Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Its quiet here in the AirBnb— the only sounds are the occasional whir of the elevator, and a distant bleat of scooters passing. I can almost forget that I’m in the city.

I wish I had written while we were in Japan because its hard now to describe the feeling of being there. The places I loved were tranquil riverbanks, hugged by oranges and reds. I loved the sardine-packed streets, and alleys adorned by dimly lit lanterns or screaming neons. The confusion and excitement of loud and soft; fried foods and fresh fish; somber prayer rooms and the rambunctious and contagious Blarney Stone Pub. This irony creates a country with corners always unknown and untouched— a character full of surprise. And somehow, with all of its juxtaposing details, it never came close to touching the air of Saigon.

I wish we were here longer, and I wish we would see more of this country. Outside of our air-conditioned and bright French Colonial oasis is a dewy collision of life. I can feel the robusta bean caffeine in the rhythm of the city. It seems like everything is constantly moving and grinding like complex machinery, and yet, people lie on the floor of their shoe shops, surrounded by plastics. Others lounge lazily in the shade on the seats of their motorbikes.

Inauguration of President Donald Trump

The morning began early-- from lonely train platforms, to empty sidewalks beneath the bleak black sky of Washington D.C. Lines formed in excitement as the sky merged into blues and oranges, and supporters slowly trickled into the National Mall, awaiting the moment that Donald Trump would arrive at The Capitol.

America takes pride in our peaceful transfer of power, and all around, one could see this-- celebration, joy, and any sadness was subtle and subdued. But, just as the rest of the recent election season showed us, there lies unrest between parties. As Trump's speech began, a gentle rain blanketed the crowd. Unlike the rain, the screams of protestors became intrusive, and supporters of Trump were not hesitant in yelling back.

Before the end of the parade, anarchist protestors had set fire to, and destroyed, a limousine and SUV, as well as shattering the windows of a downtown Starbucks Coffee location. Although from the outside, this Inauguration Day may appear to have been volatile and dangerous, many citizens were concerned with uniting the people of America, despite their clear and vocal differences.

Chris Chmelik

Frederick, Maryland

"Some of the things that he has said... like when they recorded him on the tape saying derogatory comments towards women-- that's a little disappointing, but at the same time, I know friends and adults who have said things similar or worse than that.
I don't really know [how I feel about Democrats]. The other side, to me... they're just... they're kind of brainwashed. I pray for them."

Donitta Gardiner

Des Moines, Iowa

"I hope to see that he brings more jobs back to the states and tries to bring unemployment and stuff down-- do more for the military and the VA system to help veterans, cause I'm a veteran also. And to unite the United States-- drop the disparity because of race and religion. We're all Americans. You take off the skin, we're all the same. If everyone took DNA [tests], they would find out that its different-- that we're more than just what you see on the outside."

Anne Marie Murray

New Haven, Connecticut

"My heart went out to the ones that were disappointed, and to be honest with you-- with all do respect to Mrs. Clinton-- it would have been wonderful to have a woman president, but she wasn't the one."

Cheryl Wouden

Shawnee, Kansas

"I think that we are very lucky to have a system that allows for opposition. I think that there is so much that we can learn from each other, and that it generates a synergy that allows for new ideas to come about; if we listen. I think that we have to listen. I grew up in a home where my father was a Democrat and my mother was a Republican, and we had very active dinner discussions that were always very positive."

Talia Russell

Austin, Texas

Laura Howard

Amherst, Massachusetts

Imogen Thomas

Arlington, Virginia

Alec Lesser

Student at The New School, New York City

"Personally, [I'm most nervous for] freedom of the press. Obama set a pretty bad precedent with subpoenaing journalists and things like that, and its kind of opened a doorway for Trump to just... I mean, there's rumors that he's going to defund PBS and NPR. I've wanted all my life to work for NPR.
Every domino that follows truth, honesty, science, and academic thought is not a part of this election. That's the foundation of my reality; object truth, and that went out the window."

Sarah

San Francisco, California

"I flew here for this. I've been fighting for a year and I just couldn't miss it."

December 5th, 2023

American People