May 2013 Vol. 14 No. 3 The Student Newspaper of the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies Quest è il mio giardino! Michael Cornish desirable types” – known lo- first-year student at cally as urbano indiano – that the Bologna Center had set up residence in a shanty town of wooden shacks and the The sun is shining, the wind is hulking scruff of large dogs. lilting softly through the trees, The place was the epicen- and it is a glorious day. In fact, ter of all kinds of trouble, and it is a perfect day to be eating eventually fire marshals and pizza from Spacca Napoli in the police were called in to enforce park with friends. As we settle evictions – although even then, down to eat under the dappled the park continued to serve as shade, a woman approaches an unremitting hub for low- us, yawping in a quick, stac- level disorder. As Raffaella cato Italian and gesticulating Besola, receptionist at the Bo- wildly. She is an older lady, but Signora Anna in her garden. logna Center, describes this remarkably spry; her eyes glint, CONTINUED on PAGE 2 belying an inner guile. And it is about – tidying the absent mess Erogatorand for aseDiSguar long as danyoneo (Flickr) can this guile that she now unflinch- we must surely have left behind remember, the Giardini San ingly pins upon our unsuspect- – and I see her smile a deeply Leonardo has been its neigh- INSIDE 2 - 3 - From the Front Page ing group... satisfied and toothy grin. We bor. While parks are common 4 - 9 - SAIS Life She drives among us, have just had our first encoun- in greater Bologna, greenery 10-11, 16-17, 22-23 - screeching insistently, scatter- ter with Signora Anna. within their walls is a rare sight. SAIS Photo Gallery ing us from our seats, shooing *** Rarer still are parks as well-kept 12 - 19 - Opinion us away. As we flee to a hope- The Johns Hopkins SAIS as our San Leonardo. However, 19 - 20 - In the Community fully innocuous part of the park, Bologna Center has been in it was not always so. Ten years 24 - Travel I glance back to see her fussing its current location since 1961, ago, the park teemed with “less Running as Sport and Public Diplomacy Gabriel Nelson Kim and Diana Galperin, as Soroushian’s interest in run- fellow in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, HNC ‘12 and MA ‘13 well as Mwangi Chege. So- ning stems partly from his time Soroushian ran with the Hash roushian describes the club as a at U.C. San Diego, where he House Harriers, a “drinking Amid the grind of internships, perfect social athletic event for ran on the shoreline of Black’s club with a running problem” problem sets, and twenty-page graduate students with jittery Beach, a favorite of surfers, popular among expat joggers research papers, many SAIS feet but little free time: “It’s an paragliders, and joggers, as worldwide. Now in Washing- students have turned to long- opportunity for us to share our well as one of the more popu- ton, Soroushian hopes to orga- distance running as a form of passion with other people, with lar nudist beaches in South- nize a team to compete in “The stress release, socialization, and no more than a once a week ern California. Soroushian is Ragnar Relay,” a teamwork- in some cases, cultural immer- commitment.” The club meets tight-lipped on the appeal of based mega-marathon in which sion. at the Nitze Building on Sun- the beach’s quirkiness: “Let’s twelve people take turns run- Viraf Soroushian, a first- day mornings at 10 a.m., and just say that sometimes you run ning portions of a 200-mile race year M.A. student, is a member its organizers hope for a boost faster, and sometimes you slow over the course of two days and of SAISruns, a club helmed in membership as the weather down a bit.” a night. by veteran marathoners Aimee warms up. While serving as a Fulbright conTINUED ON PAGE 3 2 FROM THE FRONT PAGE Quest è il mio giardino! period in the park’s history: “It founding statute of the new as- the city effectively abandoned events in the park instead.” was chaos, a no-man’s land.” sociation. any pretense of enforcing Ital- *** As one can imagine, the There was one local woman ian citizens’ right to enter Gi- There is a classic Italian administration of the Bologna who was especially keen to see ardini San Leonardo with a film called “Cinema Paradiso,” Center was less than thrilled the park restored to its right- canine, and to this day, no dogs which recounts a filmmaker’s with their neighbor, and wanted ful place as truly public space: have ever been seen in the park. memories of the small vil- to manage the irritant that the Signora Anna. Signora Anna As Bart Drakulich, committee lage of his youth. As a child, park had become. A number hoped the park could be a com- member of the Friends of Giar- he would watch his neighbors of plans were put forward to fortable place for the elderly, as dini San Leonardo and Director party into the night in the town the city government, includ- well as SAIS and University of of Finance and Administration square, until a seemingly crazy ing one championed by former Bologna students, and she soon at the Bologna Center, puts it: man would – inexplicably and Center Director Robert H. Ev- became the park’s self-appoint- “Signora Anna wins all battles like clockwork – charge into ans. Evans’ plan was ambitious: ed keeper. Membership dues of attrition.” the square shouting: “La piazza He wanted to extend the Cen- were collected, and under Si- Little is known of Signora è mia!” Eventually, the revel- ter – by this stage, desperate gnora Anna’s stewardship, the Anna herself. An older woman, lers staggered home to where for space – out into the park, patchy grass began to regrow she lives alongside the park on they belonged. Near the end of creating two interleaving civic and the rubbish began to disap- Via San Leonardo, and she is the movie, the filmmaker – now spaces. The university would pear. Over time, the Bologna often spotted in cafes and shops a man – finally returns to his be brought out from behind its Center donated new garden fur- on Via San Vitale. During the home village after many years fortress, and the locals would niture, installed a ramp for the warmer months, she can be seen of absence, and in the piazza, be able to mingle with students use of the elderly, and provided in or around the park grounds, he encounters the same strange beneath SAIS porticoes. How- the funds for a gazebo. Signora diligently cleaning up public man. He is much older, and still ever, for this plan to succeed, Anna began to set the rules of litter, dispersing the undesir- shouts “La piazza è mia!” But an exception to the “volumetric the park, and to enforce them in ables, and strictly enforcing the now, no one listens to him. limit” of the Bologna Center her own strict way. Before long, (that is, her) park rules. As one Even the indefatigable Si- building – as set by an obscure the park flourished. student who wished to remain gnora Anna is unable to look city regulation – was required, However, even under Signo- anonymous said, Signora Anna after Giardini San Leonardo and was not forthcoming. ra Anna’s stewardship, the park can be “mad like a fox,” ruling forever. Her dream is to see After extensive discussions, manages to generate the occa- the park with a loud voice and the park managed directly by the city agreed that a “friends of sional controversy. For exam- an iron fist. the Bologna Center, but the city the park” committee should be ple, when the city government But it cannot be denied that government does not share her formed to keep the park in good insisted that dogs should be Signora Anna gets results, and willingness to relinquish con- order, and the Bologna Center allowed within the park, a de- she is a woman on a mission. trol of its public spaces. What would be a member. Professor bate escalated into a stand-off According to Signora Anna: will happen to the park then? Marco Biagi, a visiting profes- between Signora Anna and the “The main problem is to control Signora Anna is adamant sor at SAIS infamously shot city mayor. The stand-off be- the drug addicts. I have seen about what she will do: “La by the Red Brigades in 2002 came a running battle: signs al- seven young Italian students guerra!” – “We fight!” for his role in advising Italian lowing dogs were erected, only die from drugs in the park. My A remembrance event for Prime Minister Berlesconi on to be covered up, or to mysteri- main aim is to keep the students Marco Biagi will be held in the Italian labor reforms, wrote the ously “disappear.” Eventually, busy organizing activities and park in the next month. “Democracies Die in Darkness” Tyler Owens fessor and former acting direc- Woodward dug up the speech what impulsive but not as much first-year Strategic tor of the Central Intelligence and found this line: “War is a as critics think.” Woodward Studies concentrator Agency, moderated the lecture. manifestation of human folly.” expressed disbelief that Bush Woodward’s opinions of Woodward then speculated that never sought the private advice Legendary reporter Bob President Barack Obama were this may be one reason why of Defense Secretary Donald Woodward visited SAIS on thought-provoking. In writing Obama prefers drone strikes, Rumsfeld or Secretary of State April 8 as part of the Defense Obama’s Wars, Woodward once because they offer a way to Colin Powell in the run-up to Against the Dark Arts lecture asked Obama what he thought avoid American casualties. the Iraq war. After several in- series. He offered a wide range of war in general. The president Woodward had much to terviews with Bush during and of vignettes from his four de- responded by directing Wood- share about former President after his presidency, Woodward cades in political journalism. ward to comments he made in George W. Bush, as well. He came to believe that the job was John McLaughlin, SAIS pro- a speech early in his first term. noted that Bush was “some- incredibly taxing for him, who 3 Running as Sport and Public Diplomacy Kai Jiun Wong, an M.I.P.P. student focusing on Southeast Asia, has a head start on the Ragnar crew, having competed in ten major races since his ar- rival in the United States. Wong became involved in distance LEFT: SAIS student Kai Jiun running while working in Sin- Wong ran a half-marathon gapore and Taiwan, and he has dressed as Santa Claus in Tex- since exported his athleticism as. to Philadelphia, the Carolinas, courtesy of kai jiun wong Texas, Georgia, and Washing- course with the added motiva- ton, D.C. One of his more sur- tion of having a flight at Reagan real experiences came around Airport scheduled immediately Christmas last December in after the race. Galveston, Texas, where he ran In the wake of the Boston an entire half-marathon dressed Marathon attacks of mid-April, as Santa Claus. SAISers could be forgiven for Wong has ventured into the losing interest in long-distance less conventional arena of “ver- running. The dark cloud cast tical marathons,” as well. Taipei over the sport would discour- 101, the tallest building in Tai- age many from participating. wan, has an annual “Run Up” medal.” His primary objective track to the springtime greenery But Soroushian says the bomb- event, in which competitors is not glory, however, but good of Xuanwu Lake, with its views ings have inspired him to begin race each other over nearly half health and a focused mind. of the downtown skyline, and marathon training, with plans a kilometer of skyscraper stair- He advocates a “smell-flower six-mile track following the an- to participate in a future Boston wells. Wong’s best time so far pace,” which allows runners to cient Ming Dynasty city wall. Marathon: “I want to make sure has been 20:45 (more than 98 enjoy the scenery around them, While living in China, Brod- that the event continues, and is steps per minute). Similar ver- and makes races more acces- sky braved the organizational stronger than before.” tical marathons are held in the sible for the less experienced. debacle of the Suzhou half- As the weather heats up and Sears Tower, the Empire State Bonni Brodsky, a China marathon, where drinking water the D.C. area starts to come Building, the Petronas Towers, Studies concentrator and grad- supplies ran out in the middle alive again, we can expect to and the Burj Khalifa. uate of the Hopkins-Nanjing of the race. (Luckily, spectators see more and more SAISers out As a citizen of Singapore, Center, began running mainly and local restaurateurs handed in Rock Creek Park, the Mount Wong views his recent races because of academia. “I used to out water to passing runners, Vernon Trail, Roosevelt Island, as an extended form of tourism go to the gym, but as we got into stepping up where local official- and the many other jogging abroad, “part of my exploration the finals period, I just started dom had failed.) During spring hotspots in the metro area. In- of the United States. Rather going to the track since it was break in Washington, Brodsky terested students should contact than just getting a typical sou- so much closer.” She branched ran the Rock ‘n’ Roll Half- SAISruns at: saisruns@gmail. venir from a city, I bring back a out from the Nanjing University Marathon, charging through the com. toward the end became increas- instance, Woodward shared a tance of taking people serious- and eventually secured his in- ingly “tired and irritable.” piece of information with intel- ly. Before engaging a source, terview. Whether this speaks In response to a question ligence officials that caused “the Woodward will research him to Woodward’s advice to take about how to handle confiden- blood to drain from their fac- or her, learning about the indi- people seriously, or simply his tial or sensitive information, es.” Ultimately, they convinced vidual’s background, expertise, sheer tenacity, is up for debate. Woodward said that he always Woodward of the importance of and publications. This allows Near the end of his lecture, weighs the benefits of transpar- keeping his information under Woodward to approach each Woodward returned to the ency to society versus the po- wraps. Yet Woodward conclud- interview prepared, and able theme of transparency. He spoke tential for harm. For example, ed with the statement, “If I have to demonstrate respect toward of his desire for a tougher me- when top government officials a theme, it is that there is too his subject. Woodward spoke dia, and the dangers of reducing make a strong case that pub- much government secrecy.” of a time when he wanted to newspaper correspondents. “If lishing certain information Speaking about how to es- interview a prominent general. the true story about everything could put Americans in harm’s tablish and maintain relation- After being denied several were out in public, we’d be a lot way, Woodward generally re- ships with sources, Woodward times, Woodward showed up at better off,” he said. “Democra- frains from publishing. In one often returned to the impor- the general’s house after-hours cies die in darkness.” 4 sais life

SAIS Bologna students perform the ‘Vagina Monologues’ in the auditorium. IAN MUIR Sexual Assault Awareness Month at SAIS Bologna Lalu Farias the show’s earliest rehearsals, In addition to acting in the Mustafa Staiti. After viewing first-year student at it was clear that even some of “The Vagina Monologues,” the documentary, students dis- the Bologna Center the actresses felt a little uneasy. Brenna Allen coordinated the cussed the issues presented in With time, in rehearsals marked schedule of events during Sex- the film with Professor Susanna There were two main objec- by conversations, laughter, and ual Assault Awareness Month Mancini, who teaches a course tives of Sexual Assault Aware- Italian wine, the group bonded at SAIS. When asked about her titled “Multiculturalism and the ness Month at the Bologna Cen- and became more devoted to the motivation for participating in Human Rights of Women.” ter: promoting dialogue among project. On April 13, the group this project, Allen responded, Students and faculty were students and raising awareness of seventeen actresses sat com- “We wanted to encourage peo- also invited to a Trivia Night, of violence against women fortably in front of more than ple to think about and discuss a Poker Tournament, and around the world. These objec- one hundred classmates. They issues surrounding violence a Kickball Tournament as tives were clearly achieved, as set the tone at the beginning of against women. It is easy to part of Sexual Assault Aware- Bologna Center students were the show by standing up, fists in assume that we don’t know ness Month. The money raised actively engaged in discussion the air, and shouting: “Pussies women who are affected by through these events was do- at every event, particularly af- unite!” this because many victims re- nated to Casa delle Donne, ter the play “The Vagina Mono- “Most of the actresses had main silent. In reality, violence a local charity that offers logues.” little or no experience in the- against women touches more support to women who are “It is amazing that we usual- atre, which made their amazing lives than we realize. Our goal victims of domestic violence. ly don’t talk about women’s is- final performance all the more was to promote a dialogue and 90 percent of the play’s rev- sues and sexuality,” said Doire- phenomenal,” said first-year help both women and men feel enue was donated to Casa delle ann Breathnach, a first-year Holly Naylor, who directed more comfortable talking about Donne, as well, while the re- student and one of the show’s the show with fellow students these problems, and I believe maining 10 percent was do- producers and actresses. “After Sarah Miller and Constance we succeeded.” nated to V-day, an organization the play, one of our classmates Wilhelm. “It takes a lot of guts A screening of the docu- founded by “Vagina Mono- told me that he had never said not only to get up on stage in mentary “Honour,” which takes logues” author Eva Ensler that the word ‘vagina’ before, but front of people, but also to talk place in the Palestinian territo- is dedicated to ending violence that now he was comfortable about things that can be uncom- ries, also contributed to raising against women and girls around with it. Comments like this fortable and often considered awareness of the violence faced the world. V-Day provides the show us that our endeavor was shameful. The girls embraced by women around the world. play script for free, but asks successful.” the challenge, worked incredi- The documentary screening was that 10 percent of the revenue It is sometimes difficult to bly hard, and put on a show that suggested by first-year student be donated to a women’s or- openly discuss women’s bod- was better than any of us could Karim Bin-Humam, who is in ganization of the performers’ ies and sexuality, and during have imagined.” contact with the film’s director, choice. 5

Virginia Benninghoff a first-year student at the Bologna Center

In the Maldives, a fifteen year-old girl raped by her stepfather was sentenced to SfloggingAA for havingM extramari - Over the Years tal sex. In Somalia, a woman who was brutally gang-raped by soldiers and the journalist who exposed their crime were jailed for “insulting the state.” A student was fatally assaulted and violently raped on a locked bus in India. While being held captive in a church, a Burmese woman was raped, stabbed, and beaten by the military. Even in the American Midwest, a group of high school football players repeatedly sexually assaulted a 16 year-old girl who was inebri- ated and unconscious, and they faced surprisingly few conse- quences for their actions. These are the stories that make headlines. It is horrific CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Sarah Dawn Miller; Julia Heckmann; Katerina Lovtchinova; Nameer- to read about these cases. It is ah Hameed; performing in the Vagina Monologues. Ian Muir easier to flip to the U.S. politics section than to read about the ing perpetrators. For example, and the traditional responses by has spurred police and victims unthinkable crimes commit- domestic violence—which can law enforcement do not change to action. ted against women (and men). often include sexual abuse— overnight. Even when mean- Lithuania is a great example And yet, the high-profile cases might be considered a personal ingful legislation is passed, per- of what awareness can do. Sex- are only a fraction of what vic- matter by authorities; in fact, sistent public monitoring and ual Assault Awareness Month tims of sexual violence endure they might consider rape impos- training are necessary to ensure (SAAM) helps to counteract around the world. Every year sible within a marriage. Thus, courts and police forces are the forces that keep society ten million girls are forced into local police are hesitant to get both executing the new law cor- blindfolded, put blame on the marriage with men sometimes involved because they consider rectly, and equipped to handle victims, and cultivate a culture three or four times their age. it not “their business.” domestic violence and sexual of acceptance for such behavior. Child brides endure rape, preg- Until very recently, this was assault cases competently. The When men and women in posi- nancies at very young ages, and the case in Lithuania. In 2010, same groups that helped draft tions of power around the world servitude to their in-laws—not Lithuania was found to have and pass the Lithuanian legisla- start speaking out to bring these to mention missing out on get- the highest occurrence of do- tion have conducted training for issues into the open, when laws ting an education. mestic violence in any country police, prosecutors, and judges, are changed, and when authori- Sexual assault cases often in the European Union. After while also campaigning to stop ties are given the tools to react go unreported, and thus, un- a yearlong information cam- the blaming of victims. Law appropriately, we will be on the punished. Even in countries paign run by local NGOs, as enforcement officials in Lithu- path to reducing sexual vio- with sound rule of law and well as legislation drafted with ania have reported receiving lence. However, authorities and long-standing sexual assault the help of the U.S. Embassy more than 22,000 domestic vio- politicians will remain silent legislation, victims themselves and international experts, laws lence complaints since the law without pressure from citizens. will remain silent out of shame were passed that criminalized came into effect. The deluge of Here’s hoping the spirit behind or fear of retaliation. What’s domestic violence in Lithuania cases strains the small nation’s SAAM will spread, perpetrators worse, in many other countries, for the first time. resources and funding, but the will be brought to justice, and a the legal framework reinforces Unfortunately, the cultural spotlight has been switched on, culture that condemns such acts the fear victims have of expos- stigma surrounding victims and the new legal authorization of violence will take root. 6 SAIS Hosts Second Yiqian Xu first-year China Stud- ies and ERE concentra- tor

On April 4, SAIS hosted its annual Asia Conference, with the theme of development and security in Asia. Dean Vali Nasr made the opening remarks, and Kurt Campbell, former assis- tant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, - de livered the keynote address. The conference consisted of six panels on different topics and regions in Asia, including “Di- vergence and Energy Security in the Korean Peninsula,” and “Social Development in China and Changing Demographics.” Graduate students from SAIS Cristina Garafola, Daniel Greenland, and Andrew Wasuwongse present their paper on Mynamar and other Washington-area during the conference. schools presented their papers and received feedback from ex- conference was to give gradu- concentrations to work together The conferenceTre vor was C lark first perts and peers. ate students doing original, on a significant project, as well conceived by PhD candidate This is the second SAIS policy-oriented research on as a chance for SAIS students Tabitha Mallory and Profes- Asia Conference that has been Asia an opportunity to share to interact with students from sor Freeman in 2010, as part open to graduate students from their papers publicly and re- other graduate programs. Ad- of a spring course on the in- schools other than SAIS. Ac- ceive comments on their work ditionally, the conference al- ternational relations of Asia. cording to Carla Freeman, as- from experts in the field. It was lowed students to engage with Presenters were all SAIS stu- sociate director of the China also an opportunity for students professionals working in their dents. The conference was also Studies Program, a goal of the from different Asian Studies areas of interest. sponsored by the National Bu- Bologna Gets Its Groove Back David Payne need of something a little more members of this year’s Bolog- out even leaving the school!), first-year MA student tangible, a little more visceral, nesi have dedicated the odd learn a new way to move, and at the Bologna Center and, perhaps, a little more of Thursday evening to sharing have fun--all for free!,” as Ms. the booty-shaking persuasion. everything from Tango to Irish Benninghoff describes the ses- We’ve all been there. Whilst Albeit there’s certainly nothing dancing with their classmates sions. With a solid core of ever tackling the mysteries of inter- sexier than the subtle nuances in what the mainstream media enthusiastic regulars, in addi- national power dynamics and of nuclear non-proliferation has come to refer to as the SAIS tion to a wide variety of attend- divining the secrets of econom- debates, every SAIS BC stu- BC Dance Club. ees in search of a break from ic growth, you find yourself tap- dent knows that at times, the Organized by none other their labors or a new move to ping your feet to your favorite urge to pop and lock becomes than our own Poobahs of Pop, bust at Soda Pops the Dance Hanson album again. You try so imperative that it just has to Ms. Karin Riechenberg, Virgin- Club sessions have become an to ignore it, but soon everyone be satisfied. And why shouldn’t ia Benninghoff, Rebecca Free- event where experienced danc- in the library is looking at you, it be? man, and Katerina Lovtchinova, ers as well as people like my- shaking their heads in empathy Responding to concerns that the Dance Club has managed self with an over-abundance at your sad attempts to C-walk lack of a constructive direction to host twenty-three extremely of left feet can go to figure out to the tune of “MmmBop.” of these urges may lead to in- successful weekly sessions this how exactly Usher did that one The thing is, SAIS students stances of the internet-popu- year – “A chance to relax, de- thing at that show you saw back can often find themselves in larized Harlem Shake, several stress, get in a work-out (with- in ’03 and if, in fact, hips do lie. 7 Asia Conference reau of Asian Research, and at- and policy in Asia. participated in the panel. Their sisted in organizing this year’s tracted outstanding academics Kay Kahee Park, an MA presentation was titled: “Mak- event, said conferences are and practitioners. In fall 2012, candidate in the Nonprolifera- ing a Difference in Myanmar: valuable events that expand the however, Professor Freeman tion and Terrorism Studies Pro- Recommendations for U.S. Pol- work students do for classes began organizing another Asian gram at Middlebury College, icy Towards Myanmar, 2012- into an vital set of skills. Con- Studies graduate conference presented her paper, “Multi- 2017.” The topic came from a ferences also allow students to with a slightly different model. lateral Security in Asia,” dur- policy paper written for Profes- receive honest feedback from Rather than tying the confer- ing the “U.S. Foreign Policy sor Karl Jackson’s fall semester their peers and experts. Bis- ence to a class, which was an in Asia” panel. According to course, International Relations bee said he was attracted to the excessive amount of work for a Park, since she began study- of Asia: Policy Process. To re- broad scope of the Asia Confer- single semester for all involved, ing international relations, she search her section on China- ence, and in his opinion, this a student conference team was has wondered why the Asia Pa- Myanmar and Japan-Myanmar year’s conference was well at- established as soon as the aca- cific lacks a strong multilateral relations, Garafola met with ex- tended by both SAIS students, demic year began. mechanism similar to the North perts from think tanks and the as well as experts and academ- Working with Angela Choi, Atlantic Treaty Organization academic community, as well as ics in Washington, D.C. The program coordinator for the (NATO). To conduct research, a visiting fellow at SAIS. Based conference was also mentioned Korean Studies program, they she used social network analy- on her research, Garafola con- in a wide variety of media out- were able to expand the scope of sis software to study the rela- cluded that a peaceful, prosper- lets, in South Korea, Japan, the conference to include grad- tionships between states in the ous, and democratic Myanmar and China, as well as on NBC uate students from all Wash- Asia Pacific network. Finally, is in the long-term interest of and CNN in the United States, ington-area schools. The 2013 she found that the Association the United States, particularly thanks to Kurt Campbell’s conference built on the 2012 of Southeast Asian Nations was with regards to the rebalance stimulating keynote address. conference by inviting students in the most strategic position toward Asia. Greenland said Shanah Lee, a first-year from MA and PhD programs in the network to implement the group was fortunate to have SAIS student, said she partici- throughout the United States to policy. Talking about her expe- Priscilla Clapp as their discus- pated in the conference because submit papers for presentation rience, Park said, “I’m grateful sant, since she has a passionate she wanted to take advantage of at the conference. Building on to have presented my research interest in Myanmar, and many this rare opportunity for gradu- the success of these conferenc- to a group of people who are years of high level experience ate students to present their re- es, Professor Freeman expects just as interested in these issues dealing with the political pro- search and receive comments that the SAIS Asia Conference as I am.” cess of Myanmar. from the field’s experts. “We, as will eventually become the pre- SAIS students Cristina Ga- Jim Bisbee, a second- a SAIS Asia Conference Com- mier graduate student confer- rafola, Daniel Greenland, and year who participated in the mittee, were very pleased with ence on contemporary issues Andrew Wasuwongse also first Asia Conference and- as the outcome,” Lee said.

(They can, and it’s messy.) Fall and Spring semesters, the “The main satisfaction that Dance Club also brought in En- I got from it was the ability to rique Aguero, more preferably engage people who had never known as Kiki, who gave les- danced before and share with sons on Cuban Salsa, as well as them my passion for dance,” a variant with Reggaeton. Ms. Riechenberg said. “Previ- Many readers will remem- ously, I had danced only for ber the recent article on SAIS myself. So reaching out to DC’s Dance Club, meaning that people, getting them to try new this year’s SAIS BC boogie ad- things, and seeing that they en- dicts will have a new group of joyed it was a very rewarding fellow enthusiasts to collabo- experience indeed.” rate with come the Fall semes- With all of the talents that ter (sources report that initial seem to emerge from every cor- fears of a SAIS edition of “You ner of the SAIS BC communi- Got Served” have been greatly ty, it’s little wonder that dance exaggerated). So as the year should be among the number of winds down without you hav- them. In addition to the bevy of ing any idea of how to Dougie, funk offered by the multitude keep in mind that the SAIS BC of student instructors in the Dance Club is here to help. ‘Salsa con Reggaeton’. PHOTO COURTESY OF KARIN RIECHENBERG Guest instructor kiki and SAIS student rebecca Freeman teach the 8 First Student-Run Conference on Women and Leadership at SAIS Yiqian Xu first-year China and ERE concentrator

The first SAIS Global -Wom en in Leadership Conference, themed “A New Economic Landscape: Promoting Women in Emerging Market,” took Participants and panelists at place on April 12. The con- the conference, “A New Eco- ference addressed the new nomic Landscape: Promoting economic challenges and op- Women in Emerging Market,” portunities facing women, not only within markets and insti- sam lee tutions, but also as individuals. developed societies.” Additionally, the conference SAIS Global Women in explored the role of women in Leadership also hosts a bi- emerging markets, and facilitat- monthly luncheon series, ed a better understanding of the solution strategies. There was Sara O’Rourke, a second- which are organized around issues that women face around a reception following the pan- year student Conflict Manage- substantive themes such as the world. els at the Embassy of Finland. ment concentrator, established women and health, women and Sylvia Ann Hewlett, found- More than 150 students and the SAIS Global Women in entrepreneurship, and women ing president of the Center for professionals attended the con- Leadership organization in fall in international security. The Talent Innovation and author ference. 2012 because she believed that luncheon series invites experi- of Winning the War for Talent According to the SAIS “SAIS was uniquely positioned enced speakers from all sectors in Emerging Markets: Why Global Women in Leadership to contribute to the growing to comment on new solutions to Women Are the Solution, deliv- Conference website, the confer- conversation on the increas- challenges facing women glob- ered the keynote speech, where ence was the first of its kind not ingly important role of women ally, as well as new strategies she presented her latest studies only at SAIS, but also among in leadership, both at home and for professional and personal on women in emerging mar- schools in SAIS’s joint-degree abroad.” SAIS has been at the success. kets compared with developed network, as well as in the Asso- forefront of exploring the next Through interacting with countries in terms of employ- ciation of Professional Schools big issues, varying from eco- accomplished and engaging ment, values, roles, and work- of International Affairs (AP- nomic development to food speakers, the the organiza- load. The conference consisted SIA) network. The conference security. “It is only natural that tion hopes that attendees will of four panels on creating new provides a unique forum for SAIS should take the lead on come away from events more channels for emerging markets, young professionals seeking to discussions regarding the role informed, and more inspired to a mindsets panel, empowering launch successful careers in an of women in leadership, in both take action in their career and individuals, and case studies in increasingly globalized world. developing countries as well as their communities. SAISers Master the Toast Tyler Owens ticipants receive an opportunity structured. The “Toastmaster” The meeting is concluded with first-year Strategic to hone their rhetorical skills, opens the meeting, welcomes evaluations, when those who Studies concentrator non-verbal gesturing, and im- new members, and communi- did not give a speech have an pressive turns of phrase -- skills cates the theme of the meeting, opportunity to offer feedback If you’ve ever felt those jit- that will be invaluable through- as well as the word of the day -- for their fellows. ters as you begin a speech and out our careers. which generates great laughter SAIS Toastmasters benefits all eyes turn to you, perhaps Toastmasters is an entirely among the audience when used from the leadership of Ron Toastmasters is the club for student-run club that offers extemporaneously in speeches. Lambert, director of career ser- you. Or even if you are blessed SAISers an opportunity to gain Meetings tend to consist of two vices, who serves as the staff with the ability to approach valuable public speaking skills six-minute prepared speeches, advisor for the club. Virtually every speech with stalwart and practice. Each meeting lasts several brief extemporaneous all club members have, at one confidence, Toastmasters par- about one hour and is tightly speeches, and a jokes section. point or another, listened in awe 9

Meeting the Longest-Serving Employee at the Bologna Center Felix Neugebauer flights, finding a way to send the female students who dis- a first-year student an express letter without hav- played great acting skills in the at the Bologna Center ing a codice fiscale... and much “The Vagina Monologues” and more. courageously spoke out in fa- ILasnt week, C I onversation had the oppor- withIs this not sometimesRaffaella an- vor of women’s rights. tunity to meet Raffaella Besola, noying? No, she says, as long While many things have the front desk receptionist at the as students know what they are changed at the Bologna Center SAIS Bologna Center. Raffaella asking for. Raffaella said she (for one, there were two library is possibly the longest serving likes to help students overcome rooms with typewriters when employee at the Bologna Cen- the challenges of life in a for- Raffaella started working!), ter, having welcomed Margel eign environment. there are also things that stay Highet, director of student af- When compared to earlier the same. When I asked her fairs, and Marco Dell’Aquila, classes at the Bologna Center, what makes this place special, adjunct professor of interna- students today seem more con- after pausing for a moment, tional relations, twenty-seven cerned about their future, Raffa- Raffaella responded, “I see years ago. Originally looking ella observed. While having the people returning to Bologna, for an English language in- label “Johns Hopkins” on your often after many years. And I structor, she accepted what she resume meant a guaranteed job see that they have strong feel- thought would be only a one ten years ago, finding work has ings about the Bologna Center year position at the Bologna Raffaella at Mr. and Ms. SAIS become much more difficult. and Bologna. Over the course Center. As she notes, “Despite contest. As a result, current students do of a year, people grow together, so many years, I am still here!” not have as much time to enjoy build ties - personally and pro- tendai madenyika Raffaella assured me that Raffaella sees herself as the themselves, to study Italian, fessionally – and they become a the Bologna Center has been link between the SAIS com- and to interact with the local very close-knit community.” the perfect place to work in munity and the outside world. community outside the center. This is no less true for this Bologna. “I have the unique Given the limited Italian lan- Fortunately, job-seeking year’s class than has been for opportunity to get to know peo- guage skills of many students pressure does not prevent stu- the Class of 2005, Class of ple from literally all over the (including the author), Raffa- dents from taking part in many 1992, or Class of 1986. With world!” she said. “I am not get- ella has to cover a wide field: activities at school. According Alumni Weekend approaching, ting bored with my job.” offering directions, translating to Raffaella, each SAIS student I am sure that many visiting During her time at the Bo- phone bills, helping students to is special in one way or another. SAIS graduates will be sur- logna Center, Raffaella has receive their permesso di sog- “Of course, SAIS students are prised by how much this place witnessed the evolution of the giorno, organizing telephone bright and very intelligent, but has changed over time. Yet they center into its current shape, appointments, making doctor’s I am amazed by the amount of will be welcomed by Raffaella, she has welcomed thousands appointments, answering que- other talents they have,” she who once explained to them the of students to the school, and ries, managing incoming mail, said. Raffaella served as one of way to the Registrar’s office on she has taken part in organizing keeping us informed about bus the jurors in the yearly Mr. and their first day at the Center and countless events and confer- strikes, special holidays, con- Ms. SAIS Competition. She who, one year later, said Arri- ences. certs, bike thieves, cancelled said she is especially proud of vederci! on their way out. at the verbal confidence and rhe- Greg Gangelhoff, “Toastmas- For all of these groups, Toast- president, noted, “I’m more torical prowess of Mr. Lambert, ters is a club that can benefit masters develops a talent es- confident giving presentations who often delivers extempora- every single student at SAIS. sential to success in any field now. In terms of my future ca- neous speeches several minutes If you have extensive speak- in a friendly and constructive reer growth, the public speak- long, without any use of “um” ing experience, Toastmasters environment.” ing skills I hone through this or other verbal fillers. stretches you to speak on new Gangelhoff added, “There club are just as important as When asked what Toastmas- subjects and for different pur- is a pernicious misconception the writing and analytical skills ters represents for him, veteran poses. If you don’t have a that public speaking is an in- I develop through my course- club member Nate Barcic re- public speaking background, nate skill. This is not true. Pub- work at SAIS.” plied, “It’s the perfect way to Toastmasters builds this skill lic speaking is a learned talent, The club leadership reports end the week, push your limits, from the ground up. If Eng- and Toastmasters hones this tal- that they are always willing to and enjoy the company of inter- lish is not your first language, ent better than any other club at welcome new members. For esting people.” Toastmasters pushes your lan- SAIS.” more information, please email According to Co-President guage skills in a critical area. Jack Bianchi, the other co- [email protected]. 10 sais photo gallery SAIS Nanjing in North Korea In early April, a group of stu- dents and a professor from

the Hopkins-Nanjing center CLOCKWISEvisited North Korea. FROM THE RIGHT: Colonel Kim at a watchtower along the bor- der of North and South Korea. Much of the land is a minefield located in the Demilitarized Zone; Natalie Sammarco at the demilita- rized zone; Statues of sol- diers near the statues of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il; The “Tower of Juche Idea,” which represents Korean nationalism and self-reli- ance, looks over the River Taedong; Statues of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il; A water bottling plant which uses recycled materials, so all the bottles are different.

Natalie Sammarco 11 12 opinion

seems to have fully adopted his Step one: yell like a From China’s perspective, father’s well-established proce- at least two undesired conse- dure of international blackmail. bellicose lunatic and quences are likely to occur be- Step one: yell like a bellicose threaten to trample cause of North Korea’s recent lunatic and threaten to trample the world. Step two: threats. First, the United States North Korea,the world. Step two: C comehina’s back come back N toaughty the ta- will have legitimacy A llyto enhance to the negotiating table and ex- its military presence, especially pect China and Russia to rep- ble and expect China nuclear defenses in Northeast resent North Korea’s interests to represent North Asia, which may break the re- in negotiations. Step three: re- gional balance of power and ceive tons of aid and benefits. Korea’s interests deteriorate China’s military This method perfectly matches early April. He said world position in the area. In fact, the Zhaoyin Feng a Chinese saying: the crying kid peace should not be put at risk United States has sent jet fight- first-year MA candi- gets candy. In other words, the because of a single country. ers, bombers, and warships to date at the Bologna squeaky wheel gets the oil. Although he did not explicitly the Korean Peninsula so as to Center Nonetheless, sometimes we refer to North Korea, nor did he show its guaranteed support for need to change a worn wheel; mention China’s possible reac- South Korea. Further U.S. mili- North Korea appears to be or, with all due respect, slap tion to contain or punish North tary build-up is by no means acting insanely again. Its thirty the misbehaving kid. China’s Korea, this statement has shown what China desires. year-old leader, Kim Jong-un, president, Xi Jinping, alluded clearly China’s discontent and Furthermore, given North who makes his country act like to North Korea’s recent be- discomfort with North Korea’s Korea’s threats, it may be in- an overly rebellious adolescent, havior in the Boao Forum in outrageous rhetoric. creasingly difficult for China

Korea do not seem too worried the young generation of South about North Korea. Students Korea, North Korea is consid- Why So Serious? attend school, and businesses ered a bizarre country under a are running normally. People dictatorship that has lasted for A South Korean Perspective are even excited by the recent three generations. During the release of Psy’s latest song, sixty-year long armistice, the on North Korea “Gentleman.” Why are people cleavage of culture, language, not taking the North Korean politics, and social structure peninsula. Such a threat is inter- threat more seriously? Are they has widened greatly. preted as a response to the UN truly insensitive or sure of the Finally, Kim Jong-un’s be- Security Council’s latest sanc- fact that war is not likely to havior shows no significant dif- tions against the country. The happen? ference from that of his father, sanctions, in turn, are the reac- One of the main reasons that Kim Jong-il. As the third suc- tion of the world community to South Koreans can live their cessor of the “Kim dynasty,” North Korea’s nuclear test and lives normally under such a he needs to prove his leader- rocket launch in February. threat is that they cannot fear ship to his people. The deeper In March, following the war all the time. In fact, it is intentions of such provocative tests, North Korea declared that not the first serious provoca- actions is still somewhat mys- it had entered a “warfare state” tion from the North, nor will it terious. Nonetheless, he is not with South Korea. How has be the last one. Since the 1953 likely to take further military Booyoung Jang South Korea responded to this? armistice of the Korean War, action which would ultimately first-year MA candi- The South Korean government Korea has been one of the most threaten his position. date at the Bologna first took a strong stand against militarized places in the world. For these reasons, many Center the North Korean provocation. From the Korean Airlines hi- people assume that a war will However, it recently eased its jacking in 1969 to the bombard- not break out, since North Ko- Since his succession in 2011, position to open a possibility of ment of the Yeonpyeong Island, rea stands to lose much more Kim Jong-un has repeatedly dialogue, which may not hap- there have been continuous than other countries, including demonstrated a clear willing- pen soon: North Korea cut off provocations. Yet South Kore- South Korea. However, the re- ness to provoke the interna- the direct telephone line which ans are largely desensitized to lationship between Seoul and tional system. The recent decla- had functioned as a prompt such threats from the North. Pyongyang has deteriorated re- ration by North Korea that the communication link between Secondly, there has been cently, and the threat is unlikely armistice of 1953 is invalid has Pyongyang and Seoul. no communication between to be fully resolved anytime brought tension to the Korean Meanwhile, people in South the two countries. For most of soon. 13 to push for North Korea’s in- rea should earn its own candy. China is in favor of than three million views recent- terests in negotiations. If in- If North Korea shifts its focus a stronger North ly. Granted that China has 538 creased North Korean bellig- from military to economic de- million netizens, this number is erence allows for less space in velopment and adopts the eco- Korea -- but not moderate, yet still remarkable negotiations, and if China con- nomic reforms similar to those strong enough to for an American comedy show. tinues to fail to control its luna- adopted by China in the late harm China with a Western media tend to de- tic ally, China may have to face 1970s, North Korea may have scribe this as a sign of Chinese the worst scenario: a war it does increased trade with China. nuclear weapon frustration with North Korea. not want to fight. Worse still, it Moreover, if North Korea However, speaking for the would need to support its weak achieves economic develop- this remains wishful think- Chinese, I have never gotten ally by providing financial sup- ment, it can devote more of ing, as China has not yet held upset by North Korea. Rather, port and food aid for 24.5 mil- its budget to national security, a tough position to punish its ordinary Chinese people are lion starving North Koreans. which is beneficial to the mili- naughty ally. constantly amused by the North Instead of this unsatisfactory tary alliance between China Unlike the Chinese govern- Korean regime and its erratic scenario, China is in favor of a and North Korea, provided its ment’s ambiguous attitude to- behavior. The impressive popu- stronger North Korea -- but not nuclear build-up should be un- wards the North Korean crisis, larity of the video has demon- strong enough to harm China der strict control. Most impor- the Chinese people have long strated that the Chinese have a with a nuclear weapon. A more tantly, a stronger North Korea, mocked North Korea just like sense of humor, which is not far open and wealthier North Ko- which can provide its people the rest of the world has done. away from the American one. rea can benefit China in terms with sufficient food, public ser- A video segment of “The Daily However, whether it also shows of international trade, military vices, and human rights, can Show with Jon Stewart” mock- that Chinese citizens are calling alliances, and international absolutely lessen the interna- ing North Korea and portraying for a hardline position of the pressure. Rather than crying tional humanitarian pressure on Kim Jong-un as an adolescent Chinese government concern- for candy from the interna- China and mitigate the tension girl in the movie “Little Miss ing North Korea and its nuclear tional community, North Ko- in Northeast Asia. However, Sunshine” has attracted more build-up is still open to debate. Modernity and the Chinese Experience William Yale logically “modernized” with- The question I have found permanently stuck in a culture a first-year student out being “modern”; whether most interesting is whether of material consumption, or is at the Nanjing Center modernity is a universal value the project of modernity there a way forward? In mod- five-semester pro- or a particular value for par- should have a “purpose.” ern China, the question is not gram ticular people; whether what, Some writers say none is so much how to preserve the if any, part of the past should needed. Other national- Confucian ti, but rather how “Our new China is like a blank persist into the era of the na- ists, like Jawaharlal Neh- to come up with a new ti after piece of paper on which we tion-state. ru, say the purpose lies it has been thoroughly scarred can write the most elegant I listen when Chinese stu- in each country’s destiny. from being scooped out and characters and paint the most dents debate the influence of And many more say moder- replaced, over and over again. beautiful pictures.” Confucianism on the current nity’s purpose is derived from But then I focus on the re- Mao Zedong Chinese socio-political en- individual human fulfillment. ality of class discussion. And vironment, and whether the This question bites directly I realize that, more than any- When I arrived at the Hop- modernizing reformers of the into the seminar, and indeed, thing else, this small seminar, kins-Nanjing Center, I expect- 1911 Xinhai Revolution have many of my Chinese peers’ existing in a tiny bubble within ed I would be taking highly been heeded to the present experiences. A century ago, China, is in its own small way specialized courses on Chinese day. (I have decided it is bet- China grappled over whether it living out the project of mo- foreign policy, politics, and ter to listen rather than speak, could preserve its unique cul- dernity. economics, all in Mandarin. at least with regard to issues I tural ti (essence or spirit) while We are living out modernity And I have! But I also decided know little about.) grafting onto it Western yong through discussion; the class- to audit a seminar in English: However, we certainly are (the utility of foreign technol- room dialectic is perhaps the “Modernity and World Social not limited to the Chinese ex- ogy and science). Yong is the only way to move forward past Thought.” perience in our discussion. Ev- means, ti is the end. China is confusion and post-modern- I am one of two internation- ery week includes a handful of still dealing with this rift be- ism. Values are not objects for al students in the class, while thinkers from around the globe, tween ti and yong today. individuals. They are decided the other twenty or so are all from India and the Muslim This separation is reflected in common. And if we can do Chinese. Every week we talk world, to South America, and in a number of common ques- our small part in tackling such about questions of modernity even the imperialist colonizers tions, such as: What makes immense problems, especially and modernization: whether a themselves, the Europeans and our state legitimate? What are in a place like China, then I country can become techno- Americans. our national values? Are we will be happy. 14

countries against environmen- becomes desirable, or indis- economic growth in some de- tal limits, we can no longer be pensable, the returns of extend- veloping countries are unlikely sure that economic growth can ing man’s empire over man by to significantly slow down any- mitigate conflicts within and be- force increase. According to time soon. Some poor countries tween states. What if the “em- some, we may well live in a will find it impossible to grow. pire of man over nature” can no world in which the technology Rich countries will face steady longer be easily extended? of destruction is progressing pressure on their economies It’s a Material When Willie Sutton, one Wof fasterorld, than the technology A of fterfrom dwindling A reservesll and America’s most famous bank production. rising resource prices, making robbers, was arrested, he re- Modern military technology it harder or even impossible to Felix Neugebauer putedly replied to a reporter’s rapidly transforms the nature of raise their standard of living. a first-year student question as to why he robbed military operations by increas- At the same time, the tech- at the Bologna Center banks by saying, “Because ing military effectiveness while nology of destruction is pro- that’s where the money is.” limiting human costs. Will this gressing faster than the tech- In 1964, Walt Disney and the With this analogy in mind, (or has this already) eased the nology of production. In this Sherman Brothers wrote the some claim the only two ways moral and political restraints context, the presence of yet song “It’s a Small World,” argu- of realizing a state’s fundamen- against the use of force? And untapped reserves in disputed ably the single most performed tal interests, such as economic what does this mean for in- territory has the potential of fu- and most translated piece of growth and wealth, will be by ternational security? A state’s elling competition and military music on Earth. Ironically, the ensuring its access to strategic perception of the level of threat conflict. Take Africa, for- ex lyrics - “There’s so much that resources beyond its territory, posed by another state depends ample, where resource-hungry we share / and it’s time that or by re-allocating the sources on that state’s intent and capa- countries look for land. Like- we’re aware / it’s a small world or fruits of industry from others bility to do harm. However, in wise, the South China Sea and after all” - point toward a cen- to itself. an anarchic international sys- the Persian Gulf are disputed, tral dilemma in international Yet at the same time, it has tem, the focus is usually on be- and the Arctic is under siege as politics: scarcity. often been argued that the utility ing ahead of or matching the never before as states rush to With an expected increase of force in international politics military capabilities of other establish sovereignty claims. of the world population to 9.2 has permanently declined over states in the global arms race, While the incentives for set- billion by 2050, the world is the past six decades. Weapons whatever other states’ inten- tling these sovereignty disputes becoming an ever more crowd- of mass destruction guaran- tions may be. might not yet be strong enough, ed place. As industrialization tee a cold peace between the In a world of scarcity and it is critical that these problems spreads globally and develop- most powerful states; the high spreading high-tech military are addressed now in order to ing nations strive to raise their economic and political costs capabilities, the location of solve them in a fair and peaceful living standards, competition of waging war in a globalized global natural resources is like- manner. To do so, one must look for scarce natural resources world rules out the use of force ly to determine the future the- at the issue of finite resources sharply increases. After all, as a foreign policy instrument; aters of conflict, and the current in the long-term. Likewise, people around the world - rich and scientific progress allevi- and future distribution of power the time has come to establish or poor - are not so different: ates the problem of scarcity. In among the main actors. Is it some kind of regulatory frame- “We are living in a material short, the returns to the use of right to be so pessimistic? Let’s work to reduce the well-known world.” (Credit to Madonna!) military force are nowadays no look back at the crisis in the destabilizing effects that recent All we ever want is more; so longer worth the costs. But is it 1970s: According to economist military innovations, such as much for the post-materialist realistic to believe in a perma- Paul Krugman, the commodity armed unmanned aircraft, have age. The results will be severe: nent and irreversible decline in boom was the result of three on international stability. It is depleted fisheries, deforesta- the efficacy of military force? things: bad weather, conflict in the responsibility of today’s tion, soil erosion, dwindling As attractive as the vision of a the Middle East and rapid world leaders to forestall a renais- natural resources, declining harmonious future may sound, economic growth that outpaced sance of the efficacy of military food production, unemploy- it is based on the fallacy that the global supplies. Eventually, new force in international politics. If ment, economic stagnation, and best indicator for the future is land was placed under cultiva- they fail, recent developments large-scale migration. necessarily the recent past. tion, and the price of resources in military technology prom- Hans Morgenthau, one of How many options does a fell as new oil fields were found ise to ring in a new arms race the defining realist thinkers in state have to get what it wants? and modern technologies made as governments scramble to international politics, argued in Thomas Hobbes reminds us extraction possible. counterbalance their perceived 1946 that “the empire of man that whenever any two men de- However, the future may be (future) competitors for scarce over nature replaces the empire sire the same thing, which they different: resources are becom- resources. of man over man.” However, in cannot both enjoy, they become ing harder to find, while the im- Madonna, Walt Disney, and times when unsustainable forms enemies. Consequently, when pact of climate change becomes the Sherman Brothers are right: of development push individual the acquisition of new territory more profound. Population and It’s a material world, after all. 15 Con Air: The Negative Impact of Drones on US Security The early success of the drone program has prevent a prolonged insurgency. been its undoing, encouraging an increase in Pakistan has also pushed to in- clude Taliban representatives in strikes past the point of strategic viability diplomatic negotiations to help and mid-level al-Qaeda leaders. Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike extend the state’s control into the These strikes have transformed Mullen stated in March of 2010, Federally-Administered Tribal formerly international terrorist “Each time an errant bomb or Areas. U.S. policy does not dis- networks into grassroots and re- a bomb accurately aimed but criminate between different Tali- gional groups that lack the ability against the wrong target kills or bani networks, and U.S. drone to strike at hard targets. hurts civilians, we risk setting strikes have even targeted groups, Bo Friddell However, the early success our strategy back months.” As the like the Wazir Taliban, who were first-year student at of the U.S. drone program has number of drone strikes increase, allied with the Pakistani govern- the Bologna Center proved to be its undoing. The so do the mistakes. ment and in the midst of negoti- visible benefits of the program The increased dependence on ating a peace agreement. Drone Sixteen year-old Tariq Aziz in Afghanistan and Pakistan en- drones for military action and strikes alienate the moderate and his twelve year-old cousin couraged the current administra- intelligence gathering has ulti- sects of the Taliban and its affili- were on the road to North Wa- tion to increase drone strikes past mately led to their downfall. By ates because of the national fall- ziristan in April 2010. The two the point of strategic viability. In scaling back the presence of U.S. out from drone strike “collateral boys were heading north into the 2007, the United States launched military and covert operatives in damage.” The current U.S. policy mountains to give their aunt a five strikes from unmanned- air the arena, the United States has sabotages peace negotiations and ride to the nearest medical center, craft, killing three high value diminished its capacity to gather the democratization of the region. a two-hour drive from her vil- targets. In 2010, despite launch- and accurately analyze intelli- Political stabilization and diplo- lage. Her son, who used to take ing 131 strikes, the United States gence. Lower quality informa- matic negotiations should take her to the hospital for her cancer managed to kill just two high tion begets less accurate drone precedent over boosting kill sta- treatment, had been killed two value targets. strikes, which leads to more ci- tistics for domestic prestige. months earlier by a drone strike Reduced strike effectiveness vilian casualties and increased For an American public that in South Waziristan. As Tariq stems from the program’s po- jihadist enlistment. The lack of has been morally backed into a turned his truck off the main path litical popularity and stated U.S. political accountability for er- corner by accounts of rendition into his aunt’s village, an explo- policy. For Democrats, drone rant attacks does little to deter the horror stories and the gruesome sion rocked the southern section strikes present the opportunity Central Intelligence Agency and images from Abu Ghraib, relying of the town, incinerating Tariq to appear tough on terror while the armed forces from launching on drone strikes might seem like and his cousin. scaling down troop presence in strikes against uncertain targets. the least bad option. However, re- Unfortunately, stories like Afghanistan. These unmanned at- Drone strikes serve as a superfi- gional diplomacy will not succeed Tariq’s have become common tacks are popular for politicians’ cial Band-Aid by reassuring the if the United States continues its due to increased drone strikes constituencies because few Amer- American public that we are win- frequent drone strikes. It is time under President Barack Obama. ican lives are put in danger during ning the War on Terror, but this to start solving the problem rather Much of the current drone strike the execution of each strike. This treatment only exacerbates the than just shooting missiles at it. narrative focuses on humanitar- uncritical support of U.S. drone problem without addressing the The U.S. government must scale ian disasters, like Tariq’s, and policy extends across the aisle substance of the issue. back drone strikes and restrict un- the vexing legality of targeting into the Republican ranks, which Perhaps more importantly, the manned aircraft for aerial recon- individual persons in a non-in- enables drone fallout to circum- current U.S. drone policy directly naissance and attacks against the ternational conflict. However, a vent the normal gamut of partisan threatens regional stability. With- highest-value targets. question remains absent from this scrutiny. Furthermore, the U.S. in the year, both Pakistan and Af- Knowing that a drone strike national dialogue and demands government stipulates that males ghanistan will undergo their first killed two low-level jihadist discussion: Strategically, are between the ages of sixteen and peaceful democratic exchanges grunts in Waziristan does not drone strikes worth it? forty in conflict regions are con- of power. These are the most im- make me feel more secure when I The statistical results of the sidered to be jihadists. This means portant events in regional politics go to sleep at night. Knowing that program say yes. U.S. drone that even when drone strikes go since the U.S. invasion of Af- the family and friends of a mur- strikes on al-Qaeda and Taliban awry, official policy tallies it as a ghanistan in 2001, and U.S. drone dered sixteen year-old boy now leadership have limited these or- success. strikes are jeopardizing both tran- hate the United States and will ganizations’ tactical capabilities. Unfortunately, the prohibi- sitions. In Afghanistan, the Tali- seize any opportunity for retribu- Between 2004 and 2010, U.S. tive cost of these “successes” is ban must be part of any post-U.S. tion? That scares me very much. airstrikes killed fifteen senior not sustainable. Chairman of the government in Afghanistan to You do the math. Is it worth it? 16 SAIS PHOTO GALLERY Nanjing City Wall Walk On April 20, 2013, the Hopkins-Nan-

jing Center held its 8th annual Wall members,Walk around professors, the ancient alumni, perimeter and studentswall of N anjing.participated About in eighty the event, staff ap-

miles)proximately over the thirty course of whom of nine walked hours. the Robertentire thirty-three Daly, former kilometers co-director (twenty of the

paid a special visit to Nanjing to lecture Hopkins-Nanjing Center (2001-2006)

about the wall’s historical significance- and to lead the walk. The current Nanjing Wall was con structed 600 years ago during the Ming Dynasty, when Nanjing was the capital of China. The wall took twenty-one ayears key culturaland the workrelic under of nearly state 200,000 protec- laborers to complete. It was listed as

tion in 1988. The NanjingIldiko Wall H remainsrubos the longest city wall in the world today. 17 18 OPINION Injustices and Emotions the more likely they will re- Experiencing injustice must have a high evo- spond with the emotions of lutionary value, as well. We could not have justice and forgiveness. survived as a species without having a keen Nelson Mandela spent eighteen of his twenty-seven sense of wrongs committed against others years in prison on Robben Is- and culture aside to praise ty to a bigger picture, a wid- land during the apartheid era. the life of a Serbian student er context, which includes Nowadays, the tour guides in front of thousands. In con- patterns, policies, and insti- of the prison where he lived trast, at the same university, tutions. Someone witnesses are former inmates. When after every class, an Alba- cruelty—a person being visiting the island I asked nian student would show me maimed, hacked to death. our guide, who had spent Thomas W. Simon disturbing pictures of what That cruelty becomes an in- fourteen years of his life im- professor of inter- Serbs did to Albanians dur- justice when the viewer con- prisoned there, whether they national law at the ing the 1999 War. I tried to nects it, for example, to the tried to encourage young Hopkins-Nanjing Cen- stop him, to convince him policies of a government. South Africans to visit. He ter that not all Serbs were evil. Injustice emotions arise replied that they welcomed Nonetheless, he could only during our formative years. every group except one-- In 2002, three years af- see Serbs through the eyes of Throughout their develop- young black males because ter the war in Kosovo, the hatred. When I finally asked ment, humans instinctively they would only become Netherlands sponsored a him where he had been dur- learn to recognize cruelty angry at the whites after dis- summer university program ing the war—“Denmark,” he and to experience injustice covering the suffering Man- at Kosovo’s University of confessed. emotions. My first injustice dela endured. Because they Prishtina. In an attempt to According to social sci- experience occurred when I had not suffered as Mandela foster intercultural coopera- entists, humans, throughout turned seven. My forty-five had, those young men were tion, the program brought the world, express six to year-old father came home more likely to seek revenge. together international teach- eight basic emotions, which to announce that he had been Our guide also told us that ers, Albanian students, and combine in various ways. fired from the automotive- the former prison warden for the first time, five- Ser Parrot (2001), for example, parts company where he had still lived on the island, and bian students. One night, we has found 165 emotions, worked for more than twenty that he and the former in- discovered that one of the consisting of 6 basic (love, years because he had men- mates continued to try to re- Serbian students had died. joy, surprise, anger, sadness, tioned the word “union.” habilitate him. Given NATO’s continued fear), 25 secondary, and 134 Our current vocabulary From these reflections, I involvement in Kosovo, the tertiary. Nonetheless, one of does not adequately capture urge that we listen to our in- incident became an interna- our most basic and impor- an injustice emotion. Re- justice emotions. It is impor- tional crisis, prompting both tant emotions remains ab- actions to injustices are not tant for our societies to use countries to fight over his sent from all of these lists empathy (capacity to feel those who have suffered and body so they could perform -- namely, the feeling of in- like another feels), sympa- responded with forgiveness their own autopsies. To the justice, or what I call “injus- thy (feeling of concern for as models. We should strive surprise of the international tice emotions.” another), pity (feeling sorry to avoid anger and revenge community and the press in Experiencing injustice for another), or caring (feel- in favor of granting forgive- attendance, the person that must have a high evolution- ing of concern and empa- ness. Only by learning to read the eulogy in his honor ary value, as well. We could thy). These reactions are acknowledge and process was an Albanian classmate. not have survived as a spe- highly individualized (“for “injustice emotions” in all of Even more extraordinary, cies without having a keen another”), whereas reactions our societies can we finally as I learned a year later, were sense of wrongs committed to injustices are highly polit- begin to move our global the experiences that the Alba- against others. An injustice icized. The current research community forward. nian student had put aside in is “cruelty plus.” Cruelty regarding emotions, as well order to honor and praise the is any excessive physical or as my own experiences, sug- An earlier version of this life of her Serbian classmate. mental violence inflicted on gests that the further people article was presented for Three years prior to deliver- another sentient being; an are from the direct experi- TEDx Talk Nanjing. ing the eulogy, the very same injustice consists of an in- ence of an injustice, the more A link to the video, start- student had watched the Ser- stance of cruelty plus some- likely they will use the emo- ing from 150th minute: bian military slaughter mem- thing more. The “something tions of anger and revenge. http://www.tudou.com/ bers of her family. Yet she more” gets added when In contrast, the closer people listplay/n3dgdHouQBE/ssS- was still able to put politics someone connects the cruel- are to suffering and injustice, G60oYjU0.html 19 Mafia: Non Una Bella Cosa word was being misused (with and so on. faction, kidnapped the thirteen positive connotations, no less) Beyond the Italian mob’s year-old son of an informer, in such an academic environ- commonly known areas of ex- strangled him, and melted him ment. Furthermore, associat- pertise -- extortion, corruption in acid. ing SAIS with organizations of public officials, and drug Organized crime is not the that really do exist and have dealing -- that have destroyed well-groomed, sophisticated killed thousands of my fellow Italian society, particularly “Coppola-esque” version that countrymen and women is an in the south, the mafia has has captured popular imagina- unnecessary smirch on the scarred my country in many tion, but rather an association good name of our school. unique ways. of violent bullies and psycho- Maffia is an old Sicilian A small representative sam- paths with money and guns. word that originally meant ple of what makes this a dirty Nothing explains the dif- Lorenzo Bruscagli “boldness,” and the Maffiusi word: ference between fiction and first-year student at were simply “bold men.” But ● On the morning of May 7, reality better than the case the Bologna Center in Italian, these words took on 1993, a car bomb placed by of Bernardo Provenzano, the a negative meaning, describing Cosa Nostra killed a family most powerful leader of Cosa Among the most recogniz- a peculiar system of violence of four and a young student in Nostra during the twentieth able of stereotypically Italian and abuse that has plagued Via de’ Georgofili, an act com- century. Provenzano, known words (spaghetti and gondola as u’ Tratturi (the tractor) be- complete the list), mafia is a cause he didn’t leave anything word that is heavy with mean- alive in his wake, escaped ing and historical significance. arrest for forty-three years. Thanks to Hollywood, every- During the last twenty-six, he one knows that mafia refers to guided the entire organization Italian organized crime. These from the tumultuous massacre three easy syllables contain period of the 80s to the quiet so well the characteristics of coexistence with the state of an “ideal” criminal organiza- the 1990s and 2000s. tion that they have become a Provenzano was finally ar- common suffix when describ- rested in 2006, not in a luxuri- ing any sort of illicit system. ous villa surrounded by wealth Just add mafia to any noun and comfort, and certainly not and you transform a perfectly in a pinstriped suit. Instead, harmless word into something he was found living in a little threatening and wicked (the NOT THE REAL THING: A screenshot from Coppola’s cult film, shepherd’s house, where he “pencil mafia” sounds particu- The Godfather. spent several years as a hermit larly heinous). This is why I surrounded by tacky neo-me- was shocked to discover the Organized crime is notIm agthee f rosophisticatedm drafthouse.co m lodic cassette tapes, religious existence of a “SAIS mafia” in “Coppola-esque” version of popular cards, and rosaries, while Myanmar on the cover of the wearing an old tracksuit. He SAIS Observer two months imagination, but an association of violent was a sort of Sicilian Ted Kac- ago. bullies and psychopaths with money and guns zynski, but instead of prepar- My knee-jerk reaction was ing bombs, he wrote notes that to imagine a group of menac- Italy since its liberation from mitted in retaliation for the ap- were hand-delivered to entire ing Strat graduates in some fascist rule. Every case of cor- proval of harsher laws against organization. dark shack in the jungle beat- ruption in Italy is inevitably organized crime. While I accept that the al- ing up a bound I-Dev concen- dubbed “una mafia.” The term, ● Thanks to its waste disposal lure of fiction is often stronger trator for speaking the word of as you can imagine, has be- racket, the Camorra trans- than reality, and that language our dean in vain. Reading the come quite ubiquitous. When formed the entire Neapolitan is dynamic, we should not for- article, I was reassured to dis- correctly used, it describes province into a toxic death trap, get the negative, abusive con- cover that by “SAIS mafia,” a parasitic system that, on a in which residents (including notation that the word mafia the author meant, of course, a small scale, takes advantage of the mobsters themselves) are has earned thanks to its abom- network of supportive fellow the public good and distorts it 400 percent more likely to die inable history. Using mafia as SAIS graduates abroad. to private usage. So you have of some sort of cancer. a synonym of “organization” While reassured, I was also the academic mafia, the taxi ● In 1993, Giovanni Brusca, distorts its meaning, and hides disappointed to learn that this mafia, the pharmacists mafia, associated with the Corleone its tragic origin. 20 CAREERS Sri Lanka: Open for Business Tyler Ehler bled between 2005 and 2011. second-year MA can- In my internship, I also had the didate at the Hopkins- opportunity to visit some of my Nanjing Center company’s factories, including a textile factory, a porcelain I recently spent the winter producer, a women’s leather break in Colombo, Sri Lanka, shoes factory, and a leather interning for an investment shoe factory that produced holdings company. My projects goods mainly for the army and involved a macro assessment schools around the country. of the Sri Lankan economy Having lived in and stud- and a performance analysis of ied so much about China over the company where I interned. the last couple of years, it was The internship itself was short, hard not to notice the growing compounded by the fact that Tyler Ehler gets friendly with an elephant during his travels Chinese presence. Given the Sri Lanka has more statutory in Sri Lanka. new China-sponsored highway holidays than any other coun- connecting Colombo to Galle, try in the world (they celebrate highlands region, and a capitalph otomarket court hases sincey of TYLcomeER back EHL EtoR the new port being built near every major Buddhist, Muslim, bursting with the optimism that earth, but the returns are still Colombo by the Chinese, the Christian, and Tamil holiday), comes in a times of peace after higher than what you would be growing number of Chinese so I was fortunate to have free long decades of war drew me getting in the United States. Ev- living and working in Colom- time for travel. to it. eryone was doing their best to bo, and the Chinese tourists The sheer diversity was one What was immediately pal- convince me that now was the visiting holy Buddhist sites, the of the first things that struck me atable in starting my intern- time for investors to come into Chinese presence in the country about the country. All the Sri ship was the excitement around Sri Lanka and cash in on their was unmistakable. Lankans I had met beforehand the potential for growth in Sri investments. The infrastructure in the were Tamils who had immi- Lanka. For the two years im- One major evidence of country needs major improve- grated to Canada as refugees of mediately following the civil growth in the country is the fact ment, so the Chinese invest- the thirty-year civil war. Other war, returns on the All Shares that it took fifty-six years after ment in this facet is a major than this fact, I really didn’t Index of the Colombo Stock independence to reach a GDP boost to the country. The U.S.- know much about Sri Lanka, Exchange averaged a little over per capita of $1,000 in 2004, Sino Relations class I took last but its idyllic beaches, beautiful 100 percent per year. The stock but that figure more than dou- year brought up the “String-of-

Joshua Whittingham While most interview subjects limit on the power of the party ber of lawyers, from two hun- certificate student at have been lawyers, judges, was seen as a threat to the party dred full-time lawyers in 1980 the Nanjing Center paralegals, and legal professors and the revolution. The judicial to more than 220,000 today. all have a role to play in the system was shut down during Compared to the United States Studying“Comparative Legal Prac- thelegal system. L Professorsegal Feng Professionthe chaos of the Cultural Revo- or in other OE CCDhina countries, there tice,” a new course taught this and Simon hope to use these in- lution, and law schools were is still a relatively low ratio of semester at the Hopkins-Nan- terviews as the basis of a book, shuttered along with most other lawyers to citizens. However, jing Center by Professors Feng in order to give outsiders an in- academic institutions. this disparity is shrinking annu- Chuan and Thomas Simon, sider’s view of legal practice in Deng Xiaoping and other ally as law becomes an increas- marks one of the first times that China. leaders of the reform and open- ingly popular field of study. a course has been taught jointly In China, the legal profes- ing (gaige kaifang) period rec- The rapid growth of the pro- by Chinese and American pro- sion as understood by Western- ognized that China’s reforms fession has not been without fessors. The course has focused ers is quite new; in fact, forty could not be successful without problems. Besides the obvious on comparing and contrasting years ago it didn’t exist. In the laws and individuals to defend challenges of working in a le- legal practices in China and early days of the People’s Re- them, giving way to China’s gal system vulnerable to po- Western countries. public, rule of law and lawyers current legal professions. Since litical influence, many of the A major component of the were viewed as tools of the the beginning of reform and state’s legal practitioners, in- course is interviews with legal bourgeois, used to control and opening in late 1978, China has cluding procurators (known as practitioners in various fields. exploit the working class. Any seen a huge increase in the num- CONTINUED ON PAGE 21 21

Pearls” theory, in which China structures still standing here are ery fifty to one hundred me- self while Sri Lanka has lagged would increase investment to up to 2,500 years old, including ters along the side of the road. behind. It will be interesting and improve strategic relations some of the world’s most an- It was also immediately clear to observe how Sri Lanka re- with Bangladesh, Pakistan, and cient lightning conductors. to me that this region of Sri bounds with its natural ports Sri Lanka in order to surround From there I went to Trin- Lanka was much poorer than and advantageous location in and contain India. From the Sri comalee in the east, and was the southwestern region of the the world. There have been ma- Lankan perspective, this ap- immediately struck by the lack country. I later found out that jor efforts to rebuild the coun- pears to be true, and I remem- of tourists and infrastructure, the president was visiting the try since the civil war, includ- ber reading an article in a Sri as well as the bullet holes that region and security was tight- ing rebuilding infrastructure in Lankan newspaper about how were still in a number of build- ened, but this didn’t stop me the north, and the institution of improved relations with China ings. But the kindness of the from feeling like I was entering a national policy for students to was seen as an important factor people here struck me most of an occupied territory. learn English, Tamil, and Sin- to help balance Indian influ- all, especially during my stay I spent my first day biking halese. The Sri Lankans I talked ence. at a guest house that prepared around the city alone. I was to were all keen to ensure that One thing some foreign in- breakfast for me at 5 a.m. so I the only foreigner for miles as Tamils would be successfully vestors are worried about is could catch my bus. I was also I biked further and further into integrated into the economy to whether or not the civil war is fascinated by my conversations the city. There wasn’t much to avoid future conflict. completely finished, so one of with the Tamils, who I discov- see, but it was a surreal experi- My time in Sri Lanka was my tasks was to travel to war- ered were a very diverse group, ence to say the least. I spent my incredible. I received a valuable torn regions in the east and the included among them Chris- second day visiting former sites internship experience, ate some north, formerly controlled by tians, Muslims, and Hindus, controlled by the LTTE, only to amazing local curry, traveled the Liberation Tigers of Tamil while the Sinhalese (the major- find that my 2009 lonely plan- to wonderful places, met some Eelam (LTTE), to inspect the ity group in Sri Lanka) were et book was very much out of very fascinating people, both conditions. In addition to this predominantly Buddhist. date: When I attempted to visit local and foreign. It opened my trip, I also had the chance to Before my trip to Jaffna, I the home of Velupillai Prabha- eyes to what I think is still an visit some of the most amazing was warned to be careful be- karan, the former head of the under-appreciated and under- beaches I had ever been to, hike cause they are wary of foreign LTTE, I found it had been de- visited part of the world. The in the mountainous regions in journalists in the area, especial- stroyed without a trace. country is bursting with op- the interior, visit an elephant ly since I was travelling alone. One country that reportedly timism in the midst of major orphanage, go whale watching, After an early start, I fell asleep provided a great deal of funding changes, and with continued and hold baby sea turtles. On on the bus, only to be woken by to the LTTE in the earlier years growth, there will be more my way to the east, I stopped a soldier telling us foreigners was Singapore. Why? Because wealth and opportunities for off in the region where the an- that we needed to be inspected in the 1960s, Singapore and Sri Sri Lankans, as well as more cient capitals existed, includ- at the military checkpoint. As Lanka were neck and neck as tourists visiting as people dis- ing Anuradhapura, Sigiriya, we left the checkpoint, I was major ports. Since then, Singa- cover the hidden gem that is Sri Mihintale and Dambulla. The astonished to see soldiers ev- pore has firmly established - it Lanka.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 20 such as salary and prestige. This gal advice to foreign and Chi- trends taking place within Chi- jianchayuan, a position similar creates tensions in expecta- nese clients, trade and contract na that will have an impact on to a prosecutor) and adminis- tions between younger lawyers, negotiation, as well as Alterna- the legal profession. trative lawyers, did not become who have undergone rigorous tive Dispute Resolution (ADR). Better legal education and lawyers by choice. They grew formal legal education at the As Chinese companies increas- professional standards are up during the Maoist era, and post-secondary level, and their ingly seek to invest outside of improving the quality of were assigned work wherever superiors, who were trained in a the mainland, foreign firms are legal services across Chinese the government determined time when the written law was playing a major role by helping society. Furthermore, the there was a need. limited in its applicability and to navigate the complex legal Chinese Communist Party is As a result of this process, effectiveness. systems of other countries. beginning to recognize that bet- and the lack of a developed Although non-Chinese na- What does it mean to be a ter implementation of existing legal education system in the tionals are prohibited from lawyer in the People’s Repub- laws, as well as the creation 1970s and 1980s, few Chinese writing the Chinese bar exam, lic of China in 2013? Like most of clear, transparent, and fair lawyers have a formal legal ed- and from representing clients things in China, the answer is new laws, will make it easier ucation. In fact, the Chinese bar before a court, foreign legal never an easy one. Naturally, for lawyers to do their jobs to exam was only instituted as a professionals play an increas- the experiences of a criminal the benefit of their clients. The requirement for practicing law ingly active role in China’s le- defense attorney in rural Hunan jury’s still out on whether or not in 2002, and a law degree is not gal profession, particularly in province will be vastly differ- China will develop true “rule a prerequisite to take the test. the business sector. Despite the ent from those of a corporate of law,” but in the meantime, Additionally, many young limitations on litigation, foreign lawyer working at a major in- China’s current crop of legal Chinese are entering the profes- lawyers have carved out a niche ternational firm in Shanghai. professionals are making the sion for self-interested reasons, offering corporate services, le- However, there are observable system work. 22 SAIS PHOTO GALLERY Vietnam International Staff Ride Since 2000, the Strategic Studies department has

- erationsheld staff in rides person. around Students the world also so gain students leadership can andwitness decision-making historical sites, skills museums, that are and valuable military both op

inside and outside the field of strategic studies. The 2013 International Staff Ride, “The Tet Offensive,” took place in several cities in Vietnam. You can read CLOCKWISEmore about the FstaffRO Mride RI atG http://isr2013.com.HT: ; Khe Sanh, site of a Marine Combat Base that was besieged by the North Vietnamese for seventy-seven days; Ha Long Bay; A busy street in Saigon; Bobby Strauss, Kelly Johnson, Annie Seibert, Marisa Sullivan, and others relax dur- ing a chartered cruise of Ha Long Bay; A poster com- memorating the Tet Offensive, across the street from the entrance gate to the U.S. Consulate in Saigon; Lieutenant Colonel Marcus Annibale, a Marine offi- cer and MIPP student, describes the Marines’ brutal fight to retake the ancient Vietnamese city of Hue; The International Staff Ride group listens to a presentation at Khe Sanh. Eric Lindsey & Steve Farole 23 24 travel THE SAIS Spring Break in the OBSERVER Editor-in-Chief Lauren Caldwell

BOLOGNA Associate Leslie Yun Editors a first-year MA candi- Tristram Thomas date at SAIS Bologna Nimisha Jaiswal

During spring break, a few Bologna Assistant classmates and I flew to the Ca- Editor Jared Metzker Cnary Islandsanary to escape the cold Islands temperatures and dreary clouds D.C. Associate that seemed determined to stay Editors in Bologna. After the stress Jack Bianchi of midterms, what we wanted Tyler Owens more than anything was warm Sunny Xu temperatures, sunshine, and the beach. Nanjing Associate Our itinerary was simple: LESLIE YUN Editor We would spend four nights Sophie Xiong in Tenerife, the largest island weA view went of intoTenerife, the ocean the largest — feel island- we in themade Canaries. our descent  down the in the Canaries, with our final ing as though we were worlds opposite side of the volcano, Nanjing Assistant Editor night in Lanzarote. Our Rya- away from the rainy Bologna which led us into Santa Cruz Maryan Escarfullett nair flight departed Bologna at that we’d left behind. de Tenerife, the island’s capital, the cruel hour of 6:30 a.m. on In the evenings, we often where we spent the rest of our Monday. We were rewarded headed into the town’s enter- afternoon exploring the city. The SAIS Observer is a news- upon landing at Tenerife Sur tainment district for dinner. As On Friday, we flew out to paper written, edited and nearly five hours later, where Tenerife was a popular vaca- Lanzarote, the easternmost is- produced by the students of our bulky sweaters and jackets tion destination, the main strip land of the Canaries. Compared the Paul H. Nitze School of had now become obsolete. It was full of restaurants serving to Tenerife, Lanzarote was Advanced International Stud- was a balmy 25 degrees Cel- a wide range of ethnic and spe- much quieter and had fewer ies (SAIS) of the Johns Hop- sius, with a light breeze and cialty cuisines catering to tour- tourists. After spending one kins University. clear blue skies. After secur- ists. We actively avoided any last afternoon on the beach, we SAIS students, faculty and ing our rental cars, we drove Italian restaurants (especially found our way to the main port members of the administra- down to Playa de las Americas, ones that had “Spaghetti Bolog- in search of a restaurant serving tion at the Washington DC, where our apartment-hotel was nese” on the menu) and instead more local cuisine. We ended Bologna and Nanjing cam- located. found ourselves indulging in up in seafood restaurant that puses are encouraged to sub- The area where we stayed dishes that were harder to come was located right by the water mit articles, opinion pieces, was indisputably a resort town. by in Bologna, such as Thai and provided us with a pictur- photographs and other items It was littered with hotels, green curry, fajitas, and paella. esque view of the sunset. for consideration. whose bright neon signs domi- On Wednesday, when the Our concierge had recom- Materials for publication, nated the landscape, and souve- weather was cooler and cloudy, mended we try an appetizer of comments and inquiries may- nir stores selling beach supplies we decided to put our rental papas arrugadas (“wrinkled po- be sent to us at sais.observ- and sunscreen. Luckily, our ho- cars to good use and drive up tatoes”) with mojos, a sauce that [email protected]. The online tel was only a five-minute walk the volcano. Mount Teide, at comes in a green version (made edition of the SAIS Observer from the beach, so as soon as 3,718 meters, bears the honor of with a cilantro base) and a spici- and its full archives are avail- we unpacked, we changed into being the highest point in Spain er red version (made from dried able at: www. saisobserver. swimsuits and summer cloth- and the third highest volcano in red peppers). After our entrées org. ing and headed straight for the the world. The trip to the cra- of hearty burgers and fresh sea- The SAIS Observer is an ap- water. The beach was packed, ter rewarded us with a winding food, we were given a digestif proved SAIS student organi- with a crowd comprised mainly drive through dense forests, of ron miel, or “honey rum,” a zation. Opinions expressed of German and English tourists, which opened up to breathtak- variation that originates from in the SAIS Observer are not but we quickly found a place to ing views of the coast, before the Canaries. It was a perfect necessarily the views of the set down our newly purchased ending in an arid, Mars-like (and sweetly delicious) way to Editors, SAIS or Johns Hop- souvenir beach towels. After terrain replete with volcanic end our meal, and our last night kins University. lathering on some sunscreen, rock formations. After lunch, in las Islas Canarias.