Why Build A Thirty Meter Telescope? by Tasfia

Why Build A Thirty Meter Telescope? by Tasfia - July 2026 Scholarship Essay

“The indigenous opinions don’t matter,” a student objected. Debating the ethics of building the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) in Hawaii’s sacred island Mauna Kea created turmoil in our astronomy seminar.
Immediately, I responded that a telescope larger than an NBA basketball court on top of a religious sanction is unjust, especially when astronomy boasts a history of being white and male-dominated. But my peer continued, urging me to consider the “greater good” of a telescope capable of producing images ten times clearer than the Hubble. If the field of astronomy itself may be revolutionized by this powerful telescope, wouldn't it be worth the sacrifices?
Not only did the class ponder her argument, but so did I. On one hand, I agreed that the TMT, having been proposed for two decades, would bring unprecedented observation. Dark matter could finally be solved! But I couldn’t let the dilemma be presented as a simple trolley problem, with the construction displacing hundreds and blatantly subjugating native perspectives.
Now I imagined numerous well-qualified candidates arguing over the same issue at the National Science Foundation. How could my opinion be worthwhile?
The core of my rebuttal lied in my own identity. As a Muslim, I shared the idea of a holy land and made the comparison of Mauna Kea to Mecca and Jerusalem to stress the severity of the situation to my class. Though not initially apparent, the future of STEM lied in my argument. Will science continue to erase the opinions of underserved communities in order to advance?
“The indigenous opinions are crucial.” I realized my voice, like theirs, was essential. If minorities are not represented in STEM, fields like astronomy will uphold their white-dominated history. Even though the debate did not end in a clear-cut answer, much like the conjecture at the NSF, it was an invaluable experience that shed light on my own role in science. From nearly becoming a child bride to being accepted to MITES, I am a scientist that the STEM field needs. When my classmates resonated with my answers, I realized science has many pressing issues that affect my community. In the upcoming year, I built my own Science Club based on the same core issue I faced in the academic debate. At college, I aim to learn how the future of science is being handled in real-time, including through professors and college students, all while cementing my own indispensable place within the field.