As an entrepreneur and consultant, Jean Suhas has traveled across Europe, South America, North America, Asia, North Africa, and Sub-Saharan Africa.
But what he encountered in Hanoi, Vietnam was worthy of a photo submission. You don’t see one of these every day.
Jean is an incoming Master of International Affairs candidate.
Today’s submission comes from Karen Mustiga, MPA 2016.
Karen was born in Lima, Peru and immigrated to the U.S. in the 1990s. Her disposition for public service and helping out the less fortunate comes from her roots and keen awareness to third-world poverty, political turmoil, and immigrant experience. She plans to concentrate her studies in Urban and Social Policy. We look forward to welcoming Karen to SIPA this fall.
Photo taken in Mallorca: A photo of my friend Tom and I in Mallorca this past May. I’ve had the pleasure of visiting most of Spain while teaching English in Madrid and Mallorca was definitely a trip worth taking. As a Florida native, I was impressed by the breathtakingly beautiful beaches and stunning cliffs.
Orientation week has ended. Classes have begun. One of our new students at SIPA, Joel Putnam, MPA 2015 posted this in our new student group discussion group but we thought this would be great to share with anyone thinking of coming to New York — the best city in the world.
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It’s been great meeting so many of you guys, finally! Since orientation was (understandably) focused on what’s happening in the IAB and on campus, I thought I’d toss a few ideas to orient new New Yorkers to cool stuff in the city on a grad-student-friendly budget. Because if you spend your two years here and never go below 90th or east of Central Park, you are making a huge mistake (or, as we like to say here on the internet, yr doin it wrng).
First off, New York has a lot of cool sights to see, but you probably know about all of them. Statue of Liberty, Times Square, etc I’m not worried about you missing. The really cool thing about the city in my opinion is what’s happening here at any given moment. There are lots of ways to find cool stuff in this category, but my two favorite are these:
NonsenseNYC Mailing list: http://www.nonsensenyc.com/— weekly mailing list with all kinds of crazy stuff going on. Music? Check. Standup Comedy? Check. Pillowfight wth hundreds of people in union square, bring your own pillow? Check. Much of what’s listed is a little Brooklyn-centric, but that’s kinda the nature of NYC culture at the moment.
The Skint Blog: http://www.theskint.com/ Emphasis here is on free and cheap. Aside from cool happenings around town, it often features giveaways and other really good deals on food, drinks, etc. Posted daily with special weekend editions.
Aside from that, Time Out NY (http://www.timeout.com/newyork) is also very good and is much more comprehensive than the other two. I find it more useful as a reference than inspiration, just because it has so much stuff that it will sometimes get a bit unwieldy. Also of note (though with less cheap and slightly male-centric slant) are Thrillist (http://www.thrillist.com/new-york) and UrbanDaddy (http://www.urbandaddy.com/home/nyc).
Aside from those, some people swear by Groupon (www.groupon.com), LivingSocial (www.livingsocial.com) and other similar daily coupon sites. I’ve never liked them as much myself, but I’m not you, and you might find they’re useful if you sign up. Costs nothing up front and you can always cancel.
Don’t forget your unlimited 30-day metrocard for the subways and buses (yes it is overwhelmingly worth it unless you’re very very rich and can take taxis everywhere). Don’t bother with the “express bus+ Subway” metrocard unless you’ve got family way up in Kingsbridge, just get the regular card, it’ll get you everywhere you need to go, buses included. Finally consider a citibike membership if you don’t own a bike. I know it doesn’t come up to Columbia and won’t till we’re long gone, but it’s really handy in a pinch when you’re out exploring with friends, especially late at night.
Through the summer we also received a few profile photos for our New Student Photo Series from the incoming class. We thought it would be nice to add them to the post since you may hear from them through the year on our Blog about their experiences at SIPA as a first-year student. (I hope you guys are reading this post so you know what our expectations will be for you :).)
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Trae Watson, MIA 2015 North Carolina, USA
I participated in the Humanities in Action Fellowship program (sponsored by the Council for Foreign Relations) to focus on human rights and diversity issues in Denmark from May 27th to June 30. The program brings together international groups of university student Fellows to study minority rights and to produce original research that engage young people in the histories of resistance and to inspire them to fulfill their moral responsibilities to protect those in danger from institutionalized violations of minority rights.
Photograph was taken outside of Hamlets Castle in Copenhagen, Denmark
Ning Wang, MPA 2015 Beijing, People Republic of China
Photograph was taken in Yuyuantan Park, Beijing
Melissa Persaud, MPA-DP 2015 New Jersey, USA
This photo was taken in Garoua, Cameroon. I served in Cameroon as a Peace Corps Volunteer from 2011-2013. In the photo I’m getting the Cameroonian version of henna, which is done for holidays and celebrations. We are at my friend Soureya’s house and she created this shelter for me so I wouldn’t sweat in the hot hot sun.
Mu-Chen (Esther) Yu, MPA 2015 Taichung, Taiwan
This photo was taken at a local beach in Long Island. I was with other SIPA students who had also arrived early — As international students, we arrived at SIPA on 7/15.
Joe Maddens (Jelle is my legal name, but people call me Joe), MIA
Joe Maddens is a dual degree MIA/MBA student studying self-sustainable genocide prevention initiatives. This summer he is in Phnom Penh, helping a Cambodian nonprofit write the business plan for a museum that supports genocide education, national healing, and cultural revival.
(Joe is second from the left )
The majority of the museum’s exhibits are on the Khmer Rouge regime, which killed roughly 20% of the country’s population between 1975 and 1979. This is Tuol Sleng, a high school that the Khmer Rouge turned into a prison and interrogation center.
After interrogation, prisoners from Tuol Sleng were taken to Choung Ek, known as “The Killing Fields,” to be executed and buried in mass graves like this one.
Today, millions of tourists visit Cambodia’s temples, including Angkor Wat and many others that are still buried in the jungle. 
With ticket revenues from Cambodia’s tourists, the museum would promote education on the Khmer Rouge, provide space and programs for healing, and help preserve endangered aspects of Cambodian culture, such as art forms, music, food, and temples like this one, all of which are being destroyed by commercialization, tourism, and looting.
Through revival of its rich culture and history, and using the museum’s social and economic empowerment programs, Cambodia would then reshape its identity in a more positive light, laying the past to rest through commemoration and moving on into the future.
All the photographs were taken in Cambodia
"The most global public policy school, where an international community of students and faculty address world challenges."
—Merit E. Janow, Dean, SIPA, Professor of Practice, International and Economic Law and International Affairs
