Author / Ryan Mendelson
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Memories From Micronesia: Driving Chuuk’s Ghost Fleet
Imagine, if you will, traveling over twenty-four hours on three different planes from the Eastern United States, observing one sunset through your jetlag while somehow landing nearly two days later. Your final destination is a small airport, barely four rooms large. Dazed and discombobulated, you haul your bags from the baggage bin to the airport’s…
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I Support Israel. The Jerusalem Capital Declaration Was Wrong
Trump’s December announcement that the U.S. would move its embassy to Jerusalem and recognize the city as Israel’s official capital reversed decades of U.S. policy and has yielded more questions than answers. Even though the administration still claims to value the possibility of a two-state solution, this declaration is a clear statement of one-sided support.…
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My First Protest
I had no intention of joining the Delmar Loop protest on September 16. I didn’t even know there was a protest scheduled. But after seeing several police cars outside my window and hearing chanting outside, I ran downstairs with my roommate to see what the commotion was. Seeing a mass of people parading slowly down…
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The Puerto Rico Dilemma
Earlier this year, the United States celebrated its 241st birthday, and while our nation has seen great progress throughout its history, it is as important to acknowledge the shortcomings of our democracy as it is to celebrate its promises. Reflecting on the politically turbulent past few years, we must take a second look at our…
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Power Over Principle
If the founding fathers had witnessed the last twelve months of American politics, they would be rolling over in their graves. In the aftermath of the most turbulent election cycle in decades, Americans seem to have forgotten the most basic founding principles of the country. When the founding fathers gathered to craft the constitution, they…
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Not Hungary for Refugees: Victor Orbán and the Rise of Fear Politics
This summer, I had the opportunity to travel to Budapest. My cousin had been working there for a few weeks, and I decided that I had saved up enough money to hop over and visit him. On the evening of July 15th, I boarded a red-eye flight in Washington, DC and was in Vienna, Austria…
