By Lindsay Wong ’20

Heritage sites are at the heart of a place’s tourism and history. World heritage sites are a place or building that UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) deems as having special importance and should be conserved and protected. They are valuable sites that are often some of the most popular tourist sites of a country. For example, Nara and Itsukushima Shrine are both UNESCO world heritage sites and also the most-visited tourist spots of their regions. Heritage sites have many benefits for humanity and countries alike.

Heritage helps to build and strengthen community. Heritage sites have historical and symbolic meaning, thereby adding character and distinctiveness to a place. Many cultural and religious events take place at heritage sites, instilling the whole site with meaning. In many cases, such events can define a place. This increases social inclusion as people of all ages can come together to appreciate a heritage site and learn about their local history, creating a community feeling among people with shared interests.

Heritage sites represent a place’s history and culture and are intrinsically linked to tradition. Tourists travel all around the world to visit heritage sites and get a feel of that country or city’s identity. At these sites, tourists learn about a place’s culture, history and the significance of the site. They also learn to appreciate the culture and history attached to that site. Learning about different cultures helps us to become better global citizens and approach situations with a more global outlook. 

In addition to heritage sites being valuable in building community, these sites also support a sustainable environment. The adaptive reuse and conservation processes of heritage sites help to keep communities sustainable. Such regeneration projects have both environmental and economic advantages. Heritage also provides jobs to lots of people and maintains all types of businesses, including those not involved in tourism.

Heritage is incredibly important and heritage sites provide so many benefits to the community. As global citizens, we should strive to conserve these sites and continue fostering a community feeling by visiting and appreciating heritage sites, especially in such a fast-changing world.

Fabianna Rincon ’21

Once upon a time there was a paradise – a gorgeous land of beaches with crystal clear waters and mountains that stretched up to the heavens. Rivers filled with every animal imaginable flowed up and down the beautiful landscape, leading up to shimmering waterfalls that fell from so high, it looked like gods were pouring the water down for the people. 

The second you entered paradise, your heart instantly happier. Blue skies and palm trees were just outside the window, and you’d enter by crossing the multicolored pathways decorated with every color imaginable. Once through, you’d sprint to greet your familia – colliding with primos in a hug and kissing abu on the cheek. They’d lead you to the car, which then began the journey to your abuelo’s castle. The gates swung open to reveal three stories of white cement walls, with arching windows and cool tile paveways. The garden had magical flowers that opened at only at night to reveal their gaping rose colored jaws. Inside, Abu would start on the food – arepas, cachapas, empanadas, and the sweetest fried platanos that would melt in your mouth when you ate them. Tate would be in his office, and he’d always let you lay on the threaded hammock that stretched across his book cases. Outside, you could lay on the grass on the patio, bathing in the sunlight that showered down on you. The sun was always bright in paradise. 

Abuelo Rene lived in the middle of the wilderness, or at least that’s how it seemed when you’d visit. His garden was full of towering palms and gorgeous flowers. Every bird imaginable would flutter from tree to tree – he’d be able to tell you the species of every one. In the garden there was an 80 year old tortoise, who’d hide from visitors but show his face to those who were lucky. The lucky ones would also get Abuelo Rene’s oreos, with chocolate cookies you’d split in half while sitting on his lap. And there, he’d tell you stories of his adventures in La Guaira, where the beach was never farther than a block away and Tommaselli’s served the most delicious ice cream you’d ever tasted. 

In paradise, all of the places were beautiful, with names that rolled off your toungue. There was Mira Mar and Siete Mares, La Guaira and El Avila. Caracas had the beautiful city scape with stores that sold anything you could ever dream of (Abu would buy you anything you asked). Margarita was an island littered with tiny houses, with women who sold the most delicious empanadas outside of the iglesia. 

On the beaches, the wind blew your hair back just the right way as you heard waves crashing in the distance. Cousins, siblings, and friends would join you to dive into the jewel blue waves. You would wait until just the right second to submerge – the moment when, if you were lucky, you could get caught in the eye of the wave, and look up to see crystalline waters peaking over your head.

Back on shore, tias and abuelas sit sunbathing, enjoying the absolutely perfect weather. That’s what my mami always told me. “80 degrees every day”. The sun was always bright in paradise. 

My paradise was Venezuela, a country right at the northernmost peak of South America. I grew up hearing about and visiting paradise, getting to see the fairytale up close. But like all fairytales, villains exist and problems occur. At first visits lasted for months, but over the years we began to visit for less and less amounts of time. At first, my memories of paradise are of semillita preschool, and christmases at Abu’s castle. My last memory of Venezuela was sitting in a bullet proof car, watching sirens outside my window as we drove as fast as we could to the castle. Venezuela isn’t the place where the stories whispered to us on car rides home occurred – where the fairytales took place. But the sun still shines in paradise, even when the clouds are covering the light. I’m confident that the happy ending will come for my fairytale, and i’ll be able to take my familia to make their own memories in paradise one day.

Naomi Gould ’22

Like many other teens, social media is a staple in my daily life. I’ll open up Instagram and scroll through stories that say “Unfollow me if you don’t support the Black Lives Matter movement” and “No, I won’t be friends with you if you support a racist, homophobic, and xenophobic president.”

As someone who once posted similar statements, I am all too familiar with the exasperating feeling that ethical common ground on obvious problems is unattainable. We should be able to address topics such as racism, climate change, and COVID-19 without it devolving into a partisan struggle. Despite sharing the same frustration as the people who make these posts, I get uneasy when I see them, as they are unintentionally fueling the very problem they intend to stop.

Along with a rise in political polarization has come extreme party loyalty, threatening our ability to tackle key issues democratically. There now exists this notion, both on the right and the left, that one must support the doctrine of their party and oppose that of the other, no matter the specific issue. Nuanced political and social issues have been viewed as black and white, making many unwilling to listen to another point of view. A recent example of this is the primarily conservative All Lives Matter response to the Black Lives Matter movement, despite racism being complex enough an issue for a bipartisan, rational response.

In this political environment, it’s easy for liberals to categorize all conservative viewpoints as immoral or unethical and vice versa. However, I’d argue that when trying to fight for any given issue, saying “I cannot be friends with someone who doesn’t support this cause” worsens the problem.

Pushing people away, even if they seem to hold the most egregious or unethical opinions, perpetuates the concept that you are right and they are wrong, that the issue is entirely black and white, and that a side must be chosen. No one will pick your side while being unfriended, shut away, and shamed. Understanding our democracy was built in a way that requires compromise to function, the key to fighting for causes you care about must combat party loyalty, not encourage it.

The good news is that we’re already aware of how to achieve this solution. So many teens have reposted calls for “normalizing changing your mind,” and open-mindedness is critical in promoting unity and understanding. The bad news is that we’re approaching the solution from a hypocritical and one-sided standpoint. Many of these same teens continue to post the same polarizing right-and-wrong statements, conveying the belief that they are correct and no longer need to grow.

Though it’s difficult to broaden our perspectives when we believe we’re in the right, we must remember that growth can occur in both directions on the political spectrum. In order to see progress, in order to allow for compromise, we must reject the notion of party loyalty by ceasing to approach politics from an all-or-nothing standpoint.

Simran Sharma ’22

Ever since its Broadway debut in 2015, Hamilton has been a smash hit, encapsulating audiences much wider than just the musical theater crowd. Just less than a month ago, a filmed recording of the musical was released to Disney+. The quick, explosive success of the Broadway show has turned it into a household name and has since sparked a fascination with the historical founding of our nation, which, without Hamilton, people likely wouldn’t have found.  However, amidst the rise in political activism we’ve recently experienced on social media, many have criticized the musical for glorifying our Founding Fathers. Above all, Hamilton is a source of entertainment. While the show definitely does inform, it’s ultimate goal, entertainment, is treated with priority, lending the musical to dramatization of certain events and the erasure of others. While the criticism of Hamilton for romanization of our history and prominent figures is definitely valid, the fair rebuttal that Hamilton is a broadway play, not documentary, stands. That being said, for a production which prides itself in the diversity within its cast, its subject matter may not be up to the standard which it claims to hold itself to. So, what did Hamilton get wrong, and what can we learn from it?

By far, the most prominent qualm with Hamilton’s portrayal of our history is with its treatment of slavery and histroical minority representation. While it does mention slavery through various lines in the musical, it greatly diminishes the prominence and effect it had during our nation’s founding. Slaveholding is used as a jab from one Founding Father to another in a rap battle, rather than being addressed with the weight it truly held. These flippant mentions of slavery may have been a commentary on how slavery was really treated at the time, but the musical doesn’t do enough to show the profound impact of it in other ways. Hamilton’s inclusion of John Laurens as a champion of civil rights, although a clear attempt at addressing slavery, comes off as a perpetuation of white saviourism due to the lack of any POC mention, aside from a brief nod to Sally Hemmings. Although the institution of slavery is mentioned, the musical fails to make it apparent that enslaved individuals were active participants in the Revolution. Additionally, Hamilton is portrayed as an abolitionist. While he did personally hold anti-slavery views, he never worked to enact change on them, and his financial system was highly dependent on slavery in the South.

Aside from an exaggeration of his abolitionist status, the portrayal of Alexander Hamilton was inaccurate, or details were specifically omitted, in other aspects. Hamilton’s politics were greatly watered down to cater him to the 21st Century. His distrust of the popular vote and belief in lifetime presidential and senate terms were never mentioned. Asides from a few vague statements regarding banking, his politics were left out. Additionally, his rivalry with Aaron Burr was greatly overstated so as to create a compelling narrative, whereas the truly prominent rivalry in Hamilton’s life was with Thomas Jefferson.

A recurring theme in Hamilton is “who lives, who dies, who tells your story?” This question truly parallels the issues I’ve outlined. The way Hamilton frames the history of our nation’s founding has made an impact in how many people see our Founding Fathers. The story was told in a way which reveres our founders, and in many eyes, that is our history. Despite the historical inaccuracies throughout Hamilton, personally, I love the musical and I’m sure many feel the same way. Honestly, I sometimes feel guilty about it. I hope that by educating myself about the realities of our history and pointing out the flaws in its portrayal, I can continue to enjoy Hamilton, but I remain unsure.