with our actions? Is the

position we are in now sustainable; how will we recalibrate? Will another gener-

ation feel the loss of their childhood? Is the unfolding Arab Spring the success

we were hoping for, and if so, what role will we playing in supporting fledgling

democratic movement in civil society throughout the Middle East and Northern

Africa?

The show is not over, the coliseum doors lay barred. For those of us safely in the

stands, the exhibition continues, and we owe those on the ground a healthy con-

versation. My hope is that we don’t get that twisted in the fluidity of our national

narrative, because the broader strokes will paint a much heavier portrait. We

must stay relevant to that portrait. The hubris of prescribing a new percipience to

the ‘War on Terror’, post-Bin Laden, is tempting; however, it may well lead the

Western world into another exhausting era of confusion and identity crisis. Those

twenty something Navy SEALS, who risked life and limb to get Osama have

done so with dignity and determination, to be the best at their job.

Susie is a first-year M.A. candidate concentrating in International Law and

Organizations.

The Irony of IrrelevanceBy Bobby Bray, Contributor

It is difficult to observe the downfall of Osama Bin Laden and not be struck by

the rate at which he has become a mere symbol, an irrelevant figure, invariable.

In the context of the Arab Spring the Islamic world has made significant advances

toward the goals of Bin Laden’s Al Qaeda network, but then again maybe not.

Let us remember the history and the movement Bin Laden originally sought out

in order to overthrow the apostate leaders ruling the great “Middle East”, from

Tunisia to Afghanistan.

The early iterations of this radical movement, rife with indignation and suffering

from centuries of international irrelevance, produced those who rose up to assas-

sinate figures such as Anwar Sadat - the Egyptian leader who dared to have a dif-

ferent vision for his country and the region. The early successes of the movement

were met with harsh defeats. One brutal reprisal after another followed for the

less progressive leaders - the likes of Hosni Mubarak, Hafez al-Assad, and Ben

Ali - men who gladly, and effectively, put down nascent movements to strengthen

the presence of their own ideologies throughout the Middle East. The broader

movement has changed focus from the “far” enemy found in the U.S. and Europe

to the “near” enemy who would fall when the “far” enemy no longer provided

support.

It was an easy sell for Bin Laden; the godless West had invaded the holy land in

1991 during the first Gulf War – this was only the most recent humiliation. Bin

Laden referenced the fall of the Ottoman Empire in 1918 as the ultimate Western

insult when he declared war on the U.S. in his infamous fatwa of 1996. There it

began, 15 years of simmering war, terrorist threats, bubbling flares. But some-

where things changed, the message started producing another outcome.

Bin Laden’s message may still resonate with many, but the movement we now

call the Arab Spring doesn’t claim him as father. The self-immolation of

Mohamed Bouazizi in December 2010 in Tunisia taps much of the shame and

indignation that Bin Laden tried to harness, but the results were starkly different.

This movement is now truly organic, the force of which is directed at the same

apostate leaders that Bin Laden tried to topple. The

“near” enemy is in fact falling, regimes one by one, but coming to the surface is

a different demand. First Ben Ali, then Hosni Mubarak, and now it appears

Hafez al-Assad’s like-minded son Bashar is next.

The Arab Spring should be a triumph for Bin Laden, but his aircraft carrier

moment to declare victory it isn’t. The successes in Tunisia, Egypt, Qatar, Syria,

and Libya are incomplete and their endurance remains in question. They didn’t

grow because of Bin Laden; they grew in spite of him. In Egypt, Mubarak finally

left when he realized that the support of the West was gone. In Libya, it is the

North Atlantic Treaty Organization that is providing the most aid to the rebel

forces, and the pressure on Syria continues to grow day by day.

This irony would not be lost on Osama Bin Laden. The goals of his movement

could be achieved without him, fueled by hatred for the West. However, we are

observing the left-over image of a tired revolutionary watching re-runs of himself

on satellite television, a veritable prisoner in his own compound, drinking Coca-

Cola, hoping to remain relevant as the world changes around him. Gavrilo

Princip fades, another footnote dies, and the irony of history repeats itself.

Bobby is a first-year M.A. candidate concentrating in International Finance and

Strategic Studies.

On April 19th, SAIS hosted a day-long conference, “Demographic Trends and the

BRICs”. The conference featured regional policy experts, demographers and leading

market analysts on issues pertaining to Brazil, Russia, India and China. The confer-

ence was sponsored by Goldman Sachs, the China Business Review and the U.S.-

India Business Council (USIBC).

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The Case for UN Reconsideration of the

Zimbabwean MatterBy Eddie Walsh for ISN Insights

Now that the international community has confronted two of Africa's most ruth-

less dictators - Cote d'Ivoire's Laurent Gbagbo and Libya's Muammar al-

Qaddafi - is it time for the UN Security Council to reconsider its handling of

Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe, as he steps up his campaign of violence against the

opposition?

"What more has to happen before we who are leaders, religious and political, of

our mother Africa are moved to cry out 'Enough is enough?'" - Archbishop

Desmond Tutu

When the matter of President Mugabe's regime in Zimbabwe was referred to the

UN Security Council in 2008, no strong action resulted, despite Mugabe's long

record of violent suppression of opponents. Almost three years later, Zimbabwe

remains a failed state arguably ignored by many in the international community.

The opposition politicians in the Government of National Unity (GNU), a coali-

tion government formed after the 2008 election crisis, have been able to do little

on their own to transform Zimbabwe's police state. By retaining all of the min-

istries - such as Defense, Justice and Media, which, Dr Knox Chitiyo notes,

"underlay the coercive apparatus of the state" - and by maintaining political

groups capable of waging extra-judicial violence in support of the regime,

Mugabe sustains his violent campaign against domestic opposition with relative

impunity.

Ultimately, rising levels of intra-state violence coupled with violations of inter-

national law (especially UN Security Council sanctions) should provide

American and European policymakers with an imperative to force the Security

Council to reconsider the Zimbabwean matter.

Threats to Human Security: Post-National Unity

The distribution of power within the GNU clearly favors Mugabe, who retains

almost exclusive dominion over the state security apparatus. According to

Freedom House, this enables militias affiliated with Mugabe's party, the

Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF), to operate as de

facto enforcers of government policies and commit assault, torture, rape, extrale-

gal evictions and executions without fear of punishment. Zimbabwe

remains high on the Failed States Index, behind only Somalia, Chad and Sudan.

Following the creation of the GNU, the development of a new constitution was

heralded as a necessary benchmark for a peaceful transition to a more democratic

Zimbabwe. Ironically - or perhaps predictably - much of the violence since 2008

has centered on this issue. Once public consultations on the constitution got

underway in 2009, ZANU-PF supporters repeatedly interrupted the meetings,

prevented opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party supporters

from attending, and assaulted participants, according to the 2010 Conflict

Barometer. Faced with new accusations of political violence, the government

then detained and expelled Manfred Nowak, the UN torture investigator, who

came to investigate human rights abuses. In late 2010, outreach meet

ings in Harare and Chitungwiza were suspended due to a wave of violence

blamed on Zanu-PF, military and security agents.

Mugabe continues to feel threatened by the possibility of a new constitution, and

the elections that will undoubtedly be required. He is willing to use charges of

terrorism to illegally jail civil society dissidents, and forcefully vacate MDC MPs

from office by arresting them. His regime even appears willing to politicize

the Anglican church to undermine religious freedom.

With public consultations reportedly completed - possibly paving the way for

new elections - there are clear indications of rising violence in Zimbabwe. This

is not unexpected, as violence directed at the MDC historically increases in the

run-up to elections. The unrest in Northern Africa and the Middle East also

appears to be playing a role, leading to preemptive arrests of civil society

activists who the regime believes are being inspired by those events.

These developments suggest a bleak future for human security in Zimbabwe and

raise fears that Mugabe will use the next election to seize absolute control of the

state. If threatened with the existential threat of regime change, the fight for

Zimbabwe, waged by an aging dictator who once boasted of having a degree in

violence, could devolve into an international crisis of unknown proportion -

unless external actors intervene.

Threats to International Peace and Stability

Increasingly, Zimbabwe is also cementing its reputation as a regional pariah state

amid allegations of violating the Côte d'Ivoire arms embargo, sending mercenar-

ies to Libya and pursuing uranium sales to Iran. If these claims are

Continued on page 15

Meanings of Life After SAISBy Professor Thitinan Pongsudhirak

The time warp of May at SAIS is an annual ritual characterized by exams, intern-

ships for some, and orals, jobs, and commencement for others. And then there is

packing for a time or for good. This compressed period induces stress and pressure

of the immediate as well as anxiety and anticipation for what lies ahead. It is a

crunch time not just for students but also for the utility of a SAIS education. What

is SAIS good for after a year or two of trekking up and down Massachusetts

Avenue into a few buildings?

Many SAIS grads and summer interns might enter the real world with a smug sat-

isfaction of having been trained at a top-notch professional school only to discover

certain shortcomings in their graduate education. SAIS provides some of the basic

tools but much of the rest will come from learning by doing. From SAIS we

become a jack of many trades, a substantive generalist of international studies. But

our true expertise will be too narrow in niches and shallow in breadth. It will need

harnessing and sharpening in the post-SAIS years. We can speak intelligently about

current events in IR but would need to deepen expertise in regional area studies and

functional economic analyses. SAIS teaches how to solve problems but the chal

lenge frequently will be to come up with answers when problems have yet to arise.

Without doubt, the paramount takeaway from the SAIS curriculum is the econom-

ics background. Without the economics requirements, the SAIS education would

be devalued by half. (Thus it is alarming for future SAISers that the economics

component of the oral exams has been done away with for 70 percent of graduating

students.) With economics on one hand and a foreign language competency on the

other, reinforced by functional fields and regional area studies, the SAIS product

becomes formidable and competitively positioned. It is hard to beat an IR generalist

who can make some sense of the world economy, equipped with regional familiar-

ity and a foreign language. This is the recipe of SAIS’ success.

But beyond the curriculum, the friends we make at SAIS will stand us in good stead

for subsequent years. The SAIS alumni network, up and down the class cohorts, is

an underestimated but powerful asset. Job leads, internship setups and peer support,

not to mention a readily available social life practically wherever we end up, are all

benefits of the SAIS network. The friends we make at SAIS also tend to be lifelong

friends. As months elapse into years, SAIS grads not only will maintain their bonds

but their families often will make connections and remain connected.

SAIS has much to offer to fulfill professional aspirations but it (like formal educa-

tion elsewhere) cannot teach us how to cultivate a successful private life, which is

decisive in our gross happiness. This is perhaps the trickiest and the most daunting

challenge whose outcome rests beyond the forces under our control. SAIS students

are international by definition. They are holders of a passport, which cannot be said

for most Americans. Parochially inclined partners thus may not be compatible.

Partners of SAISers should have some patience and appetite for the SAIS network.

Otherwise our life outside and inside the home would not be as complete.

For most grads, the first post-SAIS job is unlikely to be the last. We are not all set

up to be winners but few of us will be losers. The trick is to land a job that embarks

us on a flexible odyssey between now and retirement, and to build on a job to

entrench and elevate or move on vertically. There is no set path. We will be tempt-

ed to maximize our careers from the SAIS degree but in the end it may be about

optimizing. SAIS, through its formal training and off-campus benefits of network-

ing and skills accumulation, enables us to make the most of our careers in the face

of constraints and limitations.

Graduating SAISers should think big but know that they are small. SAIS means a

lot but probably less than we might think initially. The sense of humility and mod-

esty, coupled with pride and confidence, forms a fertile basis for our career quest.

Ultimately, how we end up is unlikely to be entirely our doing. Fate beckons but

the onus is still and always on us.

Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a SAIS graduate from 1992, is a visiting professor in the

Southeast Asia Studies Program for the Spring 2011 semester. Professor

Pongsudhirak is also an Associate Professor and Director at the Institute of

Security and International Studies (ISIS) at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok,

Thailand.

May 2011 The SAIS Observer 11

12 The SAIS Observer May 2011

Admiral Mullen Speaks at SAIS on Global SecurityBy Ryan A. Pallathra, Editor

On March 31st, the SAIS community was once again privileged to have an

American foreign policy practitioner take a moment out of an immensely stress-

ful schedule to speak on a range of national security issues. Speaking at the 2011

annual Rostov Lecture on International Affairs, Admiral Mike Mullen presented

“Perspectives on the Global Security Environment”. Admiral Mullen is the

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. As the highest-ranking officer in the United

States Armed Forces, Admiral Mullen is the principal military advisor to

President Obama. As such, he presides over all meetings and coordinates the

efforts of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), advising the Secretary of Defense, the

National Security Council and the Homeland Security Council.

At a time when the United States is confronted with an extraordinary range of

military and security challenges, Admiral Mullen called the gravity of these

issues “breath-taking”. Coming to SAIS directly after briefings on Capitol Hill,

Admiral Mullen was humbled and acutely aware of the challenges and “strategic

constraints” faced by the U.S. military and administration. Despite the support

garnered from Arab partners like Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, the

Admiral stressed the importance of force being executed only in a “precise, prin-

cipled manner”.

Faced with growing concerns regarding the American involvement in the opera-

tions in Libya, Admiral Mullen stressed that the President and the military is

committed to not putting “boots on the ground” in a third Muslim country. One

of the greatest strategic difficulties posed to the military leadership is the “tyran-

ny of the urgent”. Despite the difficulties in proving a negative, he defended

Secretary Hillary Clinton’s remarks that America’s quick and determined action

in the Libya prevented a humanitarian disaster. Speaking on the responsibility of

America to lead, Adm. Mullen said that how we lead is just as important as the

quality and quantity of our resources. Since assuming his position, Adm. Mullen

has witnessed what he feels to be the best military the U.S. has ever had. Even

still, he worries about what he perceives to be the growing disconnect between

American civilians and the military. Briefly speaking on the topic of domestic

politics and the future of American leadership, Admiral Mullen called the coun-

try’s debt its greatest threat to national security. Prior to this current position,

Adm. Mullen served as the 28th Chief of Naval Operations (CNO), the Navy's

top uniformed leader and representative to the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).

Ryan is a second-year M.A. candidate concentrating in Strategic Studies.

The Globalization Paradox: Democracy and the Future of the

World Economy

By Dani Rodrik

Dani Rodrik is the Rafiq Hariri Professor of International Political Economy at

the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. He has pub-

lished widely in the areas of international economics, economic development, and

political economy. He spoke at SAIS on April 17th about his newest book, The

Globalization Paradox: Democracy and the Future of the World Economy.

Rodrik stirs up the economic melting pot by challenging one very fundamental

assumption of globalization, by posing the question: Is it even possible?

Ultimately, Rodrik is an economist. He starts with a historical recount of the

Hudson Bay Trading Company, possibly the world’s oldest private firm, that

interestingly enough was granted private ownership to what today constitutes

nearly 40% of Canada, by the then French crown. The conditions for the grant

are what Rodrik highlights and it demonstrates the pretense for interaction

between the private firm and the state. Ultimately, Rodrik identifies the condi-

tion of ‘hyper-globalization’ – where transaction cost between states has been

effectively eliminated and goods and services flow freely. This state he argues

is not possible, nor is it desirable; empowering

the nation state is still very important.

The Globalization Paradox: Democracy and the

Future of the World Economy

Amazon.com: $16.27

Abebooks.com $12.06

The Origins of Political Order: From Prehuman Times to the

French Revolution

By Francis Fukuyama

Francis Fukyama came back to SAIS for a book release lecture and signing for

his latest work, The Origins of Political Order: From Prehuman Times to the

French Revolution. Professor Fukuyama, as we know him here at SAIS, gained

major public attention with his first book, The End of History and the Last Man,

in 1992. He has since written a powerful historical analysis of the origins of polit-

ical order. He attributes the first modern state strcuture to dynastic China. The

state is an impersonal mechanism, useful for waging war.

Professor Fukuyama systematically runs through the world in a comparative

study of the Indian class system, the Islamic caliphates, the European empire, the

eventual Western separation of church and state, and so on. It’s a tremendously

ambitious work, cruising at 30,000 feet, and the reader travels through both time

and space. Word on the street is that there will be a sequel, possibly several. The

book launch was sponsored by The American Interest Magazine, located here in

Washington D.C. As a co-founder of the venture, Professor Fukuyama is a reg-

ular contributor. It is a great source, as several SAIS professors, including Prof.

Ruth Wedgwood (Director of the International Law and Organizations Program)

and Prof. Eliot Cohen (Director of the Strategic Studies Program) write for the

publication.

Fukuyama is now the Olivier Nomellini Senior Fellow at the Freeman Spogli

Institute for International Studies (FSI) at Stanford

University. He comes to Stanford from SAIS, where

he was the Bernard L. Schwartz Professor of

International Political Economy and director of SAIS'

International Development Program.

The Origins of Political Order: From Prehuman

Times to the French Revolution

Amazon.com $21.00

Abebooks.com $20.00

Recent Book Events at SAIS

Book Reviews by Susie Taylor, Editor

Susie is a first-year M.A. candidate concen-

trating in International Law and

Organizations.

Observer Interview with NATO Secretary GeneralBy The SAIS Observer Editors

On May 12th, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen made a visit to

SAIS in the midst of what must be a hectic schedule. Saving civilians from

Colonel Ghadafi’s brutal attacks, forging a better dialogue with China, and pro-

moting the image and importance of the North Atlantic Alliance around the United

States are all high up on his to-do list these days. Needless to say, we’re glad he

stopped by.

In his lecture, “NATO: A Changing Alliance in a Changing World,” Secretary

General Rasmussen touched on a variety of issues ranging from European integra-

tion of the Alliance to the changing role of NATO since the fall of the Soviet

Union to the war in Libya. One general theme in all this was the organization’s

attempts to stay relevant and militarily prominent in world affairs in the 21st cen-

tury. Rasmussen also made a point to congratulate President Barack Obama and

the American people for the victory over Osama Bin Laden, which he said was a

major achievement for the Alliance and its effort to combat global terrorism.

Immediately following the public lecture, Rasmussen held a private interview ses-

sion with about ten student journalists from the University of California, SAIS and

elsewhere. During this session, the Observer asked about the role of China in the

stabilization effort in South Asia, what kind of contribution they can make in con-

vincing Pakistan to work with the international community against terrorism, and

what attempts were being made to formalize the dialogue between NATO and

China. In short, Rasmussen said he believed China would play a positive role in

the region and that efforts were being made to integrate emerging nations into the

fold. Additionally, we asked how his organization has encouraged members of the

alliance who traditionally have not held leadership roles to take on responsibilities

in modern campaigns. The Secretary General pointed out that command of the

Libya operation is under a Canadian general. He also addressed the reforms that

have been taking place, among them reductions in command centers and person-

nel. These changes allow for greater operational flexibility and have been in

response to calls for greater fiscal responsibility in Europe and North America.

Along with SAIS, the event was organized by the Center for Politics and Foreign

Relations (CPFR). CPFR Director Robert J. Guttman moderated the event.

Spring. Dupont Circle is abloom and SAIS students have begun to think of loveor lust for the last few months. March Madness is over (but remember you goto SAIS so no one really watched it anyway), midterms are over, and finalsseem so far away. In other words, you have a few days to think about your realfuture. Gym memberships have been renewed and the typical SAIS studentrecalls dating, getting coffee and discussing politics to impress and not just foran academic grade.

Dating at SAIS or rather within SAIS is like dating in 9th grade except every-one is taller and the acne is gone. Everyone knows your business here, and ifthey don’t, sitting in the cafeteria or the library makes them think they do. Ifyou dare venture into this minefield on Massachusetts Avenue, it’s not for thefaint of heart. Tread carefully—crushes are many here, closure a differentstory. If you must, here’s a quick run-down and happy hunting!!

Strategic Studies: This concentration runs this school, and it seems like everyother SAISer is one of them. You’ll know them by the copious amount of roleplaying they engage on “Staff Ride” field trips. They‘re our future intelligenceleaders; and they already know you, even if you don’t know them. There’s areason why they’re the Control Room during Crisis Simulation. Be very surewhen dating in strategic studies, for they do not suffer fools gladly.

PROS: They have actually done things you watch on CNN. A majority is in themilitary and they have the bearing and abs to prove it. They are driven, TypeA and to the point. Do not waste their time but, they’re always good for cock-tail parties, general bragging to friends and you know you’re safe in a fight.

CONS: You are a civilian. You can’t really complain about being stressed—they’ve been to war.

IDEV: If they’re not in Strat, chances are they’re in International Development(IDEV). These guys want to be the change makers; they will [try to] save theworld. They are probably vegetarian, always in a group, and always going tomeetings about the genocide of the day.

PROS: You will be inspired by how fervent their desire is to change everything.Whole Foods will become a way of life for you. They are always going to read-ings, speaker series and forums. You’re bound to be more intelligent after dat-ing one.

CONS: Buying fair trade gets expensive. Hummus gets boring. Heaven forbidyou choose to work in the private sector.

“Couch Crew”: You will find this happy bunch on the couches outside of thecafeteria. They are a jovial and convivial bunch and they roll deep. Extremelyfriendly, they know everyone. They are SAIS’ de facto version of the welcom-ing committee.

PROS: They are funny and nice. You always know where to find them. You’llalways have a place where everybody knows your name and CNN plays allday—even during March Madness.

CONS: They’re always sitting on the couch.

SAIS Student Government Association (SGA): Student government: they’realways planning things and sending emails. What a proactive group of fun-makers. They make SAIS run and make you think about discounts. You canalways count on an SGA to remind you not to miss the party of the year, everyweek, even if you can’t quite figure out what it’s for, or where it’s at.

PROS: You’re significant other’s Friday happy hour discount/free beer.

CONS: The majority of SGA is in a relationship, so unless you’re looking to bethe mistress or “jump off” you may want to look elsewhere. Know now thatevery Friday will be spent at happy hour getting drunk in a Soviet-era buildingin Dupont Circle and you will be forced to participate in the “fun”.

Bologna Clique: Our European counterparts have returned and in their stead,there is a plethora of inside jokes that you don’t know and no one will take thetime to explain. They are a lively, dancing bunch. Tough group to hack though,unless you brush up on your Italian or reference your sojourns in Europe for anopening. In fact, good luck if you can even find them. Your best bet is to askone of the people who look random for a date.

PROS: They love to travel and are fluent in more than English. (But then againlots of SAIS students are.) Relive your fantasies of a European fling and thistime you’re not the crazy tourist. You get the pleasure of listening to storiesabout real pasta, what the “real Italy” is all about, and “the fashion”.

CONS: This is a tight group. Oh, and you get the pleasure of listening to stories

about real pasta, what the “real Italy” is, and “the fashion”.

The Outliers: These are the people you are not so sure go to SAIS. You see them

around; they are in your classes, but you never see them out and about. These are

the classmates who shock you when they materialize at Happy Hour or eating

breakfast in the cafeteria. You’ll recognize them by the recognition they elicit from

their friends who scream, “Oh my God, I never see you, where have you been? Do

you still go here?”

PROS: They are very busy and out of the scene, your business will stay private.

There is a high probability that they are taking monthly vacations to some place fab,

are leading an exciting life and/or actually hang out with people outside SAIS. New

places to go beside Lucky Bar, Might Pint, and/or weekly SAIS functions.

CONS: They are busy; they have a life; it might not include you.

The Library: Who knew the 8th floor of the library would be such an exciting

place. I mean the LIBRARY!! But many SAIS students can be found here studying,

texting, eating. I know quite a few who spent their spring breaks there.

Everyone is there—honestly, if you want to date here’s your real meat market, but

don’t stroll during midterms.

PROS: They are studious, diligent students and can definitely tutor you in more

than one subject. Why not have a fun date in one of the study rooms, pull down the

shade and turn on YouTube; relationships have been made on less than this. You

can study new and exciting subjects together in the study rooms, personal desk area

or the open-air market.

CONS: It’s the library!

Congratulations. You are now armed and ready to start dating at SAIS. Get out

there and if it doesn’t work out, none of them will be in DC this summer anyway!

Nicole is a first-year M.A. candidate concentrating in Middle East Studies.

Dating at SAISBy Nicole Epps, Contributor

May 2011 The SAIS Observer 13

14 The SAIS Observer May 2011

The "SAIS Economists" Kickball Team after a game in September 2010.

Pictured from left to right are students Asa Reynolds, Conor Halloran, Jason

Loughnane, Brittany Andrews, Rebecca Lee, Haein Lim, Cody Dietrich,

and Alex Parcan.

Kickball DiplomacyBy Jason Loughnane

On Saturday, April 16th, the SAIS Kickball Club will host the first ever kickball

tournament among DC's four largest International Relations graduate programs.

Competing against SAIS will be Georgetown's School of Foreign Service,

American University's School of International Service, and George Washington

University's Elliott School of International Affairs. Round robin games will begin

at noon on the National Mall at 15th Street at Constitution Avenue NW, with the

Championship game scheduled for 4pm. After the competition, players and fans

from all four schools will shake hands and nurse their injuries together over food

and drinks at the Exchange Saloon next to the White House.

The idea for an inter-international-relations-program kickball tournament came

about after the SAIS Kickball Club, in coordination with leadership of the SAIS-

Georgetown Exchange club, arranged an exhibition game against Georgetown's

MSFS program last October. The fall event was a smashing success, with SAIS

winning two tight matches by scores of 3-2 and 2-1. The games were followed with

bonding over wings and beer, and some serious discussion of American foreign

policy. The captains of each team agreed to schedule another event in the spring,

and to also invite AU and GWU.

Though the upcoming tournament is sure to be a highly competitive athletic

endeavor, it will also give participating players and fans a chance to make friends

with grad students from around DC. While numerous opportunities exist to meet

other international relations enthusiasts at SAIS's myriad public events and confer-

ences, it's rare to find a networking event that will be as much fun as this one. All

SAIS students, including prospective students visiting for open house, are invited

to play or cheer on the team. Email Jason Loughnane, President of SAIS Kickball,

to sign up or with questions at JLoughn1@jhu.edu. Go SAIS!

Jason is a first-year M.A. candidate concentrating in International Development.

May 2011 The SAIS Observer 15

SAIS students sand-skiing and riding camels outside of Dubai.

The Case for UN Reconsideration of the Zimbabwean MatterContinued from page 11

corroborated, it would undermine the arguments put forth by the Security

Council in 2008, when it argued that action against Zimbabwe was unwarrant-

ed because it did not represent a threat to international peace and stability.

Security Council Options

Zimbabwe's alleged behavior in illegal weapons transfers and nuclear prolif-

eration is emerging as a concern for the US and others, but, in the absence of

decisive action in support of international norms, the international community

risks enabling another international humanitarian crisis. With elections - and

the related threat of political terror - on the not-too-distant horizon, the case

for the international community immediately reconsidering

its response to Zimbabwe is stronger than ever.

Bringing the matter before the UN Security Council represents the best

approach, as it is bestowed with the coercive policy tools necessary for reign

ing in Mugabe and pre-empting further violations against human rights and

international laws, including:

Establishing an international arms embargo against the Mugabe regime;

Referring known human rights violations to the International Criminal Court;

Establishing an ad hoc commission to investigate specific human rights abus-

es; Adopting targeted international sanctions against specific leadership fig

ures and their supporters.

Security Council members also can recommend denying Zimbabwe the right

to sell Chiadzwa field diamonds on the international market. This not only

would send a strong message that ongoing human rights violations will not be

tolerated, but it also would prevent Zanu-PF from using the sales to illegally

finance political violence in the run-up to future elections.

While these approaches certainly cannot resolve the crisis on their own, they

likely would force Mugabe to play a different hand, one that takes account of

higher risks and lower rewards for violent behavior.

Eddie is completing post-Master's coursework at SAIS.

He formerly served as a visiting scholar in South Africa, where he

researched the regional security implications of land reform policy in the

Southern African Development Community.

16 The SAIS Observer May 2011

SAIS Winter Break 2010 Photo Contest --- One of the Winners

Courtesy: The SAIS Office of Communications (http://www.sais-jhu.edu/saispride)

2011 Cris is Simulation

Crisis Simulation is a class offered through Strategic Studies in the fal through

which students learn to execute a crisis simulation. Throughout the fall, students

meet to discuss historical cases in which various nation-states face challenging sit-

uations regarding their national security. In most cases it is in the nation-state’s

strategic interest to avoid conflict, and students learn the complexities underlying

this objective. All of this is in preparation for a planned simulation run by SAIS

students in the Spring.

This Spring the class tested the following question: “What are various regional

power dynamics in the absence of a strong U.S. power?” Roughly 90 members of

the Washington SAIS community spent an entire weekend playing the various

cabinet positions of participating nations. You can visit: www.crisissim.org

Careers in International Development

The Careers in Development Club (CID) is a professional club that seeks to pro-

vide SAIS students with training, networking, and exposure to a variety of careers

in international development across sectors, regions and specialties. This year,

CID has hosted a variety of diverse events, including

• Happy Hour speed interning: A new brand of speed dating that helped

SAIS students learn about internship opportunities from second year

students.

• The business side of working with USAID: A workshop providing stu

dents with a basic understanding of USAID processes such as request

for proposals, contracting, managing grants, and procurement, amongst

others.

• Various brown bag lunches and breakfasts: Including: Breakfast with

World Bank SAIS alum; lunch with the founder of the innovative NGO

ThinkImpact (founded by SAIS alum Saul Garlick); and a breakfast

presentation about climate change and agriculture.

Speakers and panelists from organizations such as Mercy Corps, Grameen, Pact,

International Rescue Committee, Ashoka, OTI, the Inter-American Development

Bank and the World Bank have also discussed career opportunities with us in sec-

tors such as agriculture and food security, relief assistance, social entrepreneur-

ship, and education. CID provides SAIS students with the opportunity to directly

engage with development professionals, to hear about their career trajectories,

experiences, pitfalls and suggestions about how to maximize their time at SAIS.

A weekly newsletter alerts CID members to job and internship opportunities and

upcoming CID events. For more information, please contact:

sais.cid@gmail.com.

Bologna Campus Wine Club

By Lindsay LaForge

A recent Bologna campus wine club trip to Rioja Spain was vastly successful.

Amid the buzz of Logroño’s Easter flagellant processions and the salty taste of

Jamón Serrano, the group explored wineries and museums reflecting the past,

present, and future of the region’s unique appellations. The centuries old Marques

de Riscal winery with its Ghery-designed facilities reflected the traditional meth-

ods of the vine-to-bottle process. The young and experimental Bodega Classica

winery described their process of lobbying the region for new appellations and

efforts to differentiate themselves on the lucrative export market. Regulated qual-

ity levels at the regional, national, and supranational level indicated to the group

the exceptional nature of wine vis-a-vis other export goods and the cultural, polit-

ical, and economic relevance of the product in European society.

Tastings of Valpolicella and Sangiovese accompanied by historical presentations

on root stock and soil, and engagement with the local sustainable movements of

Emilia Romagna compliment classroom learning and show the true benefits of

studying at such a unique campus. Reminiscing about the 1984 Lopez de Heredia

she tried while on the trip, club founder Sarah Hexter (BC ’10) commented on the

learning opportunities of the club’s activities, “There is so much at our fingertips,

unusual ways to experience culture here in Europe…agriculture is at the heart of

politics, law, and economics and wine is a uniquely European venue for expand-

ing our view of foreign politics.”

Lindsay is a second-year M.A. candidate concentrating in International Law and

Organizations.

Clubs & Activities

The SAIS International Law Society

The SAIS International Law Society is happy to welcome prospective students.

ILS invites students from all concentrations to learn more about the importance

of international law in an increasingly connected world. Whether addressing

trade and immigration flows, climate change, or the conduct of war, understand-

ing how the law impacts global affairs is critical for all aspiring policymakers and

analysts. ILS is a career networking, with the capacity to invite and interact with

diverse speakers across dynamic interdisclinary fields. This year we hosted an

event, The Fog of War: Humanitarian Law on the Modern Battlefield. The round-

table presentation and discussion amonst US JAG officers, active service duty

men, and Humanitarian activists was a fascinating way to address complex issues

taking place in the international arena. We look forward to another great year of

supporting students with special events and discussions, and we hope to meet you

soon!

SAIS Bologna Class of 2010