On April 17, Elly, Zak and I attended the 2009 Pacific Northwest National Security Forum. This year the topic was the complex relationship between the United States and China. Presentations included short speeches by Washington State Representatives Adam Smith and Dave Reichert, and a great keynote speech and question/answer period with Ambassador Darryl Johnson, whom the three of us got to meet and speak with afterward (and we got a picture!). He was an incredibly interesting and friendly person, and all three of us were amazed by his career which included government placements at crucial moments in the recent histories of various countries, including China.
Later in the day there were two panel sessions, with experts speaking on issues of how the U.S. both partners and competes with China. Overall the event was very interesting and informative, and most of the people there were excited to see students participating in the event. The three of us are definitely planning on attending next year's forum, and we would strongly recommend that other students take advantage of this opportunity as well. For those who need an added incentive, the refreshments included the biggest cookies any of us have ever seen...just putting that out there. As one last note, we'd like to thank the PG department for funding our attendance of the event. It was a great experience.
--Kammi Sheeler
