Garfield Center for Public Leadership | Issue 3, Fall 2014

Fall 2014

News and Stories from Hiram College’s Garfield Center for Public Leadership

GARFIELD CENTERFOR PUBLIC LEADERSHIP

G

G is a bi-annual publication of The Garfield Center for Public Leadership

Kathy LuschekSarah Bianchi | sylversea design

Volume 2, Issue 1, Fall 2014

Editor-in-Chief Graphic Design

contributing writers

staff

Bishop Sanders ’17Lindsay Kuhn ’11James Thompson

© The Garfield Center for Public Leadership, Hiram College

The Garfield Center for Public Leadership gratefully recognizes Trustee William J. Recker for his generous sponsorship.

mailing addressHiram College

P.O. Box 67Hiram, OH 44234

contributing photographers Tom Cammett, Diamond Images: Cover

Sam Adams: Inside cover, 2

G

FALL 20142

4

7

INTRODUCTIONDirector James Thompson recaps the Center’s fall programming

OPTIMISM IN THE EASTBishop Sanders recounts the American Middle East Conference in Pittsburgh

DINNER CONVERSATIONS IN D.C.A glance back at the panel discussionat the Metropolitan Club in Washington

2 g | fall 2014

e’re off to a busy start this academic year at the GCPL!

We began in August with our first-ever Washington DC-based programming event: a talk at the Metropolitan Club on the topic of Iran’s nuclear program. An alumna of the GCPL, Lindsay Kuhn ’11—who is currently working in DC—has written a report about that event for this newsletter.

In September Kathy Luschek and I began contacting high schools to promote the crisis simulation summer camp which the GCPL will be running for high school students in July 2015; this follows up on the very successful summer camp which we ran this past July. The theme of the upcoming camp is “Russia Resurgent: What to do About a Nuclear Armed and Oil-Rich Rogue State.” We have already re-ceived strong expressions of interest from multiple high schools about this camp, and we have begun paying visits to those schools as well; a process which will continue through the remainder of the academic year.

In October several of the Garfield Scholars joined me and Prof. Judgep Chima for a day’s worth of activities in Pittsburgh which were hosted by the American-Middle East Institute, and which culminated in a presentation by former CIA Di-rector and General (retired) David Petraeus. Garfield Scholar Bishop Sanders has written a report about that event for this newsletter.

In November the GCPL hosted Mark Sniderman—Executive VP & Chief Policy Officer, Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, 1976-2014—for a seminar at Hiram titled Digging Out: Economic Prospects for our Country and Region, for which we enjoyed one our largest seminar audiences to-date, including more than twen-ty members of the Northeast Ohio business community who had not previously attended a GCPL seminar.

Also in November, the Garfield Scholars had the chance to enjoy a guest lecture by Prof. Guy Ziv, of American University, on the topic of Israeli-Palestinian rela-tions. This is the first in a series of guest lectures which we will host throughout this year, as preparation for next year’s seminar on this topic (and as preparation for a possible trip to Israel in the fall of 2015!).

Stay tuned for more GCPL updates about our programming in the spring semester, which will include: a seminar on February 23 pertaining to US-Mexican border relations, as well as to the larger US-Mexican relationship, for which our speaker will be Christopher Wilson from the Wilson Center in DC; a trip to Mexico City with the scholars in March; our new lunchtime “Speaker Series” on campus; our annual crisis simulation with the Scholars in April; and more!

Sincerely, Center Director James Thompson, Ph.D.

www.hiram.edu/garfield-institute 3

W

4 g | fall 2014

OPTIMISMEAST

By Bishop Sanders ’17

The American Middle EastConference in Pittsburgh, Pa.

in the

ctober 28-29 a few Garfield Scholars went to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to attend the 7th annual American Middle East Institute conference about the growing business be-tween the U.S. and the Middle East. We heard talks ranging from smart cities to the delivery of health inno-vations to the Middle East. One of the main talks came from Moham-

med bin Hamad Al Rumhy, the Minister of Oil and Gas. He spoke mainly on the opportunities in Oman’s energy sector and what he thought the future of the industry would be. Perhaps the panel that the Scholars were most inter-ested in, and excited for, was the discussion of smart cities and the building of infrastructure for the next generation of communities. This panel was moderated by Bill Flana-gan and he aimed the discussion towards the current de-velopment of smart cities and their viability in the Middle East. Professor Volker Hartkopf from Carnegie Mellon University showed some of the work he is doing in this field including high tech climate control, linking the entire home to a smart phone, and the communities interacting harmoniously with nature. The panel wanted to drive home the point that the generation of people that will soon be running the Middle East are ones that have lived with this technology their entire lives. They know how to operate a smart phone and almost expect it do to all these incredible things. The panel wanted to show that the Middle East has the potential to become a technologically advanced nation and that it can attract the business and workforce it needs to succeed in this endeavor. All of this being said, the most fascinating and thought- provoking presentation of the conference was from General David Petraeus. He spoke on the future of the relations be-tween the United States and the Middle East. He spoke with a surprising amount of optimism. In his opinion, things can get better. He believes that the situation in the Middle East will get better but it will not be fast and it will not be easy. He believes that it will take more military action but suggests further training of the opposition already there so we do not have to put more of our troops in danger. Gen-eral Petraeus said that air power and information would still be a key resource the U.S. would provide but that we would also need to step back and let the true governments in the region take over. He also spoke about what many people believe to be the end of the United States century. Some scholars and many

www.hiram.edu/garfield-institute 5

O

people believe that the United States will no longer be the world super power and will give its crown over to China or some other Asian country. He totally disagreed. He believes that North America will rise to power; that the United States, Canada, and Mexico combined will be the new superpower. He cited many compelling examples of this. He noted that the U.S. is moving closer and closer to energy independence as well as relying more on green energy. In addition to that, Canada has increased its oil output in recent years and is producing considerably more energy than in the past. Also added to this equa-tion is the massive reforms taking place in Mexico. The new President, Enrique Peña Nieto, has passed 16 con-stitutional amendments in his short time as president. That is more than the last 8 presidents combined. He is also moving to privatize Mexico’s energy sector which will increase production, create more jobs, and make for more competition. General Petraeus said that all of this points towards a unified North American superpower and will make this century the North American century.

“...the generation of people

that will soon be running the

Middle East are ones that have

lived with this technology their

entire lives. They know how

to operate a smart phone and

almost expect it do to all these

incredible things.... The Middle

East has the potential to

become a technologically

advanced nation and that it can

attract the business and

workforce it needs to succeed

in this endeavor.”

6 g | fall 2014

RUSSIA RESURGENTWHAT TO DO ABOUT A NUCLEAR-ARMED & OIL-RICH ROGUE STATE?

A CRISIS SIMULATION FOR HIGH SCHOOL SOPHOMORES, JUNIORS, AND SENIORS

OPTION 1: A three-day program at Hiram College - July 13-16, 2015

-OR-

OPTION 2: A twelve-day program: An eight- day course at Western Reserve

Academy in Hudson, Ohio, followed by the three-day crisis simulation exercise at Hiram College, for a total of three college

credit hours, July 5-16, 2015

FOR MORE INFORMATIONVisit www.hiram.edu/garfield-insitute or contact James Thompson,Center Director at [email protected] or 330.569.5155.

www.hiram.edu/garfield-institute 7

ON AUGUST 20, THE HIRAM COLLEGE GARFIELD CENTER FOR PUBLIC LEADERSHIP HOSTED THE FIRST IN ITS SERIES OF DINNER CONVERSATIONS IN WASHINGTON, DC, WITH A LIVELY PANEL DISCUSSION ON THE CHALLENGES, RISKS, & OPPORTUNITIES FOR VERIFYING A NUCLEAR AGREEMENT WITH IRAN. The panel of experts comprised Ambassador Gregory Govan, a retired US Army Brigadier General and senior US government representative to the governing bodies of the Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty and the Open Skies Treaty; Harvey Rishikof, Chair of the Advisory Committee for the American Bar Association’s Standing Committee on Law and National Security and the recently named Dean of the National War College; and John Lauder ’68, Hiram College Alum-nus, and member of the recently completed Defense Science Board Task Force on Assessment of Nuclear Treaty Monitoring and Verification. All three of the panelists have participated in the work of a non-governmental Task Force on Verification Requirements for a Nuclear Agreement with Iran. The Task Force is a joint effort among the Federation of AmericanScientists, the Advisory Committee for the American Bar Association’s Standing Committee on Law and National Security, and the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Ari-zona State University and funded by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. The panelists began the discussion with a presentation of their views on the challenges, risks and opportunities for a nuclear agreement with Iran and finished with a set of recom-mendations. Based on the history of previous nuclear agreements, the experts assessed the possibilities of a nuclear agreement, especially in the light of new leadership in Iran, and difficulties with monitoring the implementation of the measures by an agreement. The conversation was then opened up to the audience of Hiram College and Garfield Center alumni and friends for an engaged question and answer session. The questions generated a lively dialogue on the impact of an agreement and the feasibility of the recommendations.

DINNERGARFIELD SCHOLARS

CONVERSATIONS

IN D.C.By Lindsay Kuhn ’11

GABOUT THE GARFIELD CENTER FOR PUBLIC LEADERSHIP

GARFIELD CENTERFOR PUBLIC LEADERSHIP

Hiram College is one of four colleges to have their president serve as Commander-in-Chief of the United States of America. James A. Garfield was both a student and president of Hiram College before leading troops in the Civil War and beginning his political career. To keep this history alive, Hiram College cre-ated the Garfield Center for Public Leadership to exemplify Garfield’s dedication to public service. Since its inception, the Center has been working with numerous scholars and the community at large to improve political efficacy and plant the seeds of public service.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT

Kathy Luschek | Director of [email protected]

FROM COMPETITORS TO PARTNERS:

THE TRANSFORMATION OF U.S. - MEXICO RELATIONS with Christopher Wilson, Senior Associate at the Mexico Institute of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars

SAVE THE DATE

FEBRUARY 23, 2015

KEYNOTE ADDRESS:4:15-6:15 P.M.DIX DINING HALL

RECEPTION & DINNER (IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING)KORITANSKY HALL - RSVP REQUIRED

FOR MORE INFO, CONTACT KATHY LUSCHEK AT [email protected]