the westminster news
Published by the students of Westminster School
By Alice Liu ’23
(Image Credit: Doña Marina/Malintzin, in an engraving dated 1885/Wikipedia) The two men finally met. Hernán Cortés smiled, expressing his friendship to the Aztec Emperor. Moctezuma II extended his arms, welcoming his guest with a speech marked by every sign of friendliness. At the center of the communication stood Doña Marina, interpreting between Cortés and Moctezuma. For a long time, her story remained mostly unknown, overshadowed by Cortés’ legacy. Yet, modern historians are beginning to reconsider her as the key to the success of the Spanish conquest. By Grace Yuan ’23
In December 2020, Cuba announced the beginning of its reformation to end its dual currency system from Jan. 1, 2021 (Majeed, 2020). The country has previously utilized two currencies: the convertible Peso (CUC) and the Cuban Peso (CUP). The second currency, the convertible Peso (CUC), was introduced into the country to help cushion its economy from the hardships brought by the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s. By Sung M. Cho ’22
(Image Credit: New York Times) Now dissolved in the early days of the Biden administration, one of former President Donald Trump’s lasting legacies will be the report of his 1776 Commission on the state of U.S history education in American schools. By Annie Brewer ’21
(Image Credit: Bradie Tennell/New York Times) Jan. 15, Bradie Tennell, 22, became the 2021 U.S. Figure Skating Senior Ladies’ Singles Champion. Surrounded by an audience of cardboard cutouts, Tennell sparkled as she skated to Florence + The Machine’s “Moderation,” a medley of “Sarajevo” by Max Richter and “Dawn of Faith” by Eternal Eclipse. After two years of repeated disappointments following the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics, where Tennell won a bronze medal in the team competition, Tennell finally reclaimed the national title from the 2019 and 2020 champion, 15-year-old Alysa Liu. By Francesca Bradley ’21
(Image Credits: Bangkok Post - Zhou Xiaoxuan; AFP/via BBC - Protestors outside of Xiaoxuan’s hearing in Beijing.) In an authoritarian country like China, the #MeToo movement has faced significant challenges because many allegations have been censored to protect the reputation of household names and others. Yet, China’s efforts to silence these stories have not stopped the most determined and resilient women. |