Events

Past Events

 

A Discussion of The Battle for America 2008, The Story of An Extraordinary Election with authors Dan Balz and Haynes Johnson

Students, alumni and friends joined together for a night of discussion about the Presidential Election of 2008. Mr. Balz, lead political reporter for the Washington Post and Mr. Johnson, a Pulitzer-prize winning author who holds the Knight Chair in Journalism at University of Maryland, spoke about their New York Times Bestseller, The Battle for America 2008. The authors spent countless hours traveling with and interviewing Secretary Clinton, Senator McCain and President Obama during the run up to the 2008 election. Following a discussion of the historical significance of the campaign, the authors took questions from the audience.

An Evening with Professor Buzz Thompson, Director of the Woods Institute, Stanford University

SIW, in partnership with the Woods Institute for the Environment gathered Stanford friends and alumni interested in Energy and Environment policy to hear Prof. Buzz Thompson discuss the top priorities of the Woods Institute, which pioneers innovative approaches to meet the environmental challenges of the 21st century – from climate change to sustainable food supplies to ocean conservation. Our dinner guests represented a range of organizations, from the Department of Energy to small non-profit organizations.

Inauguration Celebration and Open House

In January 2009, we hosted an open house for alumni and friends who were in Washington to attend the Presidential Inauguration. It was a chilly weekend, and we welcomed guests from all across the country, including students and alumni who campaigned for Obama. We enjoyed hearing stories about canvassing, fundraising and election night celebrations. The menu featured favorite Chicago and Washington foods as a tribute to our new President and the First family! Our Open House fell on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. During the festivities we took a moment to watch Rev. King�s �I Have a Dream� speech in our Distance Learning Center. Afterward, many of our students and alumni participated in a community service project (even though the temperature was in the low 30�s).