Your Voice: Olympics aftermath, Seine pollution, Starbucks gets a new CEO

I want to congratulate Vivian Kong Man-wai, Cheung Ka-long and many other fencers on their phenomenal achievements at the Paris Olympics 2024. However, I am concerned about some parents’ reactions, if not overreactions, after the Games concluded.

The fencing club is said to have received many serious inquiries from parents regarding their children’s applications.

Children and teenagers engage in sports for various reasons – to stay healthy, relax and build relationships. If they excel in sports and wish to pursue them seriously, they should be given the opportunity to do so. They should also be encouraged to explore and follow their true passions. As parents, our role is to support and empower them in their journey.

Everyone has their growth path – parents cannot dictate their children’s courses, just as Kong mentioned in her letter to parents three years ago. When she was young, her parents let her try different activities until she discovered her love for fencing. Kong demonstrated great perseverance; she did not give up on fencing even after facing defeat. Instead, she returned stronger and secured Hong Kong’s first gold medal.

It’s crucial for parents to remember that every child possesses unique talents. These talents need to be nurtured and provided with opportunities to shine in their own ways. This understanding can lead to a more enlightened and open-minded approach to parenting.

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Matthew Ng Cheuk-hin, St Stephen’s College

The 2024 Paris Olympics were full of blood, sweat, tears and filth. Yes, you heard me right – filth.

Long before the Games even began, concerning reports of sewage and bacteria contamination in the River Seine emerged. These cast a shadow over the biggest celebration of sports, putting the organisers’ plans into question. But after a reassuring campaign of river cleaning by Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo, the world decided to leave the French capital alone, once again pushing the alarming problem into the dark.

But now that the party is over, it is time to bring the topic back onto the table. The open water events were nothing but an absolute mess, as numerous athletes, who had trained for years, fell ill after swimming in the E coli-filled river.

Escherichia coli, otherwise known as E coli, is related to fecal matter. It can cause serious health conditions like diarrhoea, pneumonia or even kidney failure in the long run. While Seine’s water met the triathlon safety standards prior to the game, E coli levels spiked afterwards due to an overflow of the city’s sewer system due to rainfall. This situation put the world-class athletes in a dangerous position, as they competed under the constant threat of disease.

It is truly ironic that Paris still deemed its deep cleaning efforts successful, after spending €1.4 billion (US$1.56 billion) of taxpayer money on nothing. Even after the rather pricey construction of the enormous Bassin d’Austerlitz, supposedly used to treat excess rainwater to avoid the Seine’s contamination, athletes were exposed to E coli, highlighting the failure of the city’s efforts.

This lack of success reflects the Hidalgo administration’s poor take on solving the immediate issue and the growing concern about water pollution. The Olympics was simply a warning to the world that water pollution is getting more severe, as it directly affects our health, safety and well-being. We must not stay ignorant but address and control pollution while we still can.

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Seyd Amina, HHCKLA Buddhist Leung Chik Wai College

I am writing to express my thoughts on Starbucks’ recent decision to hire Brian Niccol as its new CEO, replacing the ousted Laxman Narasimhan. Starbucks’ decision to replace Narasimhan with Chipotle’s Niccol is bold. It is a decision that may not pay off for the struggling coffee giant, which is hiring its fourth CEO in just two years.

While Niccol has a proven track record of success at Chipotle, turning around a much smaller chain primarily based in the US vastly differs from Starbucks’s global challenges.

Starbucks is grappling with a complex web of issues, including declining sales in both the US and China, its two largest markets, and the struggle to find the right balance between mobile ordering and the in-store experience, leading to frustration among customers. Niccol will have to navigate these complex, systemic issues that go beyond simple menu innovations or marketing campaigns.

Moreover, the task of scaling successful strategies from a national burrito chain to a worldwide coffee behemoth is a monumental challenge that cannot be underestimated. Starbucks’ global footprint of over 38,000 stores is more than 10 times the size of Chipotle’s 3,500 locations.

Investors and analysts are also concerned about Niccol’s lack of experience in the coffee industry. Starbucks is fundamentally different from the fast-casual dining model he is familiar with. The company’s premium pricing, emphasis on the in-store experience, and reliance on loyal customers willing to pay top dollar for its beverages require a nuanced understanding that Niccol may struggle to develop quickly.

While Niccol’s success at Chipotle is undeniable, the scale and complexity of Starbucks’ operations may be too much for him to handle effectively. The company’s board and investors may have been too hasty in ousting Narasimhan, who was still relatively new in the role, in favour of an outsider who lacks direct experience in the coffee industry.

While I am hopeful that Niccol will prove to be the right choice for Starbucks, the potential risks associated with his appointment are significant at this stage. The company’s future success may indeed hinge on finding a CEO who truly understands the unique dynamics of the global coffee market.