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Feature Story
reed magazine logoSpring 2009

Nine From 09

Meet the latest crop of Reedies—straight from the chambers of thesis hell!

Photography by Orin Zyvan ’04

Who, or what, is a Reedie?

And how do today’s students differ from prior generations? It is, of course, hazardous to generalize about Reedies (especially to Reedies) so we took a different tack. We approached nine good-natured seniors and got them to talk about themselves, their theses, and their time on campus. You might be surprised at what they had to say…

Radzinsky

Brian Radzinsky

political science
  • Hometown: Boulder Creek, California
  • Adviser: Rafi Youatt
  • Thesis: Deadly Status Symbols: Prestige Objects and Libya’s Nuclear Program
  • What it’s about: My thesis tackles two questions. First, in what ways are nuclear weapons prestigious? Second, what role do prestige considerations play in countries’ decisions to build nuclear weapons? I look at these questions through the lens of Libya.
  • What it’s really about: How Obama can take Iran’s status considerations seriously without ringing in Armageddon.
  • Random Thoughts: Reed truly taught me how to think. Reed students don’t amass much information. We’re terrible at trivia. But in exchange for large body of facts and figures we’re given the frameworks for sound argumentation and a critical approach to acquiring knowledge. So, in that sense, Reed has made me smarter. I also became a far better writer. It’s not perfect by any means. I, for one, wish I had learned more facts and figures.
reed magazine logoSpring 2009