Paper #2 assignment (the next set of questions is posted below this)

Paper #2: Culture Above the Clouds

“Above 8,000 meters is not a place where people can afford morality” (253). 

For this conversation about travel, I want you to write from ONE of the following:

Ø  A family member of one of the clients who died (you can pretend to be a specific one or simply remain vague about who you were related to)

Ø  One of the experienced guides from the Adventure Consultants or Mountain Madness teams

Ø  A Sherpa from one of the expeditions

From this perspective, I want you to either attack or defend the idea of tourism on Mt. Everest.  Should climbing Everest be a tourist attraction, despite the incredible danger, uncertainty, cost, and possible damage to the local environment/culture?  Is it worth the risk and the expense?  As you can imagine, the widow/widower of one of the victims would probably be very against the entire idea, especially once he/she realized how the culture of Everest doesn’t provide much room for error—or a safety net for mistakes.  On the other hand, the guides and Sherpas rely on tourism for their livelihood, and want the expeditions to continue despite occasional disasters.  HOWEVER, after this disaster, it’s possible that a guide could decide that future expeditions would be unethical, and a Sherpa could decide that the industry is dangerous to his culture and religion.  You can take any position on this topic, but consider how your writer would examine it. 

SOME IDEAS TO RESPOND TO (BUT YOU CAN CONSIDER OTHERS):

v  Should only trained professionals be on the mountain?  Should you have to be part of the culture (have experience, not need bottled oxygen, etc.)? 

v  Can any company promise to get their clients to the top, or at least to “maximize” their success rate?  Is it ethical?

v  Was the culture of climbing—and specifically, the competitive nature of the guides/Sherpas—responsible for more deaths than the mountain itself?

v  Is getting to the summit a safe goal?  After all, once up, you still have to get down. 

v  Is the culture of tourism incompatible with the culture of climbing?

v  Can Sherpa culture exist without climbing/tourism?  Do we have an obligation to continue?

v  Are their lessons to be learned from the 1996 disaster that could improve the industry?  Is it still a viable industry? 

OTHER REQUIREMENTS

v  You must quote from Into Thin Air for support throughout your paper; have a conversation with the book—show where your ideas came from. 

v  You need at least 2-3 outside sources besides Into Thin Air to help you develop your views.  Articles and essays could talk about this disaster, other disasters, climbing, Everest, Sherpa culture, or Tourism in general. 

v  Consider the Naysayer: this is someone (perhaps one of the other groups) who would either disagree with you totally or would simply see another side of the discussion.  You should address this conversation/person in your paper and respond to it. 

v  DUE Monday, March 9th by 5pm (for MWF classes) 
            Tuesday, March 10th by 5pm (for TR classes)