Elliot Mandel
Cornell University
I grew up in suburban New Jersey about forty minutes outside of the city. After coming to Cornell I started on the Economics track, where theories and problem sets abounded. Yet something was missing, as I quickly realized that my passion for writing was inhibited by such a quantitative major. The elegantly simple solution was to also become an English major. While procrastinating academic work, I enjoy creative writing, sketching cartoons and making terrible puns. Thankfully my time spent living in Ithaca has honed my tolerance for subzero temperatures and my ability to walk long distances to class in said temperatures. Looking ahead to the future, I hope that my dual degree serves me well wherever life takes me. As long as the Mayans turn out to be wrong.
The Political Pro Bowl
February 10, 2012
With Congressional approval ratings hovering in the teens, its not a bad time to look for comparisons in mediocrity. Look no further than the NFL Pro Bowl, where, like your average Congressman, just showing up and collecting your paycheck seems to be the rule rather than the exception.
A Song of Legislative Loathing: We Won’t Forget You Congress
August 3, 2011
People are horror stricken at how Congress auto-asphyxiated democracy in an attempt to leverage the debt-ceiling crisis for their own political power. ...So I wrote a song about it.
The Absurdity of Outsourcing
July 1, 2011
The United States is like an unconfident beer pong player. And the guest shot in the game? Outsourcing. Outsourcing to bro China. Focusing on economic superiority blinds the U.S. to the erosion of economic skills due to outsourcing.
To Be or Not To Be 21
June 29, 2011
Everyone goes on and on about how we need to keep the drinking age high to prevent all sorts of terrible things from happening. But these people fail to recognize the added repercussions of having such an awkward age as the final age-based milestone of growing up.
Socializing and Smartphones
June 1, 2011
With the advent of smartphones, our social interactions have actually changed. Now, when natural lulls in conversation occur, it is a signal to smartphone users that they can finally check their various messages, apps, and social networking sites.
A Chance at Second Chances
May 26, 2011
Harold Camping is now approaching his fourth go at a rapture prediction, and there are people that are still listening. Meanwhile, we look at our own generation of Youtubers and internet-savvy gurus and we see a different type of outlook on life, a different view on the second chances people get. Namely, there are none.
Time to Get Social
April 26, 2011
Whenever I happen to glance into a local café or Starbucks, I see people almost willing themselves to be isolated. Now, I’m not one to oppose zealous devotion to school work, but come on guys. We’re all at college to meet new people and to expand our horizons.
