While many used fall break as a time to relax and rejuvenate, five Goshen College students spent the time off classes a little bit differently, traveling to Puerto Rico as part of a short-term service trip organized through Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS). MDS is a volunteer network of Anabaptist churches which seeks to assist those in need in the wake of natural and man-made disasters. They generally focus their efforts in the United States and Canada, as well as U.S. territories. MDS contacted two pastors from College Mennonite Church, David and Madeline Maldonado, inquiring about interest in the trip. The...

By Siana Emery • October 24, 2018 • News

Lisa Rosado, a first-year from Puerto Rico, woke up in her dorm room on September 19 thinking it was going to be a typical day. She later realized it was far from it. At breakfast, Rosado took a look at the TV screen. It caught her attention that the news anchor was presenting the path of Hurricane Maria, which was going to affect Puerto Rico. Strong winds reaching 155 mph and heavy rainfall began to lash over Puerto Rico at 11:15 a.m. that day. At that same time, Rosado was about to start class when she began seeing more updates...

By Giselle Munoz • November 9, 2017 • Features

Puerto Rico could become the 51st state if politics don’t get in the way. On Nov. 6 Puerto Ricans voted in a non-binding referendum to change their status as a commonwealth of the United States. The most popular alternative was statehood, but local complications, as well as a split Congress, could prevent any changes to the current status for the time being. Were Puerto Rico to become a state it would receive two senators and five or six representatives in the House of Representatives. The number of representatives is capped at 435, which means other states will lose representatives in order...

By Jeffrey Moore • November 15, 2012 • Features