Speaker addresses national security issues

Students and faculty gathered in Nau Auditorium yesterday to listen to Alan Pessin, Voice of America Pentagon correspondent, who spoke about this century's national security challenges.

At the event, which was co-sponsored by the Office of the Vice Provost for International Programs and the Center for International Studies, Pessin discussed national security issues mainly focusing on China, Iran and terrorism. He also shared his experiences as a journalist and spoke about current events in Egypt, Tunisia, Yemen and Bahrain.

Throughout Pessin's long career in the journalism field, he has traveled around the world and learned about national security and international relations along the way, he said.

"I've really steeped myself in these issues for my whole career," Pessin said. "I wouldn't say I know more than say, someone in the State Department, but certainly more than the average citizen. I read about [these issues] every day, I worry about them every day, and I've traveled to and been in the war zones and the foreign capitals with various officials."

After the Tianenmen Square massacre in 1989, Pessin was expelled from China under martial law regulations for "illegal news gathering" and "fomenting counter-revolutionary rebellion." Most recently, Pessin's travels include a trip to China with U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. Hearing about such experiences made the speech interesting and worthwhile, said third-year College student Andrew Koch, president of the International Relations Organization.

"I really liked hearing his stories about traveling with Secretary Gates," Koch said. "He's been all over the world with a policy maker, and has done a lot of really cool things."

Pessin said he hopes the event did not just draw the attendees' attention to issues that are always in the media spotlight.

"My goal was to provide a construct in which the students who attended the talk can evaluate these issues," Pessin said. "And also a construct to help them understand what potentially the United States can do in regards to issues like nuclear potential in Iran."

-compiled by Caroline Houck

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