Posted June 23, 2005

     News is our profession, here at the office of South Boston Online.  As a result, we often discuss events outside of South Boston – city, state, national, and international.  One of the saddest news items we have noted in recent weeks has been the still-unexplained disappearance of Natalee Holloway in Aruba.  After three weeks, the chances for her safe return are getting slim.

     Natalee Holloway is a graduating Senior from Mountain Brook High School in Birmingham, Alabama.  She is an Honors student, carrying a straight A, 4.0 grade average.  She holds a full college scholarship.  One of her activities is caring for special needs children.  She is an extraordinary person, by all accounts, and well loved by all around her.

     Aruba is a self-governing territory of Holland, the Netherlands.  Geographically, it is one of the Netherland Antilles in the Caribbean Sea, but it manages its own internal affairs.  Since a major oil refinery closed in 1985, Aruba has depended upon tourism to sustain its economy.  It has a reputation for safety.  Personal attacks of any kind are rare on Aruba. 

     The island of Aruba is only 75 square miles in area (think of a circle 10 miles in diameter – it’s a small island).  It has a population of less than 100,000 permanent residents (three times that of South Boston).  There is only one city of any size – the capital, Oranjestad.  You would think that Natalee Holloway should have turned up by now, three weeks after her disappearance.

     Holloway was on a five-day class trip with 124 classmates, celebrating their graduation from Mountain Brook High School.  Seven chaperones accompanied the young people.  Since these young people were around the age of 18, had qualified for diplomas, and were preparing for either working careers or further education, they were reasonably mature teenagers.

     Rumors have surfaced about Holloway drinking excessively, and about her actions with three Arubans.  These are only rumors right now.  Nothing has been confirmed.  Whatever has happened, there is no blame to be assigned, except to the culprits who directly caused her disappearance (whoever they might be). 

     But there is a cautionary lesson to be learned about young peoples’ travels, especially to other countries.  Graduating seniors are filled with enthusiasm for their achievement - rightly so.  Unfortunately, they can make destructive decisions in the joys of the moment.  For many, Aruba would have been the first long trip away from home.  Some young people might use this as an excuse to behave differently.

     In our opinion, seven chaperones are not enough, either.  The trip was only for five days, but that’s 18 students per chaperone, all of whom have to be responsible for their charges, essentially around the clock.  That’s a very hard job!

In addition, while going to Aruba is a popular way to take a vacation, it’s also an attractive destination for the whole world.  Who knows what type of tourist an impressionable teenager might encounter?  And this is not meant to criticize Aruba.  That kind of encounter could happen at any tourist destination, anywhere in the world.

     Perhaps class trips to other nations, however well organized, are “too much, too soon” for high school graduates.