Edie Ellison

“A teenager working on her anger management problem. Currently chilling and watching a good old fashioned movie with a friend,” reads the Twitter bio of 17-year-old climate activist Greta Thunberg. Those are not her words, rather, she’s quoting a tweet from President Trump directed at her. Thunberg is another example of a Gen Z media star who harnesses the power of social media and youth to promote a cause across the world. The sharing of information across social media sites is changing the way younger people gain information and interact with political and social issues.

Although modern Japan consists of four main islands, plus the tropical outpost of Okinawa, the Japanese once controlled Taiwan, Korea, Manchuria (northeastern China), and parts of mainland China. Imperialist Japan ultimately saw its downfall after defeat in World War II, and a seven-year American occupation followed. Perhaps the longest-lasting and most influential result of the occupation was the installment of an American-authored democratic Constitution. Included was Article 9, denouncing war and prohibiting the Japanese from maintaining a standing army. However, emerging security challenges and President Trump’s recent comments about the U.S. military relationship with Japan are prompting discussion to alter Article 9 to legitimize the Japanese Self Defense Forces and make a bolder statement on Japanese military intentions.

Every summer, thousands of interns flood Washington D.C.: crowding the metro, the security lines outside of government buildings, and the checkout of the local Trader Joe’s. As an intern for a Congressman on Capitol Hill, I earned the extra title of “Hilltern” (Hill+intern) that carries a positive or negative connotation depending on who you’re talking to.