October 2007 Volume 8 No. 1 The Newspaper of the Johns Hopkins University Nitze School of Advanced International Studies
In its fifth year, the latest
incarnation of SAIS’ bidding system
continues to cause controversy, as
have each of its predecessors.
Introduced at the behest of
students, bidding was conceived as a
fair way of allocating the scarce
resource of spaces in limited enroll-
ment courses. The system provides
each student a chance to prioritize
how much each class is worth to
them, both relative to other classes
and relative to other students’ prefer-
ences. To the system’s credit it is cer-
tainly more equitable than a “first-
come-first-serve” system, and pro-
vides SAIS-ers with a unique, hands-
on market experience.
Alexander Schratz, who
heads the Academic Committee on
the SGA, says “I believe that the bid-
ding system in general is probably the
fairest and certainly the most efficient
system to allocate slots in oversub-
scribed classes if demand for a class
exceeds the cap in place substantially
and ad-hoc arrangements between the
administration, students and the pro-
fessor cannot be made.”
Yet despite these advantages
and continued attempts to improve
the system, bidding remains cumber-
some, complicated, and frustrating
for many SAIS students.
The latest innovation in the
system is early bidding for all over-
subscribed courses. Originally, all
bidding took place in one round after
the week-long drop/add “shopping”
period. Over time, a preliminary
round of bidding was introduced for
the required international economics
courses: Micro, Macro, Trade, and
Monetary. This semester, for the first
time, students bid once on all over-
subscribed courses during the prelim-
inary round (along with the interna-
tional economics courses), and a sec-
ond time for classes that became
oversubscribed during drop /add.
The difficulty of first round
bidding is that students must evaluate
the worth of classes they’ve never
attended, taught by professors they
never met. Both professors and stu-
dents see the clear benefit of gauging
classes in person before having to
commit time or points to them – that
is the whole purpose of the add/drop
shopping period.
Conversely, by the second
round of bidding, students have
already invested time and effort in
their classes and purchased books.
The prospect of being dropped from a
course after investing some 10 hours
of reading in it is unsavory, especial-
ly given that the student must enter a
new course burdened by a presum-
able 10 hour backlog of reading rela-
tive to their new classmates.
Losing BidNew bidding system causes
problems, frustration By Niv Elis
Dean Harrington says students can use the bidding system to theiradvantage if they plan well and bid wisely.
There’s a bench in the Nitze courtyard. You
may have seen it. It has a tiny brass plaque on it that
whispers to the world how some class some year gen-
erously gave SAIS students some place to sit and
smoke. Not to denigrate the time and effort that went
into that gift, but we can do better.
Last year the Class of 2007 made a bold
attempt to break the mold. They eyed our peer schools
with both a hint of admiration and jealousy. SAIS,
though generous, seems to assist its students so little
through endowments compared to the presidential
nomenclature of schools. The funds are in the millions;
the fact that Kennedy and Woodrow Wilson out per-
form us seven fold is no mean feat – perhaps it should
be something to stir our competitive side.
From the reverse side, alumni participation at
these schools has historically been significantly better.
Yes, we can be proud that alums who typically partici-
pated from SAIS (11%) were more numerous than
those of Georgetown (5%) or even SIPA (6%). Yet, we
can also be inspired by our intellectual cousins at
Fletcher who annually reach a class participation rate
of nearly a third. Again, I think we can do even better.
The Sisyphean task was perhaps too much for
our esteemed Gift Committee predecessors to take on
when they did: just three months before graduating.
Kudos to them, though: they excelled in their task,
blowing Fletcher out of the water with 50% of SAIS-
ers getting involved.
Their efforts teach us one thing: don’t be
fooled. It’s not the money that forms the most daunting
task. The revered target of $100,000 is attainable over
a period of some years and, once there, sustainable.
Human capital is much, much more difficult
to come by. Asking students for money is easy. They
are all around you. They sit next to you in the cafeteria;
one hopes they must at some point walk through the
Nitze entrance. Finding the people to do this, to entreat
cash-strapped individuals to part ways with jealously-
guarded sums of their already scarce spending money,
is the problem. In other words, recruitment is the trick.
The Class Gift Committee will probably need
around ten to twenty volunteers to help with direction,
management, promotion and fundraising. Who will
these fearless characters be? Once the class has gradu-
ated, the gift must be tended to like a fattening lamb.
Who will be our humble shepherd, ready to continue
the solicitation of more money from the government
officials, academics, bankers and journalists that we
will have become?
More importantly, it’s not just recruitment to
the Class Gift Committee, but also recruitment to the
cause. Inspiring our class to even care about the gift is
an obvious pre-requisite. Yet how do you persuade peo-
ple to contribute to a cause that verges on the abstract
in their minds. What are we giving? A scholarship? A
SAIS Fullof GiftedStudents?
How you canhelp leave a
positive legacy atSAIS
By Chris Forster
Also inside, the Observer responds to Ahmadinejad’s appearance
at Columbia, current Bologna students and returnees reveal the
secrets of the BC, and we get to know the new Associate Dean of
Finance
In This Issue:
Diversions 2
SAIS Abroad 4
New Faculty 6
Summer Vacations 7
Lecture Notes 9
Op-Ed 10
Dean John Harrington,
Associate Dean of Academic Affairs
at SAIS and avid supporter of the bid-
ding system, suggests that students
should have an academic plan worked
out ahead of time and use the
add/drop shopping period to visit a
number of back-up classes. Students
complain, however, that crafting such
a plan is difficult with imperfect
information regarding what courses
will be offered, when, and by whom
over their SAIS careers.
According to David
Michaels, another member of the
SGA Academic Committee,
“Preparing for bidding is difficult
because there are a lot of uncertain-
continued on page 11
continued on page 3
October 2007 THE SAIS OBSERVER Page 2
LETTER FROM THE EDITORS
After having survived earthquakes in Peru, car
bombs and detentions in Lebanon, microeconomics in
preterm, and helicopter rides in the Himalayas, having
hitchhiked in Yemen, chased bulls in Spain, ridden on
one-lane mountainous roads in Armenia, run publicity
campaigns for NGOs, and managed the debts of devel-
oping countries, we appear to have made it safely to
Washington, DC. Some of us are back for round 2 and
some are arriving for the first time (sorry to tell you,
life is not necessarily less risky here).
While many of us may be having a tough time
readjusting to life in the classroom – the production
function curve just doesn’t have the same thrill it used
to – The SAIS Observer is back to get you revved up
for the academic year.
Not only do we hav some great content, as
always, but we’re also excited to present a talented
new batch of first years and Bologneses who are join-
ing our experienced crew of second years.
In this issue you’ll meet SAIS’ newest dean, get
pumped for the kick-off of our class gitf (led by the
omnipresent Chris Forster), you’ll hear Bologneses
past and present dish the dirt about life on SAIS’
European campus, you’ll take sides on a knock-down,
no-holds barred, free-for-all debate between Jess Stahl
and John Thorne on the subject of controversial speak-
ers at SAIS (which no doubt will inspire you to send a
letter to the editors voicing your opinion on the mat-
ter), and finally, you’ll hear a long-awaited plea for
sanity from none other than Nadav Davidai on (what
else?) free food and recycling.
Judging from this issue, and if we do say so our-
selves, this year is shaping up to be the best in TheSAIS Observer’s – and indeed SAIS’ – history. And
your ever humble editors can’t wait to lead you
through it.
The SAIS ObserverEditors-in-Chief
Alex Selim
Neil Shenai
Jessica Stahl
ContributorsEmma Ashburn
Alton Buland
Nadav Davidai
Niv Elis
Chris Forster
Dr. Patrick Maris
Sean McGowan
David Michaels
John Thorne
Nancy Tran
George Tzortzis
The SAIS Observer is a news monthly written, edited, and produced by
the 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 the
Washington, D.C. campus, Bologna campus, and the Hopkins-Nanjing
Center are encouraged to submit articles, letters to the editor, photo-
graphs, cartoons, and other items for consideration.
Material for consideration or inquiries may be submitted to :
The SAIS Observer is an approved SAIS student organization. Opinions
expressed in the SAIS Observer are not necessarily the views of the edi-
tors, SAIS, or the University.
The Observer welcomes accolades, denials, comments, critiques,
and hate mail at [email protected].
Photos:
Emma Ashburn
Dr. Patrick Maris
David Michaels
Jon Rosen
Kaveh Sardari
Illustrators:
Alex Bloom
Julien Deslangles
Diversions:Keep your eyes and ears open and contribute to the below
sections! Email us at [email protected] with submissions
“Why didn’t you
go to Bologna?”
– Every Bolognastudent to theirnew DC acquain-tances
The Ostrich
1300
1200
100
100
700
0
700
2305
1804
1391
208
Who’s having a good month, and whomight want to stick their heads in the sandand hope for better luck in March?
Winners LosersProfessor KeaneyBasking in his rave post-Cohen reviews(by the way, is anyone else sick of strat’sperpetual appearance on this page? Wehave other programs at this school!Canada Studies, your day will come!)
DC 2nd Years
That’s right, we know where N417 is,that the left door to Nitze is locked onweekends, and that coffee/cookiesmiraculously appear on Tuesday after-noon - Bow before our wisdom!
Rome Auditorium
Emerges from relative obscurity to playhost to Fukuyama’s oversized CNS (see,Canada Studies? If Rome Auditoriumcan work its way up, so can you)
The SAIS Observer
Damn straight it’s a winner!
SGA
Begging for first year rep candidatesundermines the illusion of power a lit-tle . . . Just sayin’
1st Years
How many times have you thought, “Ishould’ve gone to Georgetown” in thepast few weeks? Come on, admit it
BC Grads
If I hear you say “Ciao Bella” one moretime . . . ! (p.s. - reading Alton andGeorge’s article this month almost gotme to move you off the losers side . . .almost)
FacebookWhere are the faces? This year’s face-book gives the SAIS logo more than itsfair share of facetime
VerbatimWhat the SAIS
community has been saying
“To distract them we could just
bomb Cairo. Or Alexandria.”
– Anonymous SAIS student role-playing the US in a debate overwhether to get involved in the 1973Arab-Israeli war. He was on thecon side.
"I read everything on the syllabus before each class. I always
re-read my own stuff. And, of course, I like it immensely."
– Anonymous professor discussing his syllabus
“DC is not New
York. It’s not real.”
– Anonymous candi-date for first yearrep
Anonymous Student 1:
Where did you go this
summer?
Anonymous Student 2:
Armenia
Anonymous Student 1:
That's in Southeast,
right?
“Sorry I stole the plastic cups
from your party last night. I
just got a little klepto before I
left.”
– Anonymous SAIS student ona Sunday afternoon.
By theNumbers
Highest bid submitted forany class
Highest bid submitted forProfessor Takacs’ TradeTheory class
Clearing price forProfessor Takacs’ TradeTheory class
Total bid points remainingto someone who bid 1200points for Trade Theory
Highest bid submitted forProfessor Dokko’s Statsclass
Clearing price forProfessor Dokko’s Statsclass
Bid points lost by afore-mentioned highest bidder
Average hours worked inKorea in 2006, the highestin any OECD country(according to OECD stats)
Average hours worked inthe US in 2006
Average hours worked inthe Netherlands in 2006,the lowest in any OECDcountry
Required hours of classper year for a full-timeSAIS student
“I want to see
big, warm fuzzies
for everyone.”
– Anonymouscandidate forfirst year rep
October 2007 THE SAIS OBSERVER Page 3
It’s only the end of September, but your SGA has already been
hard at work!
The school year started with Orientation activities for 1st years
and returning 2nd year Bologna students. With the help of Jessica
Stahl, SGA organized a weekend of events, starting with a picnic that
sent the new students off on a scavenger hunt throughout DC. While
students were getting receipts from Fox and Hounds and a picture with
the security guard from Paul Wolfowitz’s former place of employment
(World Bank or SAIS, depending on the ingenuity of the students),
SGA was setting up a killer happy hour.
Orientation weekend also included various organized activities
such as an ultimate Frisbee game, soccer game, free National
Symphony Orchestra concert on the mall, mixers at Buffalo Billiards
and Local 16, and a “Dinner with 10 Strangers.”
One of the most consistent tasks of the SGA is to organize the
happy hours throughout the school year. Unlike the Pre-term happy
hours, students have to pay for drinks. But the bright side is profits of
SGA-hosted happy hours go back to students in the form of SAIS for-
mal and the graduation party. The profits of happy hours hosted by
SAIS clubs go directly to that club to finance their activities during this
academic year.
SGA also recently held an informational meeting for SAIS
clubs and their leaders. We presented information on the clubs’ budgets
and discussed the application process. We went over guidelines and
procedures for clubs, including reimbursements and room reservations.
The SGA is responsible for club financing and the regulations guiding
clubs.
Possibly the most important functions of the SGA are carried
out by its multitude of student committees: Academics, Facilities,
Social, Community Service, Financial Aid, and Class Gift. These com-
mittees are chaired by SGA members and other students to tackle
issues of concern to the student body. For example, the Academic com-
mittee is discussing bidding with Dean Harrington, the Community
Service committee will be organizing volunteer events, and the
Facilities committee is working to get better options in the vending
machines.
Your favorite committee may be the Social committee, headed
by Leela Ranmath and Jill Craig, which just organized the first annual
“Speed Friending” Event. The committee also has a number of other
events up its sleeves, including the annual Halloween Party and
International Dinner. See, not only do we care about your academics;
we are trying to help you find more friends.
We encourage more students to become involved in the com-
mittees, so if you are interested, email us at [email protected]. Currently
the SGA is also holding elections for first-year representatives. We
should have the two newly elected first-year reps by October 5.
Last but not least, SGA has been inundating your inboxes with
3 emails a week, which we know can seem overwhelming. But try to
read at least one of them since they contain information about weekly
events, how to reserve rooms, and other exciting tidbits.
As we say in our emails:
Sincerely, your friendly neighborhood SGA.
SGA MonthlyReport
The SGA checks in to tell us what
they’ve been up to in the past monthBy Nancy Tran, SGA President
You can contact the SGA at [email protected]
Bidding Warscontinued from page 1
ties in the schedule, and your options are contin-
gent upon the different outcomes in each round.”
Although the administration claims that
few students should have to even deal with bid-
ding, the numbers tell a different story. This
semester, 553 seats went to bid. Of these, only
311 seats were available, resulting in about 10%
of all seats being dropped. It is no exaggeration
to say that almost every student had at least one
class go to bid, and some 40% lost at least one
class this semester. Thankfully, most of these
losses occurred in round 1, with only 16 out of 74
students who bid in round two scrambling for
new seats during the second week of classes.
Harrington points out that increasing the
number of courses or sections of a course is not
really an option; SAIS professors’ job descrip-
tions only include teaching 4 courses a year, mak-
ing it difficult to open new sections of popular
classes.
One possible solution to the bidding-
twice phenomenon would be to secure the seats of
all registered students in limited enrollment class-
es after round 1, and only put additional seats up
for bid in the second round.
Another possibility would be to create a
2-3 day shopping period before the first round, in
which professors would give half-hour introduc-
tory classes for each course, allowing students a
risk-free environment in which to evaluate their
options.
Among the more contentious bidding
policy questions is why students must pay the full
amount they bid as opposed to the clearing price.
“It’s really stressful as a first year to
know you might spend all of your points on a
class with a really low clearing price,” says
Victoria Wilson.
Dean Harrington says that he has yet to
be convinced of how paying the clearing price
instead of the total bid amount might improve the
efficiency of the system. But as any pre-term stu-
dent could tell you, making each person pay
amounts greater than the clearing price (amounts
they admittedly volunteered to pay) robs students
of their “consumer surplus.”
As a result, students who bid too low are
upset that they lost the seat, students who bid at or
just above the clearing price are very happy, and
students who bid considerably above the clearing
price are frustrated at the price they paid (presum-
ably at the expense of future buying power)
instead of relishing in the attainment of the covet-
ed seat. Because the administration has no use for
the points it collects, the wasted consumer surplus
becomes dead weight loss, making the rule ineffi-
cient, as manifested in immense frustration.
Yet students themselves deserve a fair
share of the blame if the policy does not address
their needs. Student forums held in the past to
address bidding concerns were sparsely attended,
and the SGA Academic Committee has com-
mended the administration’s efforts to incorporate
student feedback.
“The administration, i.e. Dean
Harrington and Ms. Toussaint, have been very
receptive when we voiced the concerns…. We are
working closely with them to reverse the policy
of all bidding taking place before the first week of
classes,” says Schratz.
Another open meeting will be scheduled
in the near future, and miffed students ought to
take full advantage if they are dissatisfied.
As it were, some students are perfectly
happy with the current system. John O’Bryan
claims, “I liked it!” He adds, “But I didn’t get
burned by it.”
It appears that like Churchill’s famous
quip about Democracy, bidding is the worst sys-
tem except all the others. It does not have to be so.
Niv Elis is a 1st year MA candidate in ConflictManagement
The 2007-2008 SGA from left to right: Alex Schratz, Leela Ranmath, Nancy Tran, Jill Craig, Chris Meyer
Key Bidding Statistics:Total Courses Going to Bid in Round 1: 14Total Courses Going to Bid in Round 2: 4
Total Number of Seats: 2450Total Number of Seats Going to Bid: 533Total Number of Available Seats: 311
Highest Bid Submitted: 1300Highest Clearing Price: 807Lowest Clearing Price: 0
Classes for which Some Students who Bid theClearing Price Didn’t Get Into the Course: 3
October 2007 THE SAIS OBSERVER Page 4
Bolognese Sauced
Ciao!
You’ve seen him smoking in the
courtyard. You’ve seen her double cheek-
kissing in the hallway. You overhear them
criticizing the coffee in Starbucks in bad
Spanish. But it’s not bad Spanish – it’s
Italian. And it’s a dead
give-away that the
unshowered, tight-jeans
wearing, slick-hair
Mousse-illini next to you is
a SAIS Bologna student.
To understand the BC
Mafia (Bola Nostra), one
must know the city that
created this 5 o’clock shad-
owy clique.
The Italians call it
“Bologna the Red” because
of its terra cotta rooftops,
the hue of its famous meat
sauce, its historically left-
leaning politics (ViaStalingrado, anyone?), and
the precious shade of pink
Mike Beaton blushes after
two proseccos.
Although not
overrun by Ohio State
study abroaders like
Florence or literally sink-
ing under the weight of
Chinese tour groups like
Venice, Bologna boasts its
own notable landmarks:
The Due Torre;
what a magnificent sight!
Paired and cocked at such
an unlikely angle, these
Renaissance towers are the
ultimate architectural
prank: looking at them
means seeing double and
crooked at the same time,
so you’ll worry you’re
drunk. This being a
Thursday at SAIS BC, I
assure you, you are.
P i c t u r e s q u e
Piazza Magiorre is home to
the basilica of San
Petronio. This two-toned
cathedral has a marble base
with a clashing brick top
and is a monument to what
happens when you run out
of money halfway through
a project. On a completely
unrelated note, SAIS sec-
ond-year fellowships are
based on first semester
GPAs.
The monastery of
San Luca stands austerely
on a hilltop above the city.
The back-breaking climb
through the 666-arched portico to the top
is the perfect revenge for over-stayed vis-
itors who make you skip midterm review
sessions to play tour guide for them. A
new tradition this class invented was
“Sambuca at San Luca,” which is just as
terrible idea as it sounds.
Bologna’s grand porticos were
blessing and a curse: they added character
to the city and shielded us from harsh
wind and rain. On the other hand, they
prevented the elements from washing the
punk and bestia excrement from the side-
walks, giving Bologna its signature
ammoniac boutique.
The Università di Bologna is
Europe’s oldest university. Called
UNIBO by the populace and Alma Mater
Studorium by the college t-
shirt industry, it is more or
less completely ignored by
any SAISer. If you were to
make your reporter write
something about it, he
would guess that it was
founded in 584 BC by the
literate she-wolf who suck-
led Romulus, and has edu-
cated such notables as
Giovanni Cassini, Umberto
Eco, and Chef Boyardee.
Its mascot is the
Euromullet.
The Johns Hopkins
University SAIS Bologna
Center is apparently called
“The Johns” for short by
the locals, and given the
fact that the admissions
committee stuck 9
Jonathans in our class,
that’s not far off [one par-
ticular editor’s note: the
DC campus admitted all
the Alexs]. Alternately
derided by the Bolognese
as a CIA front or a trans-
planted frat house, this
building was infamous our
year for being home to
100% of Bologna’s
Nepalese population. Its
mascot is the Fightin’
Fukullamas.
Needless to say,
Bologna was like no place
any of the students were
from (except for the
Italians). We had a heck of
a time here, and we could-
n’t have had it anywhere
else. Grazie mille,
Bologna.
And ciao!*
*That’s no typo – it means
“hello” and “good-bye!”
Alton Buland is a 2ndyear MA candidate inStrategic Studies andGeorge Tzortzis is a 2ndyear MA candidate inInternational Policy.Both are Bologna Centergraduates
SAIS Abroad
Everything you wanted to knowabout the Bologna Center, but were
afraid to askBy Alton Buland and George Tzortzis
Fact and Fettuccine
A quick chart to help separate the tortellini of fact from the tortelloni of fiction of what really happened
in Bologna:
SAIS BC Rumor: All that Bologna students do is sit around and eat pasta.
SAIS BC Truth: Sometimes we eat risotto.
SAIS BC Rumor: The workload in Bologna was lighter.
SAIS BC Truth: False. The workload was the same, but everything in Italy takes twice as long
to do. For corporate finance homework, it would take forever to get your hands
on a financial calendar. You had to wait a fortnight for the merchant caravanning
it overland from the bustling port of Venice only to get news that his donkey died
mid-trip and now you need to pay a surcharge.
SAIS BC Rumor: Everyone in Bologna is best friends with each other.
SAIS BC Truth: 99.3% true; no one likes Mike Beaton.
SAIS BC Rumor: All Bologna students smoke.
SAIS BC Truth: Mostly true, but the Scandinavians dip “snoos,” a First World version of “qat.”
And for those of you who have not traveled abroad, the black-clad Eurotrash
chain smoker is an endangered speices – an unfortunate victim of smoking
bans slowly creeping over Europe like a health-conscious Black Plague.
SAIS BC Rumor: The Bologna Center lacked exciting speakers.
SAIS BC Truth: The Bologna Center proudly hosted the Italian President Napolitano, Prime
Minister Prodi, and the Mario Bros. (BC ’82). Unfortunately, we were not Metro
accessible to the Washington power elite (minus Luigi’s warp zone), so DC folks
win this round.
SAIS BC Rumor: Bologna students prefer to speak Italian.
SAIS BC Truth: We don’t prefer to speak Italian, it’s-a just-a that-a our-a Eng-a-lish has
become-a, how-you-a-say-a, accented in an offensively stereotypical way?
Ciao, ciao.
SAIS BC Rumor: Bologna students think DC kids are workaholics
SAIS BC Truth: You stopped reading this and went back to your Econometrics problem set four
rumors ago, didn’t you?
SAIS BC Rumor: Some Bologna students are actually CIA operatives and SAIS Bologna actual
ly got its start as a cover for spying on Italian Communists during the Cold War.
SAIS BC Truth: [redacted] [redacted]
SAIS BC Rumor: Bologna students already received a diploma.
SAIS BC Truth: This is true. We had a commencement and everything and received the 1-year
SAIS Bologna Center Certificate in International Studies (prized by collectors of
certificates and the gold stars one can affix to them the world over) in addition
to be intensively schooled in the arts of love.
SAIS BC Rumor: Italian girls are hotter?
SAIS BC Truth: Let’s just say one’s neck muscles are ripped thanks to all the reps done walk
ing to and from class. And they loved-a our-a acc-a-cents-a!
Mario’s now infamous campaign slogan was in fact coined at the SAIS Bologna
Center:
“I’m-a Mario. I’m-a gonna ween!”
October 2007 THE SAIS OBSERVER Page 5
Letter from Bologna
Since the final week
of August, we, The Bologna
Center class of 2008, have
gradually made our way from
more than 30 countries
around the world to the heart
of this ancient city, the capital
of Italy’s Emilia Romanga
Region in the fertile Po Valley
just northwest of the
Apennine Mountains. For
those of us arriving for pre-
term courses in Italian and
economics, the Bologna that
met us was eerily vacant, with
the bulk of the town’s 100,000
students yet to return from
their summer vacations.
After a couple of
lonely nights in local hotels,
things began to pick up fast.
We spent a particularly mem-
orable morning house-hunting
under the guidance of the
infamous Salvatore, who
helped the bulk of us end up
with roofs under which to set-
tle in for our nine-month stints
in Bologna. And who, more
impressively, fit our eight-
passenger van in places we’d
never imagined possible.
As the guidebooks
had promised, the Bologna we
now call home is the romantic
fusion of architectural rem-
nants of the Roman,
Medieval, and Papal eras. The
famed due torre, a pair of
angled, 12th century towers at
the city’s center, gives way to
a two-mile wide labyrinth of
narrow, arcaded streets, cen-
turies-old churches, palazzos,
and even a network of under-
ground canals.
Yet, there’s a grittier
side to Bologna too – one of
loud, speeding motorbikes,
graffiti-ridden storefronts, and
pollution, which becomes
strikingly evident. Most
remarkable are the ever-pres-
ent punkabestia, the loitering,
disaffected (and predominant-
ly middle class) “punks with
beasts,” whose wandering
canines are free to fertilize
city sidewalks, and eventually
the shoes of the unsuspecting
passerby.
While this caca dicane might not conjure up an
appetite for Italy’s culinary
riches, Bolognese cuisine is
nonetheless regarded the
country’s best, and luckily for
us SAIS-ers (particularly the
Americans who might other-
wise have lost their appetites
in recent months with the con-
tinued plunge of the dollar)
this scrumptiousness trickles
down to those even on a stu-
dent budget. A recent trip, for
instance, to a hole-in-the-wall
pizzeria yielded the six-euro
tortellini of a lifetime. And
though many of us may depart
next summer with espresso-
stained teeth and skin that has
slowly morphed into prosciut-to crudo, at least we know
we’re mangiamo bene. And drinking well,
too. The 11:00 curfew
imposed by the Center’s
founder and first director,
Grove Haines, has long since
made its way into the annals
of SAIS history. Still, the
Bologna center visionary (and
our pre-term econ professors)
would be relieved to know
that late-night conversation
still finds its way back to talk
begun in the classroom.
“Rough evening?
Some diminishing marginal
utility of that whiskey!”
Yes, we may be a
thirsty bunch, but also one
ready to tackle the reading
lists awaiting us at the start of
the first semester. Although, if
our experiences thus far are
any indication, we’ll have to
spend at least as much time
slogging through mundane
bureaucratic tasks as we do
hitting the books.
Take the local per-messi di soggiórno, the resi-
dence permits mandatory for
non-EU citizens. In addition
to a book-length application,
these jewels require two sepa-
rate payments at a cross-town
post office, a €14,62 stamp
from a tobacco shop, and
proof of Italian state health
insurance (though, rumors
that requirement had been
removed had many of us fly-
ing in with only our
Chickering from Hopkins).
When all that’s done, we’ll be
summoned to the Bologna
police station for fingerprint-
ing, more stamps, and for all
we know, a shaking out of our
pockets by local civil servant
X. Of course, as the turn-
around time on the permissi is
approximately eight months,
we’ll finally be residents just
as we’re ready to skip town.
As my survival
Italian teacher put it on a par-
ticularly brisk September
morning, “In Italia, la unicacosa che cambia rapidamenteè il tempo.” In Italy, the only
thing that changes quickly is
the weather.C’est la vie, I sup-
pose, or around these parts,
C’è la vita – one that promis-
es plenty of adventure as we
continue to explore our new
institution and the riches of
its, and our, host city.
Jon Rosen is a 1st year MAcandidate at the BolognaCenter
We follow a Bologna Center studentmonth-by-month as he experiences thechallenges and rewards of la vita bella
This month:First impressions of our new home
By Jon Rosen
HappyBirthdayNanjing
The President of Johns
Hopkins University, William Brody,
is speaking and there is the distinct
possibility I am the only person in
the auditorium straining to under-
stand. Standing at the lectern before
honored guests, including a former
U.S. Secretary of State, the current
Governor of Jiangsu Province, and a
former U.S. Ambassador to China,
President Brody is delivering a
speech in flawless Mandarin
Chinese. During the past year, possi-
bly feeling unchallenged by the task
of managing a world-renowned uni-
versity, Brody, who already holds
advanced degrees in both electrical
engineering and medicine, devoted
himself to the mastery of Chinese.
The occasion was the 20th
anniversary of the Hopkins Nanjing
Center (officially titled The Johns
Hopkins University – Nanjing
University Center for Chinese and
American Studies). The Center cele-
brated with a two-day event that
included alumni dinners, the dedica-
tion of a new building, musical per-
formances, an official ceremony, and
a gala.
The Johns Hopkins
University and Nanjing University
jointly established the Hopkins-
Nanjing Center in 1986. Its mission
was “to develop and train profession-
als to provide leadership in managing
successful bilateral and multilateral
relationships involving China and the
West in an increasingly complex
international environment.” This
objective is achieved by, among
other opportunities, offering course-
work on contemporary China in
Chinese to non-native speakers and,
conversely, offering coursework on
issues of the United States in English
for Chinese students.
Since opening, the
Hopkins-Nanjing Center has educat-
ed more than 1,700 Chinese and
American graduate students. A major
part of this year’s celebration was the
dedication of the $19 million Samuel
Pollard building, representing the
school’s continued expansion of its
mission and its ability to fulfill it.
According to Dean Jessica
Einhorn, “Nanjing University and
Johns Hopkins joined together to
engage as equal partners in the estab-
lishment of a joint center dedicated
to graduate education in US-China
relations, and through the worst and
the best of times, both great universi-
ties maintained that commitment to
one another and to open education.”
The culminating event of
the anniversary celebration was an
afternoon of speeches that began
with President Brody and ended in
the presentation of the Hopkins-
Nanjing Center Award for
Outstanding Contributions to
Cultural Understanding Between the
United States of America and the
People’s Republic of China to former
US Secretary of State Henry
Kissinger.
President Brody had the
crowd at “dajia hao” and subsequent
speeches maintained the momentum.
Brody was followed by an elaborate
and fascinating pas de deux in which
subsequent speakers displayed their
own mastery of a foreign tongue: the
Chinese of English and the
Americans of Chinese. Much to the
audience’s enjoyment this jovial
competition continued until the intro-
duction of the keynote speaker, turn-
ing the event into equal parts aca-
demic, entertainment and celebra-
tion.
The keynote speaker, Henry
A. Kissinger, former US Secretary of
State under two presidents, 1973
Nobel Peace Prize laureate and
SAIS Abroad
The view enjoyed by our colleagues in Bologna every day
continued on page 8
By Sean McGowan and Jessica Stahl
The Hopkins Nanjing Centercelebrates its 20th anniversary
in style
October 2007 THE SAIS OBSERVER Page 6
New Faculty
Judging from how vigorously
SAIS students defend their “well-rounded-
ness” when the topic of useful skills comes
up, it’s good to know that we have at least
one strong rope anchoring us to the
ground. The new Associate Dean for
Finance and Administration, Myron
Kunka, wants SAIS to run smoothly, and
sees the student, faculty, and alumni as
customers.
“Customer service is an impor-
tant part of the way we do business here at
SAIS,” he says, in a way that makes me
rest assured that the outlets in Rome 203
are going to start working again soon.
Dean Kunka’s first day of work at
SAIS was August 27, the Monday that
most of us Pre-termers were taking our
micro exams. Three days later he was at
orientation learning about his new envi-
ronment with the rest of us – although hegot to sit on the stage.
But for Dean Kunka, the transi-
tion was much quicker than most of ours.
“I retired from federal service on
August 22, had a retirement party, and
started work at SAIS five days later,” he
said.
His willingness not to take a
break reflects his strong commitment to
service. “I see SAIS as a continuation of
my career in public service,” he said. “It’s
not that different from what I was doing
before.”
And just what exactly was Dean
Kunka doing before? I had tried to do
some research into his background before
our chat, but I couldn’t come up with
much.
“I’ve spent the past 32 years at
the Department of Defense,” Dean Kunka
said. “Maybe that’s why you couldn’t find
anything.”
Dean Kunka went to DOD after
getting a master’s in public administration
from the University of Pittsburgh Graduate
School of Public and International Affairs,
and worked in various divisions at both the
Pentagon and Ft. Belvoir in Virginia. He
was the Associate Director of the Defense
Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) before
he retired. DTRA’s mandate is to defend
America against weapons of mass destruc-
tion.
“I have similar duties here at
SAIS as I did at DTRA. I see them both as
businesses.” When asked what struck him
most about the difference between DOD
and SAIS, he said, “Well, there are fewer
zeroes on the budget numbers here.” Good
point.
What exactly do his duties at
SAIS entail? “Finance, facilities and main-
tenance, IT functions, library, public
affairs, phones, HR – basically, most of
what’s non-academic here.” He mentioned
that he is spearheading a “business excel-
lence” campaign to prioritize and attack
whatever problem areas he finds.
When I asked him what classes he
would take here at SAIS, he smiled. “Oh,
there are so many.” But when I pressed
him, he admitted that he would love to take
some classes on Eastern Europe and
Russia.
At Defense, he worked with post-
Soviet states, and got to travel to various
countries over there. He also hinted that he
speaks a few words of Russian, but insist-
ed that his language ability was far below
what he wishes it were. His name, howev-
er, is Ukrainian: the u is pronounced some-
where between a regular and umlauted ü,
almost more like the o in corn or the
umlauted ö in köfte (those Turkish meat-
balls).
“People don’t usually get it
right,” he said.
But now when you see Dean
Kunka getting lunch in the cafeteria, which
he does most days, you can try.
Emma Ashburn is a 2nd year MA candi-date in China Studies
SAIS’ Newest DeanNew Associate Dean for Finance and Administration Myron Kunka
reveals his background, his philosophy on leadership, and the correct pronunciation of his last name
By Emma Ashburn
Dean Kunka settles into his new office
Welcome to the Neighborhood
New Deans:
Myron Kunka Associate Dean for Finance and Administration
Amir Pasic Associate Dean for Development and Alumni
Relations
New Faculty:
Mitchell Orenstein S. Richard Hirsch Associate Professor of European
Studies
Jae-Jung Suh Associate Professor of Korean Studies
Luis Marques Assistant Professor of International Economics
SAISLifeBy Julien Deslangles
“We believe the SAIS experience shouldbe more than just a formal education.” - Dean Bonnie Wilson
October 2007 THE SAIS OBSERVER Page 7
While We Were Away
Guns, Heat and Steel
This August, with preterm in full
swing, Micro TA Todd Greenwood made a
decision to ditch the office hours and prob-
lem sets for an opportunity to travel as an
election observer to Guatemala.
This election was a tense one for
the country, which saw over 50 people
killed in election-related violence in the
period leading up to the election. Conflict
stems from the remnants of a long civil
war that ended only ten years ago, and
from a de facto power structure in which
local politicians control government
largesse.
Amidst this atmosphere, Todd’s
job was to ensure that the elections pro-
ceeded as fairly as possible. Stationed in
Puerto Barrios, a municipality on the
Caribbean coast of Guatemala, he traveled
to election sites in advance of voting to
make sure they were prepared and
observed eight voting stations on the day
of the election.
Todd found that one of the major
concerns faced in being an election
observer is to ensure that the bystander
role does not turn into one of active partic-
ipant in the election process.
“We were allowed to give people
a ‘denouncement form’ if they saw some-
thing that was inappropriate, but we didn’t
want to proactively hand them because we
felt it would smack of imperialism,” says
Todd.
Despite the violence that unfold-
ed in some regions of the country, Todd
says he managed to avoid coming face to
face with the conflict. However, he did get
a taste of the gun culture that exists in
Guatemala.
“There were gunmen in front of
most stores, and many men on the street
carried guns on their sides. People were
always digging in their pants for their cell-
phones, and I half-expected one of them to
answer their gun instead by accident.”
Even without facing down vio-
lence, Todd says that his experience in
Guatemala was not an easy one.
“We were hit by the tail end of
hurricane Felix. I was in a hotel and woke
up the morning after the hurricane to see
my suitcase floating on the top of the
water. It was also really hot, I would wake
up in the middle of the night and look at
the thermometer and see that it was 34
degrees Celsius.”
Comparing the job of an election
observer to the TA position he had given
up, Todd says being an election observer
was the more difficult of the two.
“We were a bit more on edge, and
had a lot of responsibility.”
And Todd adds that if he had to
choose between Washington DC and
Guatemala in August, he would pick DC as
It all started when I got a text message from a
friend I met while doing an internship in Jakarta,
Indonesia this summer. She said a friend of hers worked
for a photo studio and they needed a white guy to do a
photo shoot. She asked if I was interested.
“Of course,” I said and she told me the address to
go to and said to bring clothes for sports.
I showed up at the studio not knowing what the
heck to expect – but I was pumped. They told me to put on
my shorts and T-shirt and then asked me my phone num-
ber, height, and weight. They took a few photos and then
asked me to act out a few scenes while they videotaped it.
There were two guys, the cameraman and the
director. There was no one else, so I just had to use my
imagination. The first thing they wanted me to do was just
a few facial expressions. They said to look ahead at the
door, and when they said so, I had to pretend the door was
opened and I saw something cool on the other side. Not
something really cool, just something moderately cool. So
I changed the image in my mind from a roomful of naked
women to Arthur’s Seat, a small mountain in Edinburgh,
Scotland. That seemed to do the trick.
The director tried to instruct me. He was trying to
get me to smile less but he was speaking bad English so I
couldn’t figure out if he wanted me to smile less or more.
After a few run-throughs I got it.
The next scene was me being received at the air-
port by some native girls presenting me with a traditional
cloth. I had to receive it with the appropriate facial expres-
sion. Who the hell knows what that is? I then had to look
around and see all the pretty Indonesian girls welcoming
me. My first look was apparently too excited. The director
told me I had to tone it down a bit and play the “cool for-
eigner.” I did it a few times and it was OK.
They asked me if I had any experience acting in
a commercial before. I told them no but I did serve as a
model for a Scotch Whisky company in Thailand. They
weren’t impressed. I then told them I was on a TV game
show in college. The director said, “Nickelodeon?!?” He
seemed excited by Nickelodeon. I said that it was a trivia
show. I wanted to explain that actually the show that I was
on, “History IQ,” was in fact hosted by Marc Summers
who previously hosted Nickelodeon’s “Double Dare.” But
I just didn’t really want to go into that kind of detail at that
time.
Then they asked me if I could play volleyball. I
said yeah, I like volleyball a lot. I asked them why and
they told me I was auditioning to play volleyball for a
commercial. Whoa, that’s pretty cool, I thought. I’ve
always wanted to play volleyball in a commercial. And
then I asked them what kind of commercial. The response
. . . “A cigarette commercial.” I had to laugh and share
with them how ironic I thought it was that exercise is
being advertised in a cigarette commercial. It is for
Sampoerna Cigarettes, owned by none other than Phillip
Morris. I paused for a moment to decide if I felt it was
morally right to act in a cigarette commercial, but then
decided that I was not yet at the point in my acting career
to be choosy. We proceeded.
They then handed me a volleyball and led me
outside. We went out back, through a dirt field filled with
garbage. There were also people selling a few things and
animals eating the garbage. Lovely. At one point it
smelled really, really bad . . . like old cheese and poop.
We finally arrived in an open grassy area without
too much garbage. They then filmed me in what was
essentially a one-man volleyball practice. The director
tossed me the ball repeatedly and I bumped it back to him.
Then I was instructed to set a few to him. Then he threw
the ball from side to side and instructed me to run after
them for the sets. I did pretty well at that . . . that is my
bread and butter move in volleyball. Then I had to serve a
few . . . first standing and then I offered to do some of the
running and jumping serves. Finally, the director tossed
the ball up in the air and I ran at it for a spike. That was
repeated a few times. At that point he told me to look a bit
more serious and angry, like I would in sports . . . he said
I looked too happy. What can I say? I was freaking happy!
Playing volleyball by myself in the middle of a dirty field
in Jakarta while trying to audition for a cigarette commer-
cial . . . who wouldn’t be happy in my position? I must
also add that the director was smoking the whole time (not
Sampoernas, I asked) and a pretty bad athlete. Several
times he placed the ball very poorly, especially for my
spikes. I looked at him like I expected better and he under-
stood.
When I was done another white guy had arrived
to do the same thing . . . my competition, I learned. I
Stardom in Indonesia?One student’s quest for international fame and
fortune as a star on the small screenBy David Michaels
Which face would sell more cigarettes?
Why TA Todd Greenwood left preterm toobserve Guatemala’s elections, and why you
should tooBy Observer Staff
continued on page 8
continued on page 8
“I paused for a moment. . . but then decided
that I was not yet at thepoint in my acting
career to be choosy.We proceeded.”
Nanjing Anniversaryauthor of much required reading at SAIS, addressed the
audience in a grand finale to the day’s speaking agenda.
Kissinger is best known for his landmark achievement in
paving the way for a reopening of US-Sino relations dur-
ing the Cold War, and possibly equally well known among
SAIS students for his scholarship in writing the seminal
work on diplomacy and world history entitled Diplomacy.
Dean Einhorn, who introduced Kissinger, said,
“Our students at this great school cannot relive history,
they can only learn it from books. And Henry Kissinger
the scholar has given generations of students the gift of
understanding international relations by truly understand-
ing statecraft.”
Kissinger expressed his gratitude for the chance
to speak at the Nanjing Center, and his gratitude to be
allowed to do so in English.
“I am very grateful for Jessica speaking in
English,” joked Kissinger, “because when the president of
Johns Hopkins speaks Chinese and the president of
Nanjing University speaks English with less of an accent
than I do, it was difficult to get up here – to get the courage
to address you.”
Kissinger talked about the importance of Sino-
American cooperation both in the past and in today’s
world, and how drastically the nature of relations has
changed since his first visit to China in the 1970s.
“If somebody had shown me a picture of a typi-
cal Chinese city today, filled with automobiles, with high-
ways going around it, with consumer goods, I would not
have believed it possible that this could be done in any
time period through which I could live,” said Kissinger.
“The idea that a day might come when people in the West
were worried about Chinese economic competition in
industrial and technological production – that was beyond
anyone’s imagination.”
According to Kissinger, the reemergence of
China as a world power
occurs today in a world in
which the strength of the
nation-state as an organiz-
ing entity is diminishing
and China and the US
remain as the last great
nation-states. These states
alone, says Kissinger, have
the power to demand sacri-
fices from their people for a
vision of a better future.
“In that sense, it is
no accident that the role of
China and the United States
in bringing about a better
and more peaceful world
has become even more cru-
cial than it was at the time that relationships were
opened,” Kissinger noted.
As a result, Kissinger says that there are many
areas in which the two countries could work together to
contribute to the “peace and progress” of the world. On
environmental degradation and nuclear proliferation he
predicted mutual and global benefits from greater cooper-
ation, saying that these problems can only be solved coop-
eratively.
“I’m glad to say that on the issue of the Korean
nuclear program, China and the United States have
worked together in an extraordinary fashion,” said
Kissinger. “And whatever progress has been achieved is to
the fact that both countries have analyzed the issues
together and been honest with each other and have moved
together step by step.”
He cautioned both sides not to push the other too
hard in achieving these goals and risk destroying the spir-
it of cooperation, and offered an admonishment to the
United States in its agenda of world reform.
“I sometimes point out to my American friends
that China has had many dynasties, many of which, indi-
vidually, have had a longer history than the entire United
States, and that therefore we sometimes should moderate
our enthusiasm to improve all of mankind, when we
remember that the Chinese were here for 3,000 years
before the United States was invented,” noted Kissinger.
Advising current students and future leaders
Kissinger offered a vision of change and the role great
leaders can play in creating it.
“All great achievements were an idea before they
became a reality,” he said. “All great leaders need, above
all, courage and character.”
Sean McGowan is a 2nd year MA candidate in ChinaStudies. Jessica Stahl is a 2nd year MA candidate inConflict Management and an editor of the Observer.
October 2007 THE SAIS OBSERVER Page 8
While We Were Away
Indonesiacontinued from page 7
watched him, and honestly, I’m a
much better volleyball player. His
bumps were below average, he set the
ball like he slaps a woman, and his
serves were pathetic . . . he hit a few
straight down and others out to the
side. I felt my chances were good.
We walked back through the
garbage field and into the office. I then
met a couple of higher-ups in the com-
pany and they told me they would let
me know in a few days. Once again,
they asked me if I played volleyball. I
reiterated that I do, and I like it very
much. It was one of my favorite sports
in high school gym class, I played in
the staff volleyball night every week at
the school I taught at in Thailand, and
spent a week playing beach volleyball
in the Dominican Republic in January.
You’re damn right I play volleyball.
And compared to the other white guy
I’m practically an Olympian (or what-
ever is the ultimate in international
volleyball competition).
Before I left, they gave me
the address of another place to go for
more photos . . . this one for a facial
skin product. So I got in a taxi and
went off to that office. Upon arrival, I
met a modeling agent in the waiting
room. She took my phone number and
gave me her card. I then went in for
my next photo shoot. It was simpler,
just photos from different angles. And
then they wanted me to take my shirt
off. I, of course, complied and allowed
them a few sexy shots. They took my
number, said they would get back to
me after reviewing the photos, and I
left, heading back to work at my sum-
mer internship at an international
insurance company.
Did they call me back? Did I
get to star as a volleyball player in a
cigarette commercial? Did I appear
on a Jakarta billboard advertising
facial cream?
You’ll have to wait until next
time, but it was a helluva start to my
summer vacation.
David Michaels is a 2nd year MA can-didate in SE Asia Studies
Guatemalacontinued from page 7
the nicer summer locale.
“You can drink the water and roving youth
gangs are less of a threat.”
The challenges may have been difficult, but
for Todd, the experience was not without its bene-
fits.
According to Todd, being an election
observer gave him the chance to participate in a key
moment in Guatemala’s history.
“Guatemala is making strides with democ-
racy,” he notes. “This was the first election where
voting stations were placed in the countryside. In
previous elections, the voting only occurred in
municipal centers, supposedly because the govern-
ment believed there was too much fraud in remote
locations.”
Todd points out that his experience is not
unique at SAIS.
“Three people from my class (‘07) and one
person from the class of ‘03 participated as
observers in this election.”
He says that it was the connections he
made at SAIS that helped him land the position.
So, was it worth it to ditch a decently-pay-
ing job and the relative cool and safety of DC for a
few weeks as an election observer in Guatemala?
Todd replies, as only a professional TA
could, “The marginal costs of skipping out on pre-
term were outweighed by the benefits.”
This article was contributed by SAIS Observer staff
Refreshments in Indonesia: David and pals enjoy coconut milk after a
long hike.
Staff, students and friends of the Hopkins Nanjing Center celebrate its 20th
anniversary with a gala party
Henry Kissinger at the Nanjing Center anniversary celebration
continued from page 5
October 2007 THE SAIS OBSERVER Page 9
Lecture Notes
As I was leaving Seoul in
the spring of 2000 after my
teaching tour with U.S. service
members in the Yongsan
Military Base and the
Demilitarized Zone (DMZ),
South Koreans were overjoyed
about the prospect of unifica-
tion of North and South Korea.
The volatile situation still
continues as the six-party nego-
tiators for the denuclearization
of North Korea are still forging
ahead, even with the alleged
revelation that North Korea is
involved in the Syrian nuclear
program.
While the global communi-
ty engaged in political reconcil-
iation and diplomacy, the power
of Confucian economics seems
to be increasingly at work.
What Confucian econom-
ics?
Long before the Korean
peninsula became a battle
ground for proxy ideological
war between major powers,
Korean people cherished a uni-
fied heritage bound by cultural
values and Confucian work
ethic. South Korean leaders
used and misused such
Confucian teachings – order,
authority, and the respect for
elders – for greater economic
prosperity while North Korea
bogged down with
Communism.
Connected by Train
In and outside classroom, I
felt South Korea’s economic
dynamism and enthusiasm –
my Korean students are eager to
learn and appreciate innovation
and modernity, especially the
Western life-style.
Their newly built high-
speed Gyeongbu rail, which
connects Busan and Seoul in
less than two hours, was inau-
gurated in 2005. It is Korea’s
national pride and a testament
to their technological advance-
ment, which is in parallel with
the super-speed French TGV
and the Japanese Shinkansen
bullet trains.
With the Gyeongbu rail-
way system, the Korean peo-
ples’ explicit ambition is to
ConfucianEconomics at
work in KoreanUnification
By Dr. Patrick Mendis
A North Korean soldier in the DMZ at Pan Mun Jom
A preview of a lecture to bepresented this month at
SAIS
make Busan similar to that of
Singapore and to create a gateway
to the global marketplace.
Most importantly, however, the
implicit motive is to link up North
and South Koreas as a “unified”
peninsula with common aspirations,
which are driven by economic
necessity and trading ambition.
The railway ends at the heavi-
ly-guarded Kaesong Industrial Park
in North Korea, just 40 miles north
of Seoul and six miles from the
DMZ.
Economic Strategy
This special economic zone in
Kaesong covers 25 square miles and
is run by Hyundai Asan, a division
of Hyundai. It is home to 500 South
Korean managers and 16,000 North
Korean Communist Party workers
in Kaesong, the ancient capital of
Korea. In addition, South Korea
already has projects in 27 of 206
cities and counties in North Korea.
The South Korean Ministry of
Unification plans to complete the
project by 2012, accommodating
2,000 companies and employing
700,000 North Koreans. This grand
strategy is already a de facto “unifi-
cation” of the two Koreas that South
Korean President Kim Dae-jung
and North Korean leader Kim Jong-
il agreed to establish in 2002 during
their first summit meeting in
Pyongyang.
The economic strategy for a
possible “unification” is gaining
momentum through direct road and
rail access to Seoul, Busan, and
Kaesong. The insulated North
Korea now has the capacity and
transportation network to export
and import products through South
Korea.
This comparative advantage is
continued on page 11
Iran bargains with the US over nukes likea salesman at a bazaar bargains over a car-pet, according to Karim Sadjadpour(9/19)
In Case You Missed ItBy Alex Bloom
“We should catch ter-rorists the same waywe used to catchpirates: with letters ofmarque and reprisal.” - Presidential candidateRon Paul (9/11)
In Case You Missed ItBy Alex Bloom
October 2007 THE SAIS OBSERVER Page 10
Op-Ed
When we thought about publishing a response to Iranian President Ahmadinejad’s appearance at SIPA, we didn’t anticipate our
subsequent complete inability to decide how we felt about it. So, hoping you prove slightly more decisive than we have, we
present our schizophrenic point-counterpoint response to the event.
In light of recent events at Columbia University, the SAIS Observer and
SAIS community would like to applaud SAIS on its continued unwilling-
ness to provide a platform for infamous world leaders. This is a great
opportunity to reiterate our long-held position that the university pulpit is
not the place for controversial global figures.
In fact, we at the Observer can not think of a situation less suited to the
presence of strong, relevant and divisive figures than an open forum
before a group of scholars and future leaders.
After all, how can you blindly criticize a person’s ideas once you’ve had
the chance to hear their logic? We’d be forced into the realm of informed
opinion, and obviously that’s just ludicrous.
The Observer therefore applauds SAIS in staunchly holding its ground
and inviting only shiny, happy people to speak at our university. In the
future we hope to have the opportunity to see many more administration
officials – speaking the party line, of course. Similarly, European and IO
diplomats make solid choices as well. And if we’re looking to mix it up
a bit, presidential candidates are an excellent addition to the repertoire.
Getting President Bush two years ago was a coup of massive proportions.
Just important enough to get us noticed, but no chance of anything truly
groundbreaking or (heaven forbid!) bleepworthy being said.
Of course, journalists and students, we believe that if you can’t predict
the speaker’s comments beforehand, they’re not worth hearing.
Otherwise, how could you plan your softball questions in advance?
This is also an argument about how SAIS can make the most of our large
tuition payments. We believe that if the best part of a lecture is not the
catered food you can steal afterwards, then all that food is just a huge
waste of our hard-earned money. And what bet-
ter way to ensure that the hummus is the most
memorable aspect of a conference than by mak-
ing sure that the conference itself is uncontrover-
sial?
So to SAIS we say, bravo on showing your
courage and commitment in the face of opposi-
tion. Other schools like Columbia may be invit-
ing major world figures to debate and be debated,
so that their controversial ideas are given a rare
public challenge, and so that future IR scholars
can come face to face with the newsmakers of
today. But at SAIS we stand strong and proud and
say, “Not on our soil!”
Thank you SAIS for your dedication to principle
on the important matter of keeping divisive fig-
ures out of our auditoriums. It is qualities such as
this strength of commitment that make us a con-
sistent choice as one of the top IR schools for
future policymakers and world leaders.
Jessica Stahl is a 2nd year MA candidate inConflict Management, and an editor of theObserver
In Praise ofModeration
By Jessica Stahl
Reaction to Ahmadinejad: ShouldSAIS Invite Controversial Figures to
Speak on Campus?
The SAIS Observer is pleased to announce:
An open invitation to genocidal maniacs, psychopathic dictators, and all
delusional persons lacking basic notions of human (or animal!) rights to
attend the first annual
Pan-National Idea Sharing Conference and Academic Debate Forum
(a.k.a. The “Let’s Just Go Ahead and Offend Everyone” Conference)
Do you ever find it difficult finding a soap-box from which to proselytize
your truly revolting ideas? Have you been banned from every other
respectable institution because you spoke your heinous ideas out loud?
Not to be outdone by other schools, Johns Hopkins SAIS is seeking gra-
tuitously controversial (and disgusting!) ideas to be aired out in the open!
We are excited to provide a platform for all fringe lunatic ideas so they
can appear to be legitimate in the eyes of the world media!
How many people do you think you can offend in fewer than 600 words?
We are accepting proposals for papers to be presented; the more people
you can offend, the better! There will also be several panels with speak-
ers debating topics so offensive that they cannot be written down nor spo-
ken aloud without riots breaking out.
Confirmed panelists include:
Kim Jong-Il
Michael Vick
Britney Spears
As well as the ghosts of Pol Pot and Walt Disney
The Pan-National Idea Sharing Conference and Academic Debate Forum
will be a marvelous exercise in stretching to the limits our constitutional
notions of “Free Speech.” If we are lucky, our
conference will cause violence somewhere in the
world, with SAIS Observer effigies burned and
embassies abandoned as a result! We will consid-
er our gathering a true success especially if we
can directly undermine American foreign policy
in a strategic part of the world!
Please note that at our conference we want to
encourage debate in an academic forum, and as
such, if you don’t have any questions, you’ll be
tazed, bro. Even if you do have questions, you’ll
probably still be tazed, bro!
Please submit your vile offensive crap to
John Thorne is a 1st year MA candidate inStrategic Studies
Calling AllControversy
By John Thorne
Should SAIS invite more controversial speakers to campus? We invite letters to the editor on thisquestion, or any other topic, at [email protected]
October 2007 THE SAIS OBSERVER Page 11
Op-Ed
a win-win situation for both countries: North Korean
Communist Party workers receive hard currency while
South Korean investors gain greater labor cost advan-
tage than competitive China, Vietnam, and other Asian
countries.
It is most likely that America is already connected
to North Korea commercially despite U.S. economic
sanctions and political isolation.
Future Prospects
Former South Korean President Kim Dae-jung
maintains vigorously that the Confucian culture is one
of the most enduring, if not the only, explanatory fac-
tors in their economic growth and rapid industrial
development. Most Koreans believe that cultural her-
itage should be the driving force that would unite them.
The Kaesong Industrial Park is more than a sym-
bolic economic driver. It is how China – another
Confucian neighbor – gained its economic power
before political freedom reigns. When North Koreans
have fed more and seen the greater dynamism of the
South, the rest seems to take its own course, with
Confucian characteristics.
Confucian order and authority are more like to
keep them in unity than democratic freedom and diplo-
macy would. The six-party negotiators understand the
complexity of globalization and the local response
from Confucian culture – a new “glocalization”
process is indeed at work as it should be.
A “unified” and “glocalized” Korea may have the
best of all worlds and may eventually find a peaceful
solution through Confucian economics.
Dr. Patrick Mendis is vice president of academicaffairs at the Osgood Center for International Studies.He will be speaking about the Korean economic coop-eration model based on his recent book, Glocalization:
The Human Side of Globalization as If the Washington
Consensus Mattered, at 6:45 p.m. on October 18 in theRome Auditorium. The book signing and public speak-ing program is sponsored by the Sejong Society, withthe U.S.-Korea Institute
Free Food,But Not Freeof Manners:
A SmallCaveat
The response to my article, published last fall (and
republished this summer) in this esteemed monthly, on how
to scam the world’s Greatest Advanced International Studies
School In The World out of its free food has been over-
whelming.
My article, in all modesty, must be ranked a close
second to Professor Fukuyama’s End of History as influential
works that have their origins at SAIS. Suddenly, all around
campus, the percentage of Tupperware yielding classmates
tripled. Event coordinators, numbed by the routine process of
ordering ‘x’ amount of sandwiches and ‘y’ amount of drinks,
suddenly found that their orders were not substantial enough
to satiate the crowds. RSVP limits began proliferating
throughout campus. And the treasure trove that is the 8th
floor of Rome was raided like the gold mines of Peru.
All of these, in my mind, are positive developments.
As my article said, go get yours (your tuition paid for it after
all) and don’t be ashamed. However, one caveat must be
attached to this. You should be ashamed if you suddenly for-
get all the rules of society that you have worked so diligent-
ly to master once the smell of free Cosi sandwiches, pizza, or
Beef and Broccoli fill your nostrils.
Free eats are available in abundance in Rome 806,
Nitze 507, or BOB 500. But they do not exist in a bubble.
Frankly, it is rude to enter an event, take your food, and then
leave while the speaker is in the middle (or even beginning)
of his lecture. I was appalled when I heard this was happen-
ing, and then at my own event saw some of my colleagues do
the same thing.
This was never my counsel. I advised that the good-
ies were yours to plunder at, typically, 2pm – that is, after the
event had ended. A rule that I did not make explicit – but real-
ly should not have had to – is that if you cannot wait and need
your eats fresh and hot, you should remain at the event until
its conclusion. It is needless to say that you should therefore
only bust out your Tupperware at the end of events, not the
beginning . . . .right?
And since my editors have graciously given me
room to write in this issue, let me use this space to admonish
you SAIS students for your terrible recycling record so far
this year (another important issue). Second years, you are all
undoubtedly returning from Third World countries where
people often throw their bottles into the streets or rivers
instead of the (nonexistent) recycling bins. Well, you’ll get
no sympathy from me, and even my editors won’t be spared
my wrath if they are caught red-handed.
Welcome back to SAIS – now demonstrate the
adaptability that will wow your future employers and throw
your bottles in the blue bins, not the white ones (and vice
versa – throwing your trash in recycling bins contaminates
that bin and ruins everyone else’s efforts!). First years, you
are all undoubtedly adjusting to life in DC, classes, etc. But a
recycling program does exist at SAIS, and it is a vastly
improved and logical system. Please take the five extra sec-
onds required to make this program work as well as it should.
In short, enjoy the good eats offered at SAIS with
due respect and etiquette, then recycle your free Snapple and
Aquafina bottles. Rant, over. Thanks for your time.
Nadav Davidai is a 2nd year MA candidate in Middle EastStudies, and a frequent Observer contributor
By Nadav Davidai
Class Giftcontinued from page 1summer fellowship? With so many books to read and
your own personal problems, why should you donate to
a fund that will never affect you? Getting half the
school to care about this last year proved that it is pos-
sible to engage the student body; but I think we can do
better.
Ever the optimist, I think most people proba-
bly will donate. It has to do with empathy. We’re all
human. We know what it’s like to be a poor student
struggling with DC prices and tuition bills. Even an
extra grand would ease the worry. So why not help alle-
viate the pain for someone else? Perform that most
human of acts: altruism? One that in our day we would
have appreciated?
Of course, a more energetic, direct and thus
American way to get people involved is to have the
debate start early. What do we want our Class Gift to
be? If you ponder for even two minutes you will have
invested time in it, so why not some money, too? If the
gift ends up being a scholarship, to whom should it go?
The financially constrained? The über-intelligent? To
minorities or foreign students? Don’t tell me this does-
n’t pique your curiosity, that you don’t want to have a
say in where your money goes.
Our class should have a debate as to what our
gift should be. My own inclination is toward a scholar-
ship. The more money that students get, the more they
can focus on the reason they’re at school in the first
place. There’d be no brass plaque to boast of our suc-
cess, but I’m happy living in relative anonymity
amongst the smoking community. Are you?
Chris Forster is a 2nd year MA candidate in StrategicStudies.To get involved with the committee contact Chris [email protected]
Alumni participation rates at SAIS and our competitor schools in 2005 and 2006. Our participation
rate beats those of some schools, but is much lower than those at Fletcher and the Woodrow Wilson
School
Korean Unificationcontinued from page 9
Golfing Confucian-style might still be a possibility
You should be ashamed if yousuddenly forget all the rules of
society that you have worked sodiligently to master once the
smell of free Cosi sandwiches,pizza, or Beef and Broccoli fill
your nostrils.
October 2007 THE SAIS OBSERVER Page 12
Listen UpWeb only
SAIS Observer
Online
Exclusives
“The Realist Workout”
by Saqib Rahim and Michael Tubman
“Journey to Iran: A Farce in Three Acts”
by Chris Forster
“Politics at SAIS”
by Alex Selim
Plus the digital version of this issue
and upcoming Observer events
and parties
www.saisobserver.org
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SAIS Journalism and Media
Career Clubwishes to thank those who submitted to the
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Winners will be announced at the end of October
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