Some boundaries shouldn’t be crossed “You okay, Captain? Looks like you just saw a ghost.” The concern in Jahns’ voice was unmistakable, even over the suit’s intercoms. “Fine. Still shaking off the aftereffects of the hiberhammock,” I responded. …

Everyone deserves a second chance A scowling, elderly man clomped back and forth in front of us, the clicks and whirs of his electroflexor leg casings echoing through the ship’s antechamber. Monocle-like devices grafted onto his eye sockets held folds of drooping skin from obscuring his vision. “New Eden is…

Pardon us, child… Pardon our lust for more than the once-bountiful earth could ever offer. Pardon the slog across charred, desolate flats Where nothing but mistrust and malice grow. Pardon the plumes of dust and ash That coat our lips and harry our eyes. Pardon our hacking convulsions and weeping…

We slog through thick, wet foliage, our leather boots sinking in summer's decay Gone are the olive groves and aqueducts of home, the assurances of mortar and stone, order and symmetry Our imperial writ probes ever outward, seeking purchase where none exists And in so doing, we encroach upon inhospitable…

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s penchant for military adventurism abroad has gained him celebrity status, thanks in part to his asymmetrical methods. His geopolitical resumé contains a number of marginal successes, including the 2008 invasion and de facto annexation of portions of Georgia, the propping up of fellow strongman Bashar al-Assad…

Throughout his 20-plus year rule, Vladimir Putin has consolidated power through graft, intimidation, manipulation of the Russian legal system, and forcefully silencing critics. Putin’s ability to sustain subservience and loyalty to his authority is no small feat, especially in a political culture of ruthless power politics. His reputation as a…

All too often technology and distance desensitizes us from overseas crises and conflicts, and the people suffering and dying in their midst. In unfortunate circumstances such as these, some individuals understand only the language of violence. Ukrainian-American Lena Beneke knows this all too well. Beneke, a married mother of two…

The cultural, ideological, and historical disparities between the U.S. and China are vast. This East-West chasm attracted the attention of Columbia, Illinois, native and former Springfield resident Tom Funfsinn during his time as an undergraduate and graduate student at the University of Illinois Springfield from 2008 to 2015. …

Ghana is one of Africa’s biggest postcolonial success stories. Since declaring independence from the United Kingdom in 1957, the West African state has enjoyed a high degree of prosperity and rule of law, due to sustained economic growth and a strong societal emphasis on education. Robust governmental institutions have flourished…