By Hailey Greaux
If you were to ask people to tell you five things they think St. Maarten needs, you'd get answers like more activities for people to do, more parks, better roads that don't "mash up me truck," better housing, and the list goes on. I asked teenagers as well as adults for their thoughts and opinions regarding the issue. "There should be more jobs available for us young people" was among the responses I got from teenagers. As for the adults, they mentioned better infrastructure, meaning, better roads; a better system of doing things; a better economy plan; and a better government as well.
The teenagers
Keanu St. Jago, St. Maarten Academy
Improvement of the police – better police enforcement, more police, etc.; finally build the ring road or take it away; the legal driving age should be 16; a skate park on the Dutch side; more vacation days from school.
Oceanne Clark, St. Maarten Academy
A proper government; better neighbourhood conditions; lower prices for activities; better, more creative school uniforms; more control on gang fights.
Rashaun Priest, St. Maarten Academy
A shopping mall; a place where all young people (teenagers) can hang out; St. Maarten needs another theatre – they need to lower prices for the locals; we need better neighbourhoods and better sports facilities
Jean Pierre Tapia, LU
A better version of Club Mist needs to reopen; more soccer fields; more fun/chill spots; we need some good shopping privileges (good discounts, 'cause we don't work, we study), more scholarship opportunities.
Natasha Mirpuri, LU
Better roads, more entertainment for kids, more universities, better economy, longer summer vacation.
What the adults said
I asked a few of my teachers including my math teacher, Ms. Santos, and she said a few things. She explained how St. Maarten needs to take over its own country; how there should be more jobs for the young people, how St. Maarten should focus on the locals a little more and a little less on the tourists. Yes, they may bring money into the island and so forth, but does that mean that locals should get totally ignored? It's not like Ms. Santos has anything against tourists, no, but she feels St. Maarten should treat its people a little better. For the youth, she said there should be more places for them to do activities and such, without costing the price of an arm and leg. Things are just too expensive.
Another adult I interviewed was another teacher of mine, Ms. Chan. She expressed how there should be more jobs for the young people. When teenagers graduate from high school, of course they're going to want to get a job and make a few extra bucks, but it's hard to do so nowadays. Jobs require experience, and face it, we young people are still learning. There should be jobs available that could take on young people, teach them and train them and help keep them get off the street.
And as for the last adult I interviewed, Mr. Antonio Halley, he explained how St. Maarten needs a comprehensive marketing plan to stimulate the economy. This also ties in with the next point he stated on how St. Maarten government has to amend the cost of living so that the general populous of St. Maarten is not afraid to spend money and therefore stimulate the economy. A total revamping of the infrastructure of St. Maarten: water, electricity, roads – holding companies responsible financially for their shortcomings in these areas. For example: If I build a house, and the roof leaks, I bring the contractor back to fix it at his own expense. People of St. Maarten pay for all of this, and for what? Crappy labour! St. Maarten needs leaders, not followers. Pretending to be a leader does not mean you're a leader. Remember, we the people have an opinion, listen to it.
According to the people, St. Maarten needs a lot of things, from more activities for the young people to do, to better roads. Our country St. Maarten does need a lot of improvement, but that all starts with change. Instead of saying, try doing; we as the next generation can make a real impact and a change, making a brighter future for ourselves. I do feel that St. Maarten needs a better economy, and more activities for us to do. I also agree with the thoughts and opinions other people have shared with me and I cannot agree with them anymore. But all of the things our country needs can only start with us, the people, actually doing something; or in this case, we the teens.
What are you going to do?