For  some,  the  concentration  choice  is  nearly

innate.   An  undergrad  toiling  over  Swahili,

two 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 you the day you got your accept-

ance  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 haphazard-

ly.  ‘See  Mom  and

Dad,  I  told  you  I

could  do  something

with  my  life,  I  got

into  SAIS!’    ‘Well

dear,  what  are  you

s t u d y i n g ? ’

‘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 concen-

tration  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 years of your life.

Does  it  all make a difference,  anyway? How

much does selecting a concentration really alter our

brief two year stay at the hallowed halls of SAIS?

Last  semester  150  students  answered  a  20

question  survey  regarding  their  concentrations’

coursework, faculty, sense of community, and mar-

ketability.   Responses were overwhelmingly posi-

tive,  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 inter-

view  or  did  not  respond  to  Observer  requests.

Those concentrations who had either 10 people or

20 percent of their group respond are included.

Overall Rankings based on Positive Responses

(Note Several Concentrations had less than 5 peo-

ple or 10% of their students respond and were not

considered  here).    Concentration  Codes:  SEA:

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 help-

ful 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 indi-

vidual departments may have information about

these types of positions as well.

December 2009 Volume 9 No. 12  The Newspaper of the Johns Hopkins University Nitze School of Advanced International Studies

Ranking theConcentrations at SAISBy Robert McDonald

Looking for a little more?By Jessica Lambertson

Continued on page 5Continued on page 4

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 informa-

tion 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

The results hinted that

available and helpful fac-

ulty combined with a

strong sense of communi-

ty mattered most in stu-

dents’ overall impression

of their concentration.

Th e S A I S

I n t e r n a t i o n a l

Dinner  traditional-

ly  takes  place  at  a  time

when  all  students  are

crazy  with  the  onset  of

finals.  However  counter-

intuitive,  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  advan-

tage  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 oth-

ers 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 inter-

national dinner; some food comes from  ocal restau-

rants, while other students choose to share their culi-

nary  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

By Masha Bolotinskaya

Fun, competition and deliciousnessat the International Dinner

Continued on page 3

SAIS offers a variety of paid positions

Andre Castillo, Daniel Balson and Middle East Studies Social Coordinator Erin Kelley

watch ominously as the votes for Best International Dnner are tallied by May Nguyen,

the SGA Social Chair. Did the intimidation work? Read on to find out.

December 2009  THE SAIS OBSERVER Page 2

LETTER FROM THE EDITORS

The SAIS Observer

Editors-in-ChiefSamatha WatsonAndre CastilloGraham Bocking

Contributors

Paul AloisMasha Bolotinskaya

Jamie HuckabayRichard Kaufman

Erin KelleyJessica LambertsonRobert McDonald

Peter Rizov

Photos:Paul AloisMasha Bolotinskaya

The SAIS Observer is a news monthly written, edited, and produced by

the students of the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies

(SAIS) of The Johns Hopkins University.

SAIS students, faculty and members of the administration at the

Washington, D.C. campus, Bologna campus, and the Hopkins-Nanjing

Center are encouraged to submit articles, letters to the editor, photographs,

cartoons, and other items for consideration.

Material for consideration or inquiries may be sent to : observer@jhu.edu.

The SAIS Observer is an approved SAIS student organization. Opinions

expressed in the SAIS Observer are not necessarily the views of the edi-

tors, SAIS, or the University.

The Observer welcomes accolades, denials,comments, critiques, and hate mail at 

observer@jhu.edu. 

Jamie HuckabayErin KelleyPeter Rizov

Diversions:Keep your eyes and ears open and contribute to the sections

below! Email us at observer@jhu.edu with submissions

The OstrichWho’s  having  a  good  month,  and  whomight want to stick their heads in the sandand hope for better luck next month?

LosersNew SAIS Observer editors!

We  wish  Ryan  Pallathra,  ElizabethResch and Suraj Mungara all the best!

Texas Longhorns

Undefeated!

Croatia bakery

A bakery in Croatia earlier this year wasable to ward off a spat of robberies afterplacing  a  life-sized  cutout  of  ChuckNorris in the window.

Peter Rizov

Congratulations on winning the SAIS

Observer Halloween Challenge! Peter

netted a cool $100 in SAIS merchandise

for his efforts. Now, don’t you wish you

had entered?

Georgia Mall ElfWilliam C. Caldwell III, a man dressed as aChristmas  Elf,  was  arrested  after  he  toldsomeone  he  had  a  stick  of  dynamite  as  ahoax. Merry Christmas pal.

Jesus Christ

Dumped from jury duty for being disrup-tive. The woman from Alabama, that is.

Rudy Pauls and Danny Cahill

Of  the  TV  show  “the  Biggest  Loser,”who cruise into the final round ready toclinch  the  show’s  ironically-namedaward.

Old SAIS Obsever editors!

Don’t forget to put up the Chuck Norris

cutout before leaving the office! :)

VerbatimWhat politicians andthe SAIS communityhave been saying

Winners

To Our Beloved SAIS Community:

The semester is ending and new adventures

begin.  For some, this is the end of the first

semester.  You’ve just mastered SAIS, and next

semester you’ll take on the career clubs, actually

leave the library to go to parties, and may even

see the DC outside of Dupont circle.  For others it

is the beginning of your final semester, where the

job search is taken up a notch, senioritis sets in.

And, for a small group, you will be leaving SAIS

in a couple of weeks—heading into new jobs, new

lives, and spreading across the world.  We wish

each and everyone of your good luck in your next

adventure, whether it be in or out of SAIS.  

For the SAIS Observer Editorial team, this

semester marks the end of our journey with the

paper.  It has been our pleasure to bring you SAIS

news, to offer a forum for an exchange of ideas,

and to have gotten to know you all.  THANK

YOU FOR THIS WONDERFUL OPPORTUNI-

TY!  Andre and Graham will continue at SAIS, so

bug them to give back to the Observer over the

semester.  Samantha is graduating , but will pop in

for the occasional happy hour. [we’re going to

miss you! - Andre & Graham]

It is with great excitement that we introduce

to you our new editorial team!.  Ryan Pallathra is

an incoming first year that was ambitious enough

to come to campus prior to beginning at SAIS and

pursued the editor opportunity without evening

beginning his coursework. Good for you, Ryan,

we are very happy to have you! Elisabeth Resch is

joining the team from Bologna, providing all-new

opportunities for integrating the DC and Bologna

communities. Last but not least, Suraj Mungara

will offer his valuable DC experience and bring

innovative new ideas for the SAIS website and

blog, so be on the lookout for those!

We are happy to pass down this cherished

SAIS institution into your hands. We hope you

enjoy it as much as we did, and wish you the best

of luck. And remember, we’re here to help.

Sincerely,

Samantha Watson

Graham Bocking

Andre Castillo

181

151

128

50

10

17

18

11

10

3

5

By theNumbers

Number  of  finals  (or

their  equivalent)  this

semester, by class:

M a c r o / M i c r o   ( +accelerated)

Monetary policy

Trade  policy (+accelerated)

International financial markets

Advanced  researchseminar on China &the Financial Crisis

Anthropology  forstrategists

History  of  irregularwarfare

Afghanistan: a  soci-ety in war

The  wars  ofAfghanistanCongress  and  for-eign policy

Canadian  publicpolicy

“Don't put all the possible responses and expect me to

pick the right one.  Its fill in the blank, not professor

picks the right answer."- Anonymous SAIS professor

“China  is  number  one  in  the  world  in  child

adoption. Maybe because Chinese people are

cute.” - Anonymous SAIS professor

“My wife loves something called George

Clooney.”  - Anonymous SAIS professor

“"I like animals. Like chickens. Lambs. Hot dogs.”

- Anonymous SAIS professor

“Germany, they legalized prostitution. I’m for

prostitution. Just not prostitution of children."  -

Anonymous SAIS professor

"That's fine, but where do you draw the line?

Like, are you a little pregnant?”  - Anonymous

SAIS professor

"Their average age is deceased." - SAIS alumn and Iranianexpert on Iran's Assembly of Experts, which elects thecountry’s Supreme Leader

"Here's one that's supposed to smell like

orange!....God help us all..." anonymous SAIS profes-

sor notices a scented marker in the classroom

December 2009  THE SAIS OBSERVER Page 3

So, after what feels like a very short semester, finals are at last upon us—

just another week or two of staring at econ graphs before we SAISers

scatter to all points on the globe.  At times like this, it is natural to take

stock of your work and ask yourself, “What have I really accomplished?”  

Since August, the SGA has been working hard on a variety of initiatives;

some successful, others less so.  Now seems like a good time to summarize

both our successes and our failures.  Personally, I am very proud of the way

that the SGA has handled the extraordinary increase in the number of student

clubs this year.   This increase really stretched our funding, and many clubs

have  had  to  share  Happy  Hours.    Fortunately,  this  challenge  prompted  a

streamlining  of  Happy  Hours,  so  clubs  can  make  more  money  with  less

unnecessary work.

I am also very proud of the social events that the SGA has put on.  The

Welcome Back Party helped integrate the Bologna and DC crowds, breaking

down barriers that have affected other classes.  The Halloween Party was a

blast  despite  too many  costumes  having  ironic  econ  references  (and  some

very politically incorrect costumes!).  The International Dinner was a fantas-

tic cap to the semester; I think we all owe May Nguyen a big hug for her work

on that.

On a down note,  the SGA  is  still not clearly publicizing all  events on

campus.  Trying to satisfy everyone involved is a moving target, but we will

continue to work on this over Winter Break.  We have also heard some com-

plaints that the SGA does not put on enough free events.  Our budget is pret-

ty small, but we will do our best to have more free parties in the Spring.  If

you have any suggestions on what we can do better, please send us an email

at saissga@jhu.edu.

Paul Alois

SGA President

SGA Monthly ReportThe student government chimes in with announcements and remindersBy Paul Alois, SGA President

International Dinner rivalries

from a local restaurant and a variety of

homemade  dumplings.  The  veggie

dumplings with fresh basil were espe-

cially 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 sup-

plied 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  over-

whelming  number  of  little  blue  tick-

ets. 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.

Continued from page 1

continued

The Africa table, pictured above, also participated in the fashion show with

authentic African music.

Below: Amanda Cox and Nadine Szablya preparing food at the Russia table.

Pictured here: Jewish salad and White Russians.

Top:Michael Stanton-Geddes, Hilary Wehr, Andre Castillo, Nathen Hitchen, Kevin

Cross, Erin Kelley, and Chris Francke manning the award-winning Middle East table.

Bottom left: SGA also hosted a fashion show to to go with the dinner. Other entertain-

ment included singing performances and Capoeira. Right: Alcohol, anyone?

December 2009  THE SAIS OBSERVER Page 4

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.    

The results hinted that available and helpful fac-

ulty  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 empha-

sized events offered which strengthened student-stu-

dent and student-professor relations.  “We host con-

sistent events every 1 or 2 weeks; public seminars,

ambassador forums, and lunches that allow students

face time with guest lecturers.  I, myself, am interest-

ed 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 prepara-

tion  provided  for  students  to  become well-rounded

development practitioners with hard analytical skills

and a deep understanding of the issues.  The distin-

guished 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 challeng-

ing  aspect  of  the  program  is  the  high  number  of

adjunct  faculty.    The  concentration  has  brought  a

variety  of  different  experienced  adjuncts  in  to  the

Ranking the concentrationsContinued from page 1

Conflict Management “seems to focus more on

domestic conflicts even though this is an inter-

national relations school,” said one respondent.

“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,” said Rahul Madhavan, Program Coordinator

for South Asia Studies.

Total number and percentage of each con-

centrations’ respondents to the survey:

Concentration story continued

course, that warm fuzzy feeling isn’t the only ben-

efit to being a TA: as one of the highest paid posi-

tions 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 expect-

ed to run office hours, have a tutorial ses-

sion each week, attend class, grade assign-

ments 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 com-

petitive to find.  But, if you land one, these can be

the ultimate in part time jobs.  As a research assis-

tant, 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 pro-

fessor 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 inter-

national publications.  It was a great way to con-

duct 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 mem-

ber 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 cabi-

nets!  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 put-

ting 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 materi-

als as needed.”

The most fruitful position at SAIS may be as

Editor-In-Chief of the SAIS Review.  For this

position, you receive around $15,000 in a stipend.

This is a position you can only achieve after being

an assistant editor for the magazine, but it can be a

very fulfilling position.  If you are interested in

academic writing, this is a great resume builder

along with a perfect way to hone your own abili-

ties.  This is a very competitive position, and

resumes are taken at the beginning of the academic

year for assistant editors.  Of course, there is a lot

of work to be done as an Editor-In-Chief, which is

why it is such a high paying position.  For more

information on the SAIS Review, or how to work

with the magazine, check out their page in the

Publications menu of the SAIS homepage.

Other positions exist as well.  Writing and

language TAs are hidden, yet well-paid opportuni-

ties.  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.

December 2009 THE SAIS OBSERVER Page 5

Continued from page 1

As a research assistant

myself last year, I formed a

close relationship with a

professor in my department

and was even able to write

materials that ended up in

international publications.

Student positions at SAIS

program,  but  as  their  primary  attention  is  not  at

SAIS, students have to work harder to make a con-

nection,” responded one  ERE concentrator.  Conflict

Management “seems to focus more on domestic con-

flicts  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 expe-

rience but  it's not  international  relations.   A media-

tion  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 ongo-

ing,  live  international  disputes,”  stated  one  second

year  student  in

C o n f l i c t

Management.  

Despite  the

variation,  nearly

all  departments

had  a majority  of

f a v o r a b l e

responses.  It

appears those who ranked near the top had friendly

faculty and staff that ensured students felt welcomed

and wanted.  So if you are still in pursuit of your aca-

demic bliss,  shop around and pay attention  to both

the  welcome  you’re  given  and  the  folks  you’ll  be

studying  with.    Apparently,  even  hardcore  worka-

holic IR grad students like to feel a little love. 

Robert McDonald is a second year M.A. candi-

date in Southeast Asia and is happy to provide the

data for this study. Have a question, a bone to pick

or a different viewpoint? Please contact rmc-

don18@jhu.edu.

Coninued from previous page

Apparently, even

hardcore workaholic

IR grad students like

to feel a 

little love.

December 2009  THE SAIS OBSERVER Page 6

Over the fall

break, 20 stu-

dents from the

SAIS International Law

and Organizations pro-

gram 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 ques-

tions 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 read-

er, with an essay on the challenges of the urban

poor, the plight of the lower-classes, discrimi-

nation 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 will be told

through a selection of pictures and short cap-

tions. Enjoy.

By Peter Rizov

Counter-clockwise from the left:

1. Right off the bat, the state of this

Delhi Traffic Police booth felt like a

bad omen for traffic jams to come.

Apparently, Sunday night traffic into

Delhi is insane and handily defines

“chaos”. Though, perhaps the con-

struction of the metro (intended to be

completed in time for the 2010

Commonwealth Games in Delhi)

somewhat worsened the situation.

2. In India, the use of rear-view mir-

rors is unknown. Instead, incessant car

horns alert proximate vehicles of one-

another’s presence. Overall, the effect

is maddening.

3. Throughout the trip, our pasty-white

Mason-library-acquired complexions

were a big hit with the locals. Here we

had a group of school boys on a mad

dash to get photographed by (and

with) such sickly strangers.

4. The 300km trip from Delhi to Agra

(to see the Taj) took around 6 hours in

each direction. This photo features one

of the explanatory reasons.

5. Street-side bathing.

6. Like any tour group on a visit to a

developing country, ours was taken for

a ride, both figuratively and literally: a

maddening rickshaw ride through a

bustling Old Delhi market proved to

be a sizable boost for the local econo-

my (at our expense).

Counter-clockwise from the top left of the page:

1. Long journeys are rewarded.

2. After a six-hour ride, Sheer excitement at finally

being off of the bus could not be contained for long.

(Caroline Meledo and Jehan Khaleeli).

3. The President’s House, monkeys sold separately.

Overall, quite an impressive and well decorated build-

ing inside and out.

4. The whole crew enjoyed a breather at the Taj as we

waited for the sun to set.

5. Group shot on the way into the Ministry of

External Affairs. From left to right, regardless of row:

Grant Long Ulla Heher, Tiffany Basciano, Paul Alois

Aysha Rajput, Susann Tischendorf, Juliette Wilson,

Amy Deckelbaum, Jehan Khaleeli, Maria Luisa

Olivieri, Neal Christiansen, Sergio Porcu, three

guests, Professor Ruth Wedgewood. Not pictured:

Darin McAnelly, Amanda Lullo, Laura Blomquist,

Caroline Meledo, Maria Stoyadinova, Maria Norbis,

Michael McGuirk, Jim Lerch.

Above group,: clockwise from the top left:

1. Tiffany Basciano, Darin McAnelly, Neal

Christiansen, and Professor Ruth Wedgewood on an

early morning history and architecture tour near the

Kashmiri Gate in Old Delhi.

2. Meeting with Shashi Tharoor, an important person

in the Ministry of External Affairs and Member of

Parliament. He has also been a guest on the Colbert

Report, though I didn’t see his Wriststrong bracelet.

3. The SAIS SGA was well represented by our glori-

ous leader, Paul Alois.

4. Discussing climate change, development, and

poverty. Some fun India facts: 1. 12 cars per 1000

people (equal to the USA in 1910), 2. 700,000,000

people live on less than $2 per day, 3. 70% of Indians

do not have electricity, 4. New Delhi air is not breath-

able because of industry, its desert climate, and the

burning of garbage and dung for heating and fuel.

5. A spirited and personal conversation with the

Italian Ambassador to India (formerly Ambassador to

Iran) at an informal Alumni event. Earlier we had met

with him at his diplomatic residence. He’s a SAISer.

Peter Rizov is a second year M.A. candidate in

International Law and Organizations.

December 2009  THE SAIS OBSERVER Page 7

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 some-

one should tell Congress?).

More than money though, stress causes

real harm to our bodies. It causes the vascu-

lar system to restrict circulation to non-vital

organs and causes the brain to release chem-

icals that can damage the heart itself. The

brain releases other hormones that diminish

short-term memory – making you less effec-

tive 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 exer-

cise. 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 Guy (why does it say SAIS Gal up

there??):

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 edi-

tor, 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

Dear SAIS Gal,

While I've been holed up in the library cranking out papers in the

laptop room, I've find myself wishing that I had planned out my time

during the semester better. Then this time would not be quite so harrow-

ing. What can I do to manage time so I can balance my workload and

leave a little time for fun?

-Carrel Hermit

Dear CH:

I know the feeling. My favorite study-

break habit, after practicing the monster

dance from the Lady Gaga Bad Romance

video, is making a to-do list of my tasks

broken down in to many mini-tasks so I

have more items to cross off. Sweet, sweet

satisfaction. I'm not going to say that I have a completely comprehensive

and successful strategy mapped out, but here are some tips that have

been helpful to me. 

First, create a master plan of attack for the semester. Once all my

classes were settled, I sat down with a calendar and all of my syllabi to

create a master reading and assignment list. This way I was able to have

a handy weekly list of everything I needed to get done. I also could get a

general sense of flow for the semester, and I could work ahead in slow

weeks to compensate for midterms, etc. I also kept a calendar or list for

my networking efforts, making it easier to follow up when I hadn't heard

from an alum for a week or so. 

Second, figure out your distraction triggers. Through trial and error,

I figured out that the laptop room is better than what I now call the 8th

Floor Carrels of Death. I know coffee shops work for a

lot of people, but I found that the ambient noise prevents

me from focusing. Set up your workspace to encourage

focus. My most productive work recently occurred dur-

ing the Nitze Internet Blackout of December 2009. Now

I just turn off my wireless and crank work out. 

Third, use the power of the internet. Despite the

enormity of fun things that I could look at (have you seen the Surprised

Kitty video? That's a quality 17 seconds right there.), I've found that put-

ting a little bit of time into automating my email and calendar is

extremely helpful. I make use Gmail's label and filter systems to manage

my emails.  Each class and activity gets plugged into my elaborate filter

system so the information I need is easy to find or file away. My inbox

is only for email that still needs a

response of some kind. You can set up

events in Google Calendar to email

you at a set time prior; receiving

reminder emails about upcoming

assignments helped me stay on track. 

Finally, and I'm still working on

this one, just start. A daunting task is

so much less overwhelming if you

break off a little piece and promise yourself that you will just work on it

for half an hour, and then see where you're at. Thirty minutes of raging

productivity can get a lot done. 

Good luck with your time management and your final exams!

Erin Kelley is a second year M.A. candidate in Middle East Studies

specializing in Development Economics.

December 2009  THE SAIS OBSERVER Page 8

My roommate last

year noted that the

most common expres-

sion among students

was, “man, I’m so far

behind.” 

My most productive work

recently occurred during

the Nitze Internet Blackout

of December 2009. Now I

just turn off my wireless

and crank work out. 

With my calendar and all

of my syllabi, I created a

master reading and

assignment list. This way

I was able to have a

handy weekly list of

everything I needed to get

done.

By Erin Kelley

By

The SAIS Guy and SAIS Gal answer your questions each month on love, life, and President Obama’s second coming. Today’s topic is stress management.

Questions? Suggestions? Email them along with questions for future issues to jamie.huckabay@jhu.edu or kelley.erin@gmail.com. (And, for those who may be wondering, no sex-based preferences were used in the determination of the placement order :)

Ask the SAIS Gal

Accession is not the

answer, no matter how

poorly the Oilers and

Maple Leafs may be

doing.

Ask the SAIS Gal