Zeitgeist Magazine Rev Dec. 3

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p.12 A LITERARY MAGAZINE Tuesday, <strong>Dec</strong>ember 5, 2017 ESSAYS The Invaluable Legacy Of Hurricane María September 20th of 2017 is a day that will forever prevail in Puerto Rican history. It was in the dawn of this dreaded day that María battered the island without an invitation. By late afternoon, she had departed, but left a legacy that will forever be remembered and felt. Every Puerto Rican witnessed the magnitude of this tragedy. Billions of dollars in losses, a destroyed electrical grid, and the government’s response may be some of the most trivial complications Puerto Rico faces, but these issues seem to be everything the press talks about. The media has incessantly exposed visible harm María did to the island, but is that all there is to this unwanted visitor? Did she not leave anything in consideration for the inhabitants of our home country? It may be an overstatement to call María a “blessing in disguise”, but some complications she brought upon us can be viewed from this perspective. María taught Puerto Ricans lessons they could not learn any other way. The destruction of the island’s electrical grid made people go outside and interact with their neighbors. It provided a hiatus from the overpowering, dominant presence of phones amid this generation. The massive material losses and relatively slow response from officials highlighted Puerto Ricans’ generosity; many were driven to provide essential resources for those who were severely affected by this catastrophic natural phenomenon. Hurricane María united Puerto Rico in a way that had never been seen before. It helped the island grow more hopeful, and each Puerto Rican persevered in their efforts to maintain hope and reconstruct, reenvision, and recreate the culturally enriching island we treasure and value so dearly. In Puerto Rico, creative alternatives to resources that are hard to attain are being devised. We have even recurred to other types of entertainment that do not require modern techonology, such as card games, that have brought us closer to one another in this time of crisis. Opportunity has been found amid all the adversity Hurricane María left in its path. Even though it may have weakened Puerto Rico in the short-term, the island will rise again, greater and stronger. - Harold Peón (10) Art by Elina Aguilar (12)
Tuesday, <strong>Dec</strong>ember 5, 2017 A LITERARY MAGAZINE p.13 ESSAYS The following essay stems from a College Application prompt. In the face of adversity, due to Hurricane María, Seniors were able to continue their college admissions process, and this written piece is an example of how resilience and perseverance can produce extraordinary results. “Tell a story from your life, describing an experience that either demonstrates your character or helped to shape it.” “The best way to be truly happy is by helping others.” Mother Rosa said that to me on my first missionary trip to Honduras. Soon after that journey abroad, three years ago, I was given the opportunity of a lifetime. An opportunity that shaped me into the person I am today. For the past three summers, during the first month of vacation, I have worked in the most amazing summer camp, established in Puerto Rico some fifteen years ago, a place called “Vida Alegre” - “Happy Life” in Spanish. A camp designed for disabled and special children who do not have the opportunity to participate in any other summer program because of their conditions. I started as a runner and my job focused on assisting the needs of all the children attending the camp each summer. A tough, but rewarding job that goes on all day: helping kids change clothes, transferring them to the pool for a great summer swim under our Caribbean sun, and feeding and helping them go the bathroom. The biggest part of the job is to constantly motivate them by giving them encouragements as they perform these daily tasks that seem so easy and normal to the rest of us. It is intense and exhausting work; however, at the end of the day, it is equally rewarding. Being a runner, I have the opportunity to share with all the kids in camp, but there is one very special kid that has become my dear friend. His name is Carlos, he is sixteen years old and has a smile a mile wide. He has a condition that affects his brain and, as a consequence, makes him deaf; he can only feel sound vibrations. We have nurtured each other for the past three summers. Often times I wonder who is really helping who? While we exercised doing aquatic therapies, he taught me sign language. However, that is not all I have learned from him; he also taught me patience, understanding, and happiness. When I see my pictures with Carlos from three years ago, I’m impressed by how much he has grown and, most importantly, how he has contributed to my personal growth too. I am very proud of all the kids in camp. I relish every little obstacle they overcome. I help them accomplish simple everyday tasks that are a challenge for them: holding the spoon correctly, kicking the ball into the porter’s lodge, and learning the words to our campy camp songs. This camp has played a huge part in my life. I would not recognize who I am if I had never been part of this beautiful experience and met the people who have changed my life forever. Like Mother Rosa said, find happiness while helping others. - Elina Aguilar (12)
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Zeitgeist Magazine Rev Dec. 3

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