april 20, 2012

Sparks fly at IA symposium

Symposium focuses on the dynamic world of international politics and the relationship between the states occupying the international system
BY JAKE BARTMAN
Staff Writer

The Pioneer Log News

The 50th annual International Affairs Symposium was a marked success, drawing respected figures from around the world for the three-day event. More than being an exciting event, the symposium came as a triumph of student initiative and was the culmination of a year of effort by the many participants, students and faculty alike, involved in successfully executing the oldest student-run symposium in the nation. It was a lot of work, especially with the added pressure of it being the fiftieth year, said International Affairs major Hanna Joy (12), one of the co-chairs of the event. Joy and her fellow chair Lyndsey Romick (12) selected and led a twelve-person steering committee that worked on organizaing the symposium in the months leading up to the event. We knew from the beginning that we wanted to center the symposium on the Arab Spring events, said Romick, who is also an International Affairs major. Romick explained that they participated in a discussion with the steering committee members to find the topic, and then directed committee members in their coordinated efforts to research and find potential speakers. There was a really important group dynamic involved in planning, said Joy. Romick explained that the chairs and their committee narrowed down a huge list of potential speakers into a more manageable group. From there, it was a matter of contacting and coordinating with invited speakers, a task made easier in part by a special grant made

PHOTO BY MAGGIE MCDERMUT

Six-time presidential candidate Ralph Nader was the keynote speaker, along with former advisor to the Bush administration Jamie Fly, about the future of force in the world.

from President Glassner in recognition of the symposiums anniversary. Speakers were sought who displayed a range and diversity of beliefs and who were knowledgeable in a variety of different subject areas. Instead of merely conducting a normal panel interview, the speakers were asked to participate in debates. We really pride ourselves on the debate format, said Joy. The symposium drew its largest number of attendees on its first day, Monday, March 9, when six-time presi-

dential candidate and consumer activist Ralph Nader debated with former G.W. Bush administrations Security Council member and advisor Jamie Fly, who also heads Washington D.C.s Foreign Policy Initiative. The heart of my argument is that we are an interventionist nation. Its a fact, said Fly. Our country has averaged one intervention every 4.5 years since its founding, and every 2.5 years since the fall of the Berlin wall. His statement and talk touched on topics including September 11,

the recent deployment of US Marines to Australia, and his visit with soldiers stationed throughout the Middle East. Nader aggressively stated his position on issues that were as diverse as the role of corporations, national debt, egalitarianism, imperialism, the media, drone warfare and acts of nonviolence and protests in the world. Nader garnered applause from the audience by saying this of the September 11, 2001 attacks and the subsequent deployment of the military to the Middle East: If

youre attacked by a criminal gang, you go after the gang. You dont blow up a country. The event drew so many attendees that the chapel doors had to be shut at 7:15 to prevent it from becoming dangerously crowded. The event was telecast in the Council Chambers for the overflow crowd. The symposium, as Joy explained, was meant to challenge [attendees] to think about world events. And, in terms of our intention to stir controversy, it did just that as well, added Romick.

Junior wins prestigious national award for science research

BY ASHLEY JOCZ
Staff Writer

Taylor Murphy (13) was awarded the prestigious Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship this spring, a scholarship that awards students for outstanding research in the science or engineering field. The scholarship was given to 282 students around the country this spring, and it offers $7,500 per year in educational expenses to the recipients. Murphy has been doing research in the field of science since her sophomore year at Lewis & Clark, and is the first and only student to double major in Mathematics and Biochemistry/Molecular Biology. This is a really prestigious honor for students who want to do research, Murphy said. Schools can nominate up to four students to be considered for the Goldwater Scholarship. Just being nominated and having my professors consider me is a huge honor, Murphy said. However, Murphys professors, colleagues and friends could

think of no better applicant for the award. Taylor was very humble about the application process and though she worked on it constantly, she insisted that she did not have a chance. I think this is the first time I have known Taylor to be wrong...I cannot think of a more

When she is in a challenging situation, she keeps pushing to do her best, said Lochner, on mentee and scholarship recipient Murphy.
deserving Goldwater Scholar, said Murphys close friend Ilana Sigal (13). Molecular Biology Professor,Dr. Janis Lochner, who is also Murphys mentor, says that as a sophomore, Murphy was performing astutely and competently at a senior

level. She was in my 400 level course when she was a sophomore, and although her background wasnt as strong as the rest of the seniors in the class, she persisted and got the highest grade on the final, Lochner says. When she is in a challenging situation, she keeps pushing to do her best. Murphy worked in Lochners Neuroscience Lab, and according to Murphy, Lochner was an integral part of her Goldwater application process. Murphys friends and professors are constantly astounded by her personal motivation and dedication. Taylor is the single most focused, hardest working and brilliant fellow student that I have encountered during my time at LC, said Thomas Curtin (12). Curtin and Murphy have taken an almost identical academic schedule in the past few years together at LC. In our classes together she was always pushing me to be a better student and I know that with her help I got much more out of my

classes than I would have on my own, Curtin said. Murphy spent weeks working on her application for the scholarship, on top of her heavy classes. She says that although her workload can get tiring, it is ultimately a rewarding experience. I love all the classes I take, I really want to learn all the material and get as much out of them as possible, Murphy said. Its easy to work hard when you really love what youre studying. Not only is Murphy dedicated to her classes, she is also a science and math tutor for LC. She also tutors as part of the Student Outreach Leadership Program (SOLT), a program that has LC students conduct research with high school or community college students. [Murphy] was such an inspirational tutor that one of her high school students petitioned with LC so they could enroll in the program again, Lochner said. Murphy believes in maintaining a balance between her academic life and social life. Aside from her astute scholarly activities,

she enjoys spending time with her friends and family exploring Portland. Today I went to a museum, had lunch with my sister and went to the Eugene Saturday Market, Murphy said. Being a native Californian, Murphy says that she also loves spending her days at the beach. I am always in awe of how she balances friends, school, her research and tutoring, said Sigal. Although Murphy has her sights set on Neuroscience, she admits to the possibility of changing her mind. I plan on studying Neuroscience when I graduate LC, but there are so many interesting things to study that my plan may change within the next year, Murphy said. Whatever Murphy decides to do after graduation, her colleagues and professors expect the absolute best to come from her already outstanding talent. Im extremely happy for her that she won such a prestigious award, she truly deserved it. I am expecting big things from her when she is done at LC, said Curtin.