Southeast Asia, IDEV, STRAT and Korean Studies top student approval charts

For some, the concentration choice is nearly innate.  An undergrad toiling over Swahili, 2 years of Peace Corps in Kenya, a passion for microfinance and a life size blow up doll of Amartya Sen in your bedroom meant you had IDEV tattooed on your inner thigh the day you got your acceptance letter.  Watching the years fall away as you increased your understanding of derivative markets and securities, perfected your pronunciation of ‘May our partnership bear us years of prosperity’ in Mandarin and that funny warm feeling you get deep inside your suit when the boss starts talking about a successful ‘stimulus package,’ – you knew you were a dead ringer for a Finance Specialization and China Studies.

For others it couldn’t be done more haphazardly. ‘See Mom and Dad, I told you I could do something with my life, I got into SAIS!’  ‘Well dear, what are you studying?’ ‘Uhhh…’ A cursory glance of available options, a check on the box next to IR General, and away we go.

And yet for a chosen few selecting a concentration is a mind boggling burden.  ERE or Eurasian Studies?  Your passion for hydro-power and the carbon trading system cannot be contained, but those 3 years in Estonia taking moonlit walks in the icy Baltic air were the best of your life.

Does it all make a difference, anyway? How much does selecting a concentration really alter our brief 2 year visit to the hallowed halls of SAIS?

Last semester 150 students answered a 20 question survey regarding their concentrations’ coursework, faculty, sense of community, and marketability.  Responses were overwhelmingly positive, but did vary from one concentration to the next.  Quantitative data was briefly discussed in a previous article and is presented in detail above.  All program coordinators were contacted however several faculty and staff were unavailable for interview or did not respond to Observer requests.  Those concentrations who had either 10 people or 20 percent of their group respond are included.

Respondents:

Overall Rankings based on Positive Responses (Note Several Concentrations had less than 5 people or 10% of their students respond and were not considered here).  Concentration Codes: SEA: Southeast Asia. CM: Conflict Management. ILAW: International Law.  IP/ERE: International Policy (now Energy Resources and Environment).  STRAT: Strategic Studies.  IDEV:  International Development.  KOR: Korean Studies.  SA: South Asian Studies. ME: Middle Easter Studies. RES: Russian and Eurasian Studies. IRGTH: International Relations, Global Theory and History.

Total Responses:

Responses based on Courses

Responses based on Faculty

Responses based on Community

The results hinted that available and helpful faculty combined with a strong sense of community mattered most in students’ overall impression of their concentration.  Coursework may not have played as large a role in determining how much respondents liked their area of study, but was often listed as a weakness.  Departments who boasted more long term and non-adjunct faculty also rated highly in questions pertaining to sense of community.  According to Shelley Su, Program Coordinator for Southeast Asia Studies, “I really enjoy the job, though I am jealous of the students here; I love the faculty.  Students will come into the office to chat, study or just relax on the couch; the professors’ doors are always open.”  Some concentrations also emphasized events offered which strengthened student-student and student-professor relations.  “We host consistent events every 1 or 2 weeks; public seminars, ambassador forums, and lunches that allow students face time with guest lecturers.  I, myself, am interested in the topics and am having a ball with this job,” stated Rahul Madhavan, Program Coordinator for South Asia Studies.  Director of the International Development program, Professor Francis Fukuyama, stressed that what set IDEV apart was the preparation provided for students to become well-rounded development practitioners with hard analytical skills and a deep understanding of the issues.  The distinguished professor did concede that fun played a role as well, mentioning IDEV barbeques, camping trips and losing paintball matches to Strategic Studies.

Coursework and a somewhat distant faculty were often cited as issues by students concentrating in subjects that did not fare as well.  “One challenging aspect of the program is the high number of adjunct faculty.  The concentration has brought a variety of different experienced adjuncts in to the program, but as their primary attention is not at SAIS, students have to work harder to make a connection,” responded one  ERE concentrator.  “(Conflict Management) seems to focus more on domestic conflicts even though this is an international relations school.  They offer Peace Kidz which is working in local middle/high schools- I’m sure it’s a great experience but it’s not international relations.  A mediation class I took last year was very interesting and taught by a knowledgeable professor, but it used land disputes between local farmers and child custody cases as references.  We should be discussing ongoing, live international disputes,” stated one 2^nd year student in Conflict Management.

Despite the variation, nearly all departments had a majority of favorable responses. It appears those who ranked near the top had friendly faculty and staff that ensured students felt welcomed and wanted.  So if still in pursuit of your academic bliss, shop around and pay attention to both the welcome you’re given and the folks you’ll be studying with.  Apparently, even hardcore workaholic IR grad students like to feel a little love.

Robert McDonald is a second year M.A. candidate in Southeast Asia Studies and is happy to provide the data for this study.  Have a question, a bone to pick or a different viewpoint? Please contact the Observer at observer@jhu.edu.

Over the fall break, 20 students from the SAIS International Law and Organizations department flew to New Delhi to try and gain an insight into the realities, politics, and economics of life in India. After two days of tourism and five days of meetings, visits, and many questions I, for one, came away with a newfound respect for the difficulty of life in India and for the long and perilous road which that country faces on its way to development.

However, instead of boring you, dear reader, with an essay on the challenges of the urban poor, the plight of the lower-classes, discrimination against women, the effects of climate change, or any of that typical SAIS stuff (with which you are no doubt already inundated with in class), the story of the trip is told through a selection of pictures and short captions. Enjoy.

Peter Rizov is a second year M.A. candidate in International Law and Organizations.

By Jessica Lamberston

Switching from a full time career to a full time job as a student (as many SAISers do) can’t always be easy. Although studying new topics and class time full of discussions may be a great break from the drone of every day life, there is a certain strain on the pocketbook during the life of graduate study. Luckily, SAIS is full of opportunities to make money; you just need to know where to look.  Many student leadership positions, research gigs, and of course teaching assistant positions will get you a chuck of extra cash – something always helpful around this time of year.

The most obvious positions at SAIS are the hired student employee jobs.  Positions such as assistants in the library, desk help in the Language Lab, and even manning the phones for JHU Advanced Academic Programs are almost always options.  These types of positions generally pay around $10.50 an hour and are some of the most relaxed working atmospheres on campus.  In many, you can actually do your homework while you’re at work – as long as you jump to help anyone who may stop by.  Often, these positions are listed on the SAIS forums, but the Business Office and individual departments may have information about these types of positions as well.

If you’re looking for a more fulfilling (or pocketfilling) line of work, check out teaching assistant opportunities. Before the start of each semester, the Career Center will often send out an email with available TA spots. Many students find these jobs exciting and a good review for orals. One TA who spoke with the Observer says, TAing is “a great way to really get in depth and master the materials, as there’s no better way to retain information learned than by teaching it to someone else. It also feels good to help others who are struggling with the material (which I hope I’ve done!).” Of course, that warm fuzzy feeling isn’t the only benefit to being a TA: as one of the highest paid positions at the university ($18 an hour this semester), it can add some nice padding to your budget. One thing to know before you sign on to be a TA, is that the workload can be the most rigorous.  You are expected to run office hours, have a tutorial session each week, attend class, grade assignments and exams, prepare material when necessary, and proctor exams.  Although the hours are many, you are compensated for all of your time (even if it’s spent copying and stapling). You can also talk to Lois Weiss in the International Economics program for more about TAing or about the workload and expectations of a graduate level TA.

Another route are research assistant jobs.  These can sometimes be more difficult and competitive to find.  But, if you land one, these can be the ultimate in part time jobs.  As a research assistant, you often work closely with a professor as he or she prepares materials for books, journals, or other publications. As a research assistant myself last year, I formed a close relationship with a professor in my department, got a few mentions in journals articles that I researched for, and was even able to write materials that ended up in international publications.  It was a great way to conduct research in my own field, and of course the pay was quite nice.  Research assistant jobs are usually very flexible, and the work can be done on your own time.  If you work better late at night while watching trashy reality TV, no one has to know.  The pay for these positions varies by department and position, but I was paid the going rate at SAIS (around $10.50 per hour). Some departments need extra help in other capacities as well.  Running the concentration’s blog, helping organize events in the department, and doing generalized small tasks can be an easy way to stay in touch with your fellow concentrators and make a few dollars in the process. The best way to find out about research and departmental positions are to ask – talk to your department’s coordinator or speak with a professor you’d especially like to work with.

Student groups are also a great way to get involved and get paid for what you do.  As a member of SGA, you are compensated with an annual stipend in the range of $2000.  Being an SGA member can be a lot of work. You’ll have to be present on campus, but if this is something you’re passionate about it’s easy to do.  Student groups also often compensate their leadership. Our own editors of the SAIS Observer are given a stipend of $1500 per year.  Andre Castillo, a Co-Editor-In-Chief of the paper, definitely recommends this type of work, and tells the Observer “It’s a great opportunity to meet people and actually see the fruits of your labor, unlike those papers we’re always writing that collect dust in our filing cabinets!  I’ve really enjoyed my time as an editor.”  Getting into a leadership position like the Observer or another student group does take some work, but Castillo says, “the workload is very manageable. I spend about 10-15 hours each [monthly] issue putting together the layout and conducting meetings, etc.  Other than that we had to put in some time for getting trained, which was only a couple of hours, and occasionally taking care of tasks like updating the website and getting food and materials as needed.”

Other positions exist as well.  Writing and language TAs are hidden, yet well-paid opportunities.  Working in other Johns Hopkins programs on Mass Ave are also viable options.   The key is to walk in, introduce yourself and make then realize they need a student worker, and that you are it!

Jessica Lamberston is a second year M.A. candidate in Latin American Studies.

Dear SAIS Guy:

I’m stressed. I’m not sure why. I know it’s not my responsibilities as an editor for the SAIS Observer, I got Andre doing all the work for me now, lol. Loser. I also know it’s not because of my job as a T.A for macro. I’m so good at that I can do it with my eyes closed. I know. I’ve tried. Do you think it might be another case of Canadian identity crisis, my fellow Canuck?

What’s the solution? American accession?

-Graham Bocking, SAIS Observer editor, Teaching Assistant for Macroeconomics, and b-ball baller/shot caller.

Mr. Baller:

Stress is to SAIS as global-warming is to carbon emissions (unless you read the Climate-gate emails, but that’s another story). This reputation for a stressed-out student body preceded my arrival at the school; a fellow student at a conference mentioned that she attended a few events at SAIS and thought that everyone was “really smart, but kind of manic.” My roommate lat year noted that the most common expression among students was, “man, I’m so far behind.”

I guess graduate school is supposed to be an intense period, but do we really think that life after graduation will be simple? I would argue that searching for a job, adjusting to new colleagues, and navigating your way through the career ladder is a struggle too.

Stress is going to be with us forever. So we better get used to it and take it seriously. Learning to cope with stress could be one of the best life-skills to take away from SAIS.

The effects of stress are striking. Health ailments caused by being over-stressed cost the economy $300 billion per year, about three-fourths of the entire Defense Department budget in a single year! (Maybe someone should tell Congress?).

More than money though, stress causes real harm to our bodies. It causes the vascular system to restrict circulation to non-vital organs and causes the brain to release chemicals that can damage the heart itself. The brain releases other hormones that diminish short-term memory – making you less effective on your upcoming exams. All these natural responses by the body wear down the immune system, which explains the rash of sickness across the school (and Obama’s gray hair).

OK, enough with the science lesson Dealing with this stuff is not rocket science. Our bodies need to get out of the library and get exercise. We need to quit drinking five to twelve cups of coffee a day. Eat a balanced diet. It sounds silly to say these things, but they’re still true even though they are simple. Not only does your success at SAIS depend on it, you success over the long-term surely does as well.

Check out Erin’s suggestions below for more advice, she has a lot of good suggestions. Just remember Graham, accession is never the answer – no matter how poorly the Oilers and Maple Leafs may be doing. Even when they’re second and third-to-last in the NHL. But hey, who’s counting?

Jamie Huckabay is a second year M.A. candidate in Canadian Studies.

Dear SAIS Gal:

Andre Castillo, Daniel Balson and Erin Kelley of the Middle East table watch ominously as the votes are tallied for Best International Dinner.

The SAIS International Dinner traditionally takes place at a time when all students are crazy with the onset of finals. However counterintuitive, the dinner does provide much needed reprieve for the stressed and helps raise money for a great cause: the summer internship fund.

Thanks to the SAIS summer internship fund, this author took advantage of a wonderful opportunity and spent her summer working for Freedom House in lovely Budapest, Hungary. Had this dinner not taken place in December 2008, this author and many others would have needed to say no to meaningful and fascinating professional internship opportunities, because these positions did not provide any financial compensation.

Students organize all the food at the SAIS international dinner; some food comes from  ocal restaurants, while other students choose to share their culinary talents with fellow classmates. This year, the students did not just partake in the culinary feast, but got a chance to vote for their favorite cooking teams; the prize consisted of a golden SAIS apron. Who won? More about that a little later.

The China Club wowed SAIS with fine fare from a local restaurant and a variety of homemade dumplings. The veggie dumplings with fresh basil were especially delicious. The table featuring a group of Japanese people and Japan lovers made the most of their highly limited budget ($50) and presented an impressive array of omigiri (rice bowl) and a variety of Japanese snacks. The Thai Club served their delicious food with in front of lovely images from Thailand, helpfully supplied by the local Thai embassy. They served up a storm of Thai iced tea, green curry chicken, fried fish, fried rice, crab, and egg omelet. The Korea Club had their food catered. The club organizers displayed a wide variety of foods that both included the favorite bulgogie (Korean BBQ), two types of kimchi, jon (different types of beef), egg battered and fried veggies, as well as jap che (sweet potatoes and starched noodles). While the Russia table served vodka shots and caviar, the Southeast Asia table provided pilau, dal, samosas, aloo tikk, pavbhai kebab, and ramsalai all made from scratch.

However, the table of the Middle East Department emerged as the crowd favorite. Halva, Baklava, Fesenjoon (chicken in pomegranate and almond sauce), Tepsi Beitinjan (eggplant, tomatoes, and beef), dolma (stuffed grape leaves), rice, hummus, and babaganoush. Happy students just kept coming back for more and more food. Their loyalty to the Middle East table came through with the overwhelming number of little blue tickets. No, the ME did not have to pull a Karzai, (or an Asad, Ahmadinejad, or a Mubarak, for that matter)  and stuff the ballot box, it appears the golden apron was won fair and square. Congratulations team Middle East you served up a delicious and abundant feast!

Masha Bolotinskaya is a second year M.A. candidate in Middle East and Russia and Eurasia Studies.

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August 2007 – Preterm edition

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On 3 July, after sixteen hours in the air and one night in Dubai,fellow SAISer Gabe Serrato and I arrived at Kabul International Airport.  After walking across the tarmac to the terminal, we cleared immigration, and met our point-of-contact, an Afghan contractor.  An armored Toyota Land Cruiser shuttled us to a compound not far from the American embassy, and a few days later to Camp Julien.

Situated between two pockmarked, bombed-out palaces built by King Amanullah in the 1920’s, Camp Julien is a small collection of cement and plywood buildings, guard towers, latrines, and Tesco bomb shelters.  A spartan facility by US military standards, the camp is home to about 40 military personnel and contractors tasked with operating CTC-A.  The director, Colonel John Agoglia, is energetic, enthusiastic, unbelievably hardworking, and always entertaining.  He is also very interested in creating a mutually beneficial relationship between academia and the military; Gabe and I represent an early step in that relationship building process.  We had come to Camp Julien to conduct research on the relationship between insurgent activity and road construction in eastern Afghanistan.

The first couple of weeks included counterinsurgency seminars, training courses, and visits to the Afghan National Army (ANA) training facilities.  Shortly thereafter I flew out to a Forward Operating Base (FOB) about 20 miles from the Pakistani border in Khost province.  From the FOB in Khost, I traveled by Blackhawk up to Gardez, in Paktia province, and down to Sharan, in Paktika province.  In all three provinces—Khost, Paktia, and Paktika—I was fortunate enough to be able to interview a wide range of civilian and military personnel.  DoS Foreign Service Officers, USAID reps, Human Terrain Team (HTT) members, US Army Corps of Engineers, USDA reps, DoD civilians, Afghan interpreters, contractors, military personnel, and intelligence officers were all extremely helpful, often taking an hour or more out of their busy schedules to answer my questions.  I had a great experience out in P2K, as the region is known, but the summer was not without its challenges.

There were two challenges in particular that really stand out.  First, there was the challenge of just finding people that were qualified to answer interview questions.  The main problem was that, just prior to my arrival in Afghanistan, many of the Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) rotated out, meaning that in some cases I had more in-country experience than the people I was interviewing.  Making matters worse, the transmittance of institutional knowledge from one unit to the next is not the PRTs’ strong suit.  Thus, in many cases PRT members could not even relay information or lessons that they had learned from their predecessors.  Fortunately, many PRT members had been in country before, and there were always those government employees, contractors, and soldiers that were not attached to the PRTs and had been in-country longer.  Furthermore, I was able to (legally) acquire a collection of government documents that have proven to be invaluable sources of information.

Second, logistical issues, especially travel, were a frustrating exercise.  I spent several days in mid-July sitting at airfield in Kabul trying to hitch a ride on choppers heading down to the southeast.  Every time an overloaded Chinook (think olive drab, flying school bus) would swoop in, I would be engulfed in a cloud of dust and pelted with marble-sized pebbles.  Inevitably, the tail-gunner would run out, we would try to communicate over the din of the idle chopper; he would shake his head, and off they’d fly.  Eventually, though, I did find a spot in a Chinook for the one-hour flight to Khost.  A few weeks later, when the time came to leave, getting out of the province was another ordeal. I spent five days waiting for the weather to improve so the choppers could get over the pass that led out of the Khost bowl.  On one occasion, I was treated to a romantic, moonlit Blackhawk tour of half a dozen Combat Outposts (COPs) along the Pakistani border, only to be deposited back at the FOB that we had flown out of two hours earlier.

For a guy that has spent a good portion of the last five years of his life studying Afghanistan and counterinsurgency, my experience this past summer really was more than I could have hoped for. Not only was I able to make some great connections, and learn about the lives and work of the folks serving in Afghanistan, but I was also able see what it’s like to be near the front lines in a counterinsurgency campaign. Based on what I saw over the summer, I think that our people in Afghanistan—civilian and military—are the most capable, qualified, and dedicated people that our country has to offer, and, given enough time, resources, and guidance, they will be able stabilize the country.

Paul Kane is a second year M.A. candidate in South Asia Studies.

This summer in Moscow I shared a two-bedroom apartment with a 45-ish year old writer and professor of history and political science and her 20-year-old daughter. We lived in an old Soviet-style apartment building with 18 floors and closet-sized elevators made to hold approximately two people and one tiny dog. The apartment itself was nice, though not by American standards. The flooring throughout most of the house was trashed wooden parquet, pulling up from the ground in spots. The walls were lined with stained plywood cabinets and peeling wallpaper and had been covered up with lots of pictures of my host when she was young, or pictures of her daughter, or her friend’s children. There were pictures of places visited, outdated maps of various countries, random scribbles and childhood graffiti, and other things that made my host family smile. There were piles of newspapers and books everywhere. Technically, the toilet worked, but the lid to the tank was long gone, and you had to both pull and then push this pin inside the tank to get it to flush. The adjacent bathroom was tiled – bright blue with a matching sink and tub, although the sink hadn’t worked in years. It also doubled as a laundry room.

One Friday night, I was in the bathroom, mid- first-Russian-washing-my-clothes-by-hand-experience and trying to figure out how to get the last of the soap out of my jeans when there was a knock on the door. I was startled and opened the door cautiously to find a tallish man, about my age, with dark hair pulled back in a ponytail and with the beginnings of a moustache. He had absolutely no qualms about beckoning me from the bathroom with a knock followed by a sullen expression. I had never seen him before. He introduced himself as Valode and then said something to me in Russian that I gathered was some sort of invitation. From the kitchen, I heard the professor calling and inviting me in.

In the kitchen on the table there was this beautiful, white, pink, and yellow cake, three cups of tea, and three plates. Valode, a man who looked well versed in the dark arts, was inviting me to join them for his birthday.

We sat and ate this very strange, but very good cake that was layered with a sweet peanut- flavored frosting and this really yummy Styrofoam-like pastry. And we talked about… politics. I absolutely enjoy the Russian practice of skipping the niceties and delving right into an American’s worst nightmare of a conversation. I believe that in the Russian mind, the best way to get to know someone is through a series of the following questions. 1) What is your name? 2) Where do you (and every generation of your family) come from? 3) Where do you stand on politics?

This was a new kind of political conversation though. Valode said he had met many American men, but never an American girl, and he wanted to know my opinion of everything. I stumbled over where to begin in explaining my views on such a broad topic, and was quickly prompted to answer the forefront question in every Russian mind upon meeting an American – how do I feel about Obama? We promptly exhausted my Russian vocabulary on the topic, allowing me to turn the tables, asking them their views on American politics. Valode really wasn’t sure how to answer, but my host, as a professor of history and political science, was apt and happy to catalog everything wrong with this great free nation of ours.

She listed, without hesitation, the following:

Number One. Americans are not smart about the decisions they make and, as a young nation we have no sense of real history.

Number Two. Americans have global control.

Number Three. Americans don’t have any real strategy when it comes to international relations.
I was then asked my thoughts on what might be the fourth thing wrong with American politics. I love being put on the spot when people know that you are in graduate school, studying international relations. Not only do they want to know your opinion, but have also stacked every question to set you up for failure. It’s a game really. “Well, this person is supposed to know everything about everything in the history of international relations, so I’m going to stump them and show I know more than they do.” Try playing this game in Russian. It’s even better. I mumbled something about U.S. politics of the last 8 years as my easy-out fourth choice. You can’t imagine how hard it is to explain these things with the vocabulary of a fourth grader.

Back to Americans not having a sense of strategy globally. According to Valode, this is because we do not study chess when we are children. He asked me if I know how to play chess. I do understand the basics of the game, but not wanting to invite another challenge to my intelligence and the intelligence of all Americans, I said no. And then it was settled. We were going to play chess and he was going to teach me. So on this unassuming Friday night, instead of going out to weave my way through another bizarre and colorful night in the infamous debauchery of riotous Moscow, I learned the “classic” strategy of chess… po – Russki! There was very little help from a dictionary. We played out all kinds of strategies and spoke literally maybe five English words all night. Two of these were something that he learned somewhere else – “cool move.” Every time I would make a strategically respectable move he would say, “cool move,” slowly and in a very heavy Russian accent. And every time I was getting myself into trouble he would say ehhhh… His helpful grunts were clearly designed to give me just enough confidence and direction to make the game interesting while preserving victory for himself. About seven-eighths of the way through the game I started thinking the full five moves ahead and saw a bright little glimmering spot of hope on the board. Innocently enough, I declined his advice and ignored his protests and played those five moves through. In the end, much to Valode’s dismay, I won.

Number four? Americans do not know how to play chess.

For more bizarre anecdotes of politics and people from my first time in Moscow visit: www.nadineinrussia.blogspot.com.

Nadine Szablya is a 2nd year MA candidate in Russian and Eurasian Studies.

I had the opportunity to interview new SGA representatives Larina Helm, the Bologna Representative, and Sean Healey, one of two first year representatives.  What follows is the personal interviews of these two new SAIS figures in the SGA.

Jinny:  Tell us a bit about your background.
Larina: I’m from Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. I studied international relations and economics at Boston University and I’m studying Energy, Resources and Environment Policy here at SAIS. I plan to work in the U.S. Foreign Service after SAIS. I enjoy traveling, cooking, eating, watching great movies, being outdoors, rooting for the Boston Red Sox, and spending time with friends and family.
Sean: I grew up in Long Beach, California. I come from a working class background, I was the first from either side of my family to attend college. After graduating from high school, I moved to New York to do my undergraduate studies at NYU. I double-majored in Film and Politics, with my home college being the Tisch School of the Arts. After graduating in 2004, I started working at the Council on Foreign Relations. After working at CFR for about 7 months, I joined the Benenson Strategy Group, when it was still small. It was a great place to get my feet wet as I instantly had much more responsibility there than I would have had at a bigger firm. We did a lot of great work, culminating with Joel Benenson, the founder, leading the polling team for Obama’s Presidential campaign. I left BSG in Sept 2008 to move to China. I received a scholarship from the Chinese government to study Chinese at a university in Beijing. By that point, I had already been thinking about applying to programs like SAIS or Georgetown for nearly a year, so I thought it would be a great experience before my graduate studies. I studied for one year in Beijing and returned to the US right before Pre-Term. I am concentrating in China Studies and will also complete a specialization in international finance. I’m interested in working in China and Hong Kong, ideally in the areas of private equity, consulting and banking.
Jinny:  What went into your decision to become representative?
Larina: I love my Bologna family, and I loved helping out with events and making student life enjoyable last year in Bologna. For this year, I wanted to help the Bolognese integrate into the greater SAIS community, as well as continue facilitating a fun student environment at SAIS. This is something I really hope to achieve.
Sean: SAIS is a dynamic community with people from all backgrounds. Being the representative seemed like a great way to get to meet everyone, especially those who are not MA1’s. I also enjoy planning events (talk to anyone who went to my elaborate birthday party two weeks ago!) and seeing my friends having a good time.   Additionally, this is my education and I want my voice and views to be considered. What better way to do that than getting involved in the SGA?
Jinny:  What the best thing abut getting elected as a representative
Larina: More emails!
Sean: I received a lot of congratulatory emails, Facebook posts and kind words from people about the election. It’s always inspiring to hear people express their thanks. Since the speeches last Friday, I’ve also had a number of people come up to me with suggestions for the school. I like being the sounding board for their ideas and constructive criticism.
Jinny: What are the major things that you would like to change, improve, or work on at SAIS?
Sean: I think the 2nd year officers have a better grasp of what needs to be fixed or improved. They also know where to go to get things done and what’s been attempted in the past. I’m still learning! I do want to ensure that we have a lot of fun, inclusive events that brings our school together. But my biggest priority is to gather feedback from the students and ensure that their ideas are implemented, or at the very least, seriously debated and considered by the senior officers and administration. Compared to the monstrosity that is NYU, the bureaucracy at SAIS seems minimal. Hopefully that will means we can affect change easily.
Larina: I’d really like to organize some events that help bring the whole SAIS community together, and to better integrate Bologna and DC 2nd year students with current first-year students. These events will hopefully bring a little slice of Bolognese life to DC, as well as bring Washington to life for those who are here for the first time (or the first time in a long time) so that we can all share some of the best that Italy and Washington have to offer.
Jinny: Has Washington DC served you well so far?
Larina: Yes. Quite.
Sean: DC is actually a lot cooler than I originally thought it would be. The Dupont area reminds me a lot of the West Village and Chelsea in NYC, where I lived for a number of years. Unfortunately, I haven’t had much time to enjoy the DC cultural sights. The library seems to monopolize too much of my weekends!
Jinny:  Choose one word in each category and explain why. Beer or Wine.
Sean: Beer. Because the French would never call Moet “the beer of champagnes.”
Larina:  If I had to choose I’d say beer in DC, wine in Bologna.
Jinny:  Nitze or Rome
Sean: Nitze for the win. It has a much more vibrant energy than Rome. It has group study rooms, the library, events in Kenney, the ping pong table and my locker. And all my favorite ladies working in the cafe making me pizza and sandwiches.
Larina: Rome. Duh, it has the Colosseum!
Jinny: What is your dream honeymoon spot?
Larina: Well I suppose I’d have to examine the opportunity cost of some place tropical and exotic versus some place more traditional…
Sean: I’ve been fortunate in that I’ve already done quite a bit of traveling. I would probably either choose India or motorcycling through Eastern Europe. Patagonia would also be incredible.
Jinny:  Anything you want to say to your fellow SAISers
Larina: Enjoy the year, and please let me and any of the other SGA members know if there is anything we can do to make this year a great year at SAIS!
Sean: Get involved in school, whether it be the SGA, a club or just throwing parties at your house. We have a few different committees with the SGA and we’d love to get more 1st year and MIPP students involved. The Career Services people were right when they said that fellow SAISers will be your best resource once you’ve left the school, so you do yourself a disservice if you don’t meet as many people as possible. So don’t live in the library, it probably won’t help you get that first (or sixth) job. Additionally, if you’re unhappy with something, get involved and let your voice be heard. The squeaky wheel gets the oil, right?  I like hearing your complaints, but also let us know what is going right at the school. When we know what you like, we will make sure those things happen again.  Also, I’ve found that a “thank you” goes a long way with administrators, school staff, professors and TA’s. Remember to say it and they’ll be happy to help you out the next time you need a favor.

Jinny Lee is a second year M.A. candidate in International Policy-Environment.

Sebastian Muehlbauer is from Vienna, Austria and naturally grew up with a passion for classical music. He sang in a choir since he was 12 and was the singer for a rock band for 2 years.  As he grew older, Sebastian also began to explore a wide variety of other interests and initially chose to study German, French, politics, and communications in university. A pivotal moment in Sebastian’s life came when he studied as an exchange student in France through the Erasmus (European Region Action Scheme for the Mobility of University Students) Program and fell in love with the city of Paris. He finished his degree at Paris III: Sorbonne University with a degree in Business, French, and Italian. He continued to pursue his master’s degree there and spent one year at NYU studying politics.

Last year Sebastian studied at the SAIS Bologna campus where he was in charge of organizing the annual Bologna Austrian Ball, a tradition that has been ongoing for 30 years. Sebastian and other Austrian students brought over 200 students to Vienna and the event was an astounding success. His experience organizing the Austrian Ball inspired him to take a leadership position at SAIS. Says Sebastian, “I felt I had gained the trust of my fellow students.  I genuinely cared for their opinions and needs. I hope to continue to build my leadership skills and serve the students at SAIS.” Sebastian feels that the relationships he built in Bologna were extremely personal rather than political. He is especially concerned with helping former Bologna students transition to life in D.C., and clear up any misconceptions students from different campuses may have of each other.

Sebastian himself is still trying to figure out D.C. He loves the rush of living in big cities such as Vienna, Paris, and New York. However, D.C. is an odd mix of both; a provincial-looking city that has both a metropolitan and suburban feel. He says, “I know that D.C. is a city with motivated and busy people, but I hope we can take the time out to get to know each other. We are not a big school and the SAIS experience is special but fleeting.”

At SAIS, Sebastian is an IPE and Finance concentrator.  He hopes that he can learn to think more professionally this year at SAIS. Sebastian has interned for 2 months at the United Nations in the Economic and Social Council and enjoyed the experience tremendously.  However, Sebastian will probably not be interning this year at SAIS.  “I generally don’t support students interning while studying because it takes from the experience of school.” This semester he will be taking Multi Corporate Finance, Financial Derivatives and Risk Management, Russian & the New Eurasia, and Global Business Strategy. Also he is learning Russian.

As for the SGA experience, Sebastian is extremely excited to be working with the current team. “Paul was a 1st year representative last year so he is very organized and knows everything that is going on. Anayo is great with numbers, May is so active and helpful and Larina does a great job of caring about issues concerning former Bologna students.”  Sebastian has a special interest in academic affairs and has already held a meeting. He was very happy with the large turnout and believes the student committees will greatly increase academic quality. He says, “I love to complain about what is wrong. I am not afraid to express my opinions and I believe that this will help stimulate improvement.”

The SAIS school year looks to be an exciting one and Sebastian will surely try to participate fully in student life.  As a final message to students, Sebastian hopes that we can all come together and get to know each other more closely, “Our experience here at SAIS is truly special. I hope all of us can step back from their professional focus and be more of a student.”

Chris Liu is a first year M.A. candidate in Korea and Southeast Asia Studies.