The city of Boston is a marvelous one. Founded in 1630, it remains one of the most powerful in the nation. This capital has all the activities one could imagine and more. As a financial and intellectual power, Boston houses the most prestigious educational institutions, including MIT, Harvard, BC, Northeastern, and of course, the infamous Boston University.

The city is split into 23 neighborhoods. Some, like West Roxbury and Back Bay, are pitstops for suburban visitors. Lesser fanciful areas, like Dorchester and Mattapan (or Murderpan, as many city-folk would call it) are left in the dust. I'm not going to sugar coat it; potheads have taken over there.

I'm not talking some graphic graffiti and harmless catcalls. This is not a cause of the lack of communal value, but rather a product thereof. There is a lack of community, an absence of the sense that something binds us Bostonians. It seems like the only things we share are our love for Dunkin and occasional trips to downtown.

Boston needs to establish a sense of what once united us. Its communal vibes have been diminished by separation. Copley Square is only for the wealthy whites to shop, Chinatown for the Asians to work, East Boston for the Hispanics to jam to loud music. Simply walking down the Columbia Ave, I feel uncomfortable. I am stared at, stared down; I am a pariah in my own city.

Boston needs to be remembered for more than the Freedom Trail or Faneuil hall. It needs to be more than its singing Symphony hall or occupied downtown shops. Boston needs to immerse itself in a greater good. Some might claim lack of funding is to blame. But how much does it cost to clean a garden? Or host a volunteer event. Priceless. These do exist, but as one of the largest capitals in the US, we need more of them.

There are clearly plenty of problems in the city. The cleanliness of the MBTA, for one. The violence, the safety of the streets, the scarcity of cooperation. We are all human beings. We do have different

goals in life, but we also should enjoy it. Why can’t the city work together to accomplish these goals? Before we set goals for 2030, we must be prepared to face them. It seems like we are only #BostonStrong when someone decides to tear us apart. Or rather, show us that we’re broken.