Gimme a break

Let it be sung across the land, that at 5:36 AM MST on Tuesday, March 15 and just moments before the last traces of coffee and Five hour energy began to wear off, this graduate student crushed his second quarter at the Josef Korbel School of International Studies.

Mazel tov.

I was so sleep deprived when dropping off a paper in my professor’s mailbox, it was as if I was living the movie Inception.  It was gray and windy outside, the buildings were folding, and I just wanted to get immediately back home.  I was clearly running on empty.  So after a thirteen hour sleep last night, I feel great.

Some sweet things I’ve done since finishing the Winter Quarter:

1) For you South Park fans . . . I ate a prosciutto,corn, and creme fraiche pizza at Pizzeria Locale in Boulder.  Just eat there.  I will say no more.

2) Rented the entire Season 3 of LOST.  I watched all of Season 2 during winter break and I believe that if I can just get through this next season over the remaining four days of spring break, I will make up for it when I return to that Betty Ford clinic for indolence–grad school.

3) Drank a beer outside in seventy degree weather.  And it’s supposed to snow again on Friday.  Then my beer will stay cold.

4) Went to Trivia Night at Old Chicago.  If you have never drank a Gibson, do so.  It is not only delicious, but it may one day win you an answer at Trivia Night.

So I guess it’s just a few things for now . . . but tomorrow is St. Patrick’s Day, and I’m going camping and seeing dinosaur tracks this weekend.  And then I’m gonna run thirteen miles for my marathon training.  And then I start school again on Monday.  O no–that was too quick.

Woops

Spring Quarter Registration took place last Monday . . .

If you are not familiar with online course registration, it’s a very cruel system.  Students are randomly assigned times throughout the day to register–the earliest and most coveted time slot being 8:00Am.  Essentially, it’s a first-come-first-serve-luck-of-the-draw hybrid monster.  I was terribly fortunate to have that 8:00 registration time.  I also had the terrible fortune of waking up at 7:55AM last Monday, wondering why I had set my alarm so early on a day when I typically have no obligations until noon.  No matter–I made a nice breakfast, poured an extra cup of coffee, and sat down to get ahead on some readings.  It was around 10:00 when I realized that the alarm was set so I would register at 8:00 with the rest of the lucky bunch no doubt securing a seat into every most coveted class.  I was too late.

Cue freak out.

So after a severe change in mood and a long shower, I hurried over to Korbel and signed the waiting list for the classes that had virtually been mine until that morning.  Unfortunately, two of three classes were closed.  Lost.  Gone.  But with every missed opportunity, comes a better one (right?); a class not usually offered to students outside the Master’s in Development Practice program opened to all–so I nabbed a seat in Food & Water Security, secured a spot in History of American Diplomacy, and settled for Democratization in the Middle East to complete my Spring  trilogy.

Whether blame for this episode is due to the cruel registration system or my absent-mindedness–the combination of the two is obviously a danger to my graduate education.

!الف مبروك للناس المصريون

“A THOUSAND CONGRATULATIONS EGYPTIANS!”

Check out this link:  http://ismubarakstillpresident.com/

Out of the ivy

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This past weekend I had the good fortune of experiencing three things I most enjoy doing:  travel, editing, and visiting friends.  On Thursday afternoon I flew out to Princeton for the Journal of Public & International Affairs (JPIA) reading weekend; contributing editors from APSIA schools gather for a weekend of reading and editing policy papers, and put forth selections for publication in JPIA.  It was quite a fascinating group of people to work with, and–based on what I heard about many individual’s past experiences and aspirations–I’m certain that some of the world’s future policymakers were in the room.

Princeton itself is a beautiful place.  I did not consult a map and attempted to get lost on campus.  Rather than walk around every building, I made a point to walk through them.  Gothic architecture abounding the campus, I had no idea I had entered the rear of the University Chapel, or the hall that houses the Near Eastern Studies Department.  I also managed to walk right by the Princeton University Art Museum, where I spent a few hours poring over the Ancient Roman and Egyptian artifacts collection and enjoying a haunting multimedia exhibit titled Nobody’s Property: Art, Land, Space 2000-2010.

The editing process was a marathon in itself.  We began the real work on Saturday morning and didn’t stop until 9:30pm–and continued with final substantive edits on Sunday.  The papers I read varied in topic–from health care to foreign exchange rates, homegrown terrorism to nuclear proliferation.  I am thrilled that a Josef Korbel student has been selected for JPIA’s online publication, and  I am looking forward to reading the final print version of JPIA this summer.

My best friend Zach lives in New York and rode the train to Princeton.  A few other friends joined us for the weekend and it was great to see some familiar East Coast faces before heading out of the ivy and back into the snow of Denver . . . seriously, half-a-foot of snow and negative temperatures greet me the night I come home!

Yemen from the mind of Jeb Boone

Jeb Boone (center, cigarette in mouth & jambiyya in hand) is an awesome guy I met while studying at Yemen College of Middle Eastern Studies in Sana’a.

His excellent article has been published in UK’s Guardian. Mr. Boone is the current Managing Editor for the Yemen Observer in Sana’a, and an alumnus of Georgia State University.  His writing provides insight into the complex internal politics and rich culture of Yemen’s capital.

I hope Jeb and other friends are staying safe during this exciting time in Yemen’s political history . . . I wish I was there to listen to the debates and conversation generated during the qat chews!

Have you seen the headlines?

On Saturday it was nearly 60 degrees outside and the sun was out!

AND WINTER DID COME BACK:

-6 degrees at 12:30pm on Tuesday, with windchills of -40 degrees expected tonight . . .

I will not be barefoot in the park.

We had no school today! I’ve been anxiously following the news on Egypt and the events unfolding across the Middle East, catching up reading, and possibly filing my taxes.  I’ve actually heard from a few contacts in Egypt and Yemen, and the general sentiment seems to be a mix of excitement, fear, and hope.  While the protests appear similar, Egypt and Yemen are quite different contexts.  One may be in need of a drastic change in governance, while Yemen has so many vital issues to address (lack of infrastructure, women’s rights, labor reform, water sustainability, radical Islamist groups).  Please visit the Josef Korbel School’s Middle East Discussion Group’s blog for additional up-to-date information on these events.

The times they are a changin’

Studying the Middle East never ceases to be an exciting endeavor.  The ongoing events in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen have the entire Middle East Studies abuzz with questions over “what’s next” for the region.  The question on my mind is what’s next for US diplomatic relations in the region.  The following is an entry I posted on the Middle East Discussion Group’s website:

“Our assessment is that the Egyptian government is stable and is looking for ways to respond to the legitimate needs and interests of the Egyptian people.” – Hillary Clinton

Just weeks after demanding reform from the leaders of the Arab World, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s guarded comment illustrates that a grassroots movement for regime change in Egypt may further complicate US foreign policy in the Middle East.

It goes without question that Egypt’s stability is vital to current US interests in the region–particularly as a key player in the United State’s unshakable commitment to the security of Israel, and as an ally in the ongoing global war on terror.  Since the George W. Bush administration, there has been a shift in US foreign policy focus toward the promotion of democracy throughout the Middle East.  That administration’s interventionist efforts in Iraq, coupled with simultaneous support for authoritarian regimes elsewhere in the region, have undoubtedly tainted any future US mission to directly influence such a transformation.  President Barack Obama has continued the previous administration’s stance on supporting democracy in the Middle East, but his administration has been careful in its diplomatic reaction to current events.

Now, we are witnessing a revolution in Tunisia that has reverberated throughout the Middle East in both conversation and action.  The peoples of Egypt and–as of today–Yemen are protesting against their governments.  How the United States responds is indicative of a precarious US balance of interests.  Should the ideal dramatic change take place in Egypt and Mubarak’s regime crumble, what then becomes of Egypt as a long-standing ally in the aforementioned US interests?  Will the balance of power shift in the region?  Will the new leadership remain a partner to the United States?  There are many tough questions US foreign policymakers will face in the wake of these events.

In Cairo, President Obama stated his belief in the willingness of peoples of the Arab and Muslim world to embrace democracy and human rights.  In his 2010 National Security Strategy, Mr. Obama reiterated the US commitment to spread the values of democracy and freedom abroad: ”That is why we must always seek to improve these values not just when it is easy, but when it is hard.”

It is obvious that such values are being upheld by the legitimate movements of the peoples of Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen.  Perhaps the United States will go beyond an acknowledgment of right to protest, and choose a stronger promotion of democracy at the expense of regime stability in the region–no doubt a hard choice to make–but one that is being made across the Arab world.

Favorite Grad School Things 2011

In the great spirit of American consumerism and the overwhelming amount of recent magazine covers devoted to Oprah, I’ve decided to provide a list of my ‘Favorite Grad School Things’ for your reading pleasure.  Reflecting on Oprah’s humble 2009 list, I’ve opted not to give away any of my favorite things due to my own economic recession.

New Belgium Brewery Tour: Make your reservations in advance, kids.  This informal guided tour of New Belgium Brewery is both fun and educational.  Generous beer tastings along the way make the grand finale–a ride down a very curly slide–seem like a natural way to end a great day.

Old Chicago World Beer Tour: Among your first items of business upon arriving in Denver should be to head over to one of the many Old Chicago locations and start your World Beer Tour.  Perhaps the greatest gimmick ever: You have to try 110 different beers and then you get your name on the “Wall of Foam.”  There are many prizes along the way, as well.

Rockies Games: A fun way to break into Downtown Denver social scene.  No matter where you sit in this stadium, the game experience is among the best I’ve attended.  Eat at the Helton Burger Shack . . . mmm

Book Stand: Say goodbye to holding a book on your lap while using two other books to keep it open as you type your research papers.

Quarters: Parking.  Laundry.  Snacks.  ’nuff said.

West Wing re-runs: The US President is both practical and ideal, and almost everything he does is intelligent and appreciated by the masses.  This can only be fiction . . . beautiful fiction.  Nothing like an episode of fast-paced White House antics to get you in the groove of solving the world’s problems . . .

Ski-Pass: There are a ton of student deals out there, and the pricey ones like Vail and Aspen are far from being the only options.

Loans: These will not be always be a favorite thing . . . but for now they are securing my future.

iGoogle: Your own Google homepage with access to virtually any news resource of your choosing.  A great way to stay on top of current events for your classes at Korbel.

Craigslist: An oak bookshelf, an Ethan Allen bedroom set, snow boarding boots, and a blue leather chair are just some of the many treasures I’ve found–for cheap– on this online market catering to a grad student’s budget and shopping schedule.

Chicken wings: Don’t get me started . . .

One-on-One Arabic Lessons: After taking four years of Arabic instruction in both large and small classroom settings, I’m at a point where individual attention is most helpful.  I’m working with a Phd student who is a native Arabic speaker.

Rubber Spatula: Random . . . but this is my favorite kitchen utensil.  It scrapes, it stirs, and it cuts most soft foods–it does everything.  And cake batter tastes really good on it.

It goes on and on and on . . .

Six weeks of freedom from class, readings, and writing papers has ended.  During that time I drove across the country–and back!  Aside from travels, I enjoyed pursuing a number of other personal activities.  See the slide show below for a photographic journal of what a typical Korbel student does during the break:

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That was fun.

Now I’m back in action at DU and I have no idea where to begin.  Seriously . . .  for a good twelve hours after my arrival back in Denver, I nearly forgot why I was living here.  I went to my first class of the Winter Quarter this morning, and about an hour into the lecture, I realized that I was indeed a graduate-level student attending the Josef Korbel School of International Studies.  I blame this morning’s confusion on the thirty hours I spent in a Dodge Caravan driving from New York to Denver during the days prior.  Particular blame for this mental angst ought to be awarded to the states of Ohio, Iowa and Nebraska, respectively.  Should I ever become a billionaire, I will happily fund the construction of scenery in each of these states.  In no way do I mean to offend citizens of these vast states.  One day I hope to enjoy Omaha and some of the smaller towns in Nebraska.  In fact, my grandfather was born in Dalton, Nebraska.  But he moved to Oregon pretty early on, so I tend to identify family with the coasts.  But for veterans of I-95, Ohio through Nebraska was a dull drive.

Following my initial recuperation period, I have a renewed sense of motivation for life in Denver.  How timely at the onset of a new year!  I’ve signed up for the Steamboat Springs Marathon in June.  That will be insane.  I’m also pumped about the courses I’ve enrolled in for the Winter Quarter:  US-Middle East Security, Cross-Cultural Communications, and Great Books on the Middle East.  As the last course title suggests, I will be page-turning quite a bit this quarter.  Should be a good one!

“Success is failure turned inside out–”

Long ago, most likely while reading a literary classic beyond the general comprehension level of my age-group, I came across a word I did not know.  I went to my mother expecting an immediate definition.

“Look it up in the dictionary,” she said.

This dismissive command turned out to be the best advice I’ve ever received.  Not only did I find the answer to my question, but I did it on my own.  Thus, my intellectual independence was born.  This moment also paved the way for developing my reading and writing skills.  By the way, my mother is the miracle birth-child of Noah Webster and Peter Roget.  She knows her lexicon.  She also encouraged that I always read, re-read, edit, re-read, re-edit, and review every piece of my original writing that might be seen by another set of eyes.

Given this blend of genetics and genuine interest, I have come to love writing and editing.  Despite my complaints and lack of sleep, I embraced the two twenty-five page writing assignments I submitted a few weeks ago.  Recently, I became Korbel’s contributing editor to Princeton’s Journal of Public and International Affairs (If you are a current student reading this blog, submit a paper!).  I am thrilled about this opportunity.  I am not certain if I will submit one of my writings to JPIA this year, but I believe a few more quarters of term papers will produce something worth submitting the next go-round.

So that’s the context.  Clifton Martin loves to write and edit.  He is editing for Princeton.  How delightful.

Here’s the curveball: I just realized the State Department internship application I submitted a month ago included a paragraph on my academic and professional interests in “pubic diplomacy.”

Don’t think I’ll be hearing back on that one . . .