zeitgeist Volume XII- December 2021
life as a fairytale
2021-2022 Academia del Perpetuo Socorro Miramar, Puerto Rico
letter from the editor When we were children, we dreamed of escaping to faraway lands to fly above kingdoms ripe with magic and enchantments. Our imaginations flowed with stories of princesses, heroes, evil witches, and enemy armies to defeat. As we grow, it is easy to forget everything we once wished was real, replacing it with mundane hopes and goals for our futures. We also forget that fairytales were a salutary distraction, a way to see our innermost thoughts reflected in impossible adventures and in characters with unfathomable gifts. Through this issue, the Zeitgeist club wants to create a window to the fairytales that still exist in our minds, those that fuse with reality until we cannot differentiate one from the other. We hope that you enjoy our stories, and that they are able to provide you with a safe haven in the midst of the chaos of daily life.
Lucía Garrido Zeitgeist Editor-In-Chief
highlights The Secret of the Masquerade.....4 Midas Touch.....................................5 The Library.......................................6 The Bright Path................................7 Highway of Dreams........................8 Just an Ordinary Day....................10 An Eternal Rescue..........................12 Classroom Number 8....................14 Nature and its Beauties.................16 Centenary Corner #2.....................18 Fairytale Name Generator............21 Book Recommendations..............22 Movie Recommendations............23 Playlist................................................24
executive board Club Moderator: Prof. Mari Vega Editor-In-Chief: Lucía Garrido Assistant Editor: Estefania Berio Art Director: Catalina Echegoyen Graphic Designer: Rocío Colón Secretary: Carolina Aguayo Treasurer: Alejandra Castro
members Adriana Echegoyen Alejandra Castro Alejandro Jiménez Alianys Hernández Álvaro Ramal Amelie Lepretre Amy Rafinski Camila Figueroa Carolina Aguayo Catalina Echegoyen Cecilia Bengoa Elena Garrido Estefanía Berio Fabiana Sierra Ingrid Rodríguez Isabella Burckhart Isabel Rodríguez Isabel Torres Ivette Berio José Méndez Juan Montañez Julia Cabezas Julianna Feliciano Julianna Murray Lucía Garrido Lucia Oliver Mariana Cabezas Mia González Mia Muñoz Patricia Mejía Paola Figueroa Rocío Colón Rocío Solá Roberto Busó Sabrina Rodríguez Sara Terrasa Sebastián Aponte Victoria Colón
The Secret of the Masquerade by Carolina Aguayo I dashed into the library to escape from the shadows. My ripped school uniform disintegrated into floating dust that circled me and followed a beautiful rhythm. Why is everyone wearing festive masks in the library? I asked myself, as I noticed the reflection of a beautiful dress on the glass door. Looking down, my eyes ran over the intricate flowers on a silver lined dress clinging to my body in all the right places. I gasped in disbelief. The magical dust had transformed my wardrobe and placed a mask, much like the ones the revelers wore in the library, over my eyes. Perplexed by this strange occurrence, but desperate to escape the silent hallway, I pulled the handle on the glass door. The boisterous music startled me as I observed my surroundings, no longer finding myself in a silent realm but rather in a lively environment. From the corner I noticed a huge banner hanging from the bookshelf that read “Welcome Dance 1689”. The dance had been transported to the year 1689. My classmates all wore elaborate dresses from the 17th century instead of their school uniforms. I was unable to discern who anyone was because they were all sporting masks to hide their identities. Before I could get a complete sense of the ambiance, a gentleman took me by the hand and guided me to the dance floor. We danced in circles while analyzing each other's mannerisms to decipher who we were dancing with. The serious stares we shared quickly evolved into buoyant laughter. After hours of dancing I sat with the unknown gentleman in the corner of the library and read a book with him. As the clock struck midnight, we took off our masks. My face fell and my eyes welled with tears when I realized I had been dancing with the shadows. I did not escape the darkness and the silence that had haunted me in the hallway; it simply presented itself differently, leading me into a dance and tricking me into finding happiness within it.
Midas Touch by Lucía Garrido
Her color had always been gold. The precious metal adorned every inch of her body, dripping from her ears, hugging her fingers, and binding her wrists. There was nothing she found more mesmerizing than seeing how the sunlight reflected off her jewelry. Its blinding scintillation made her feel like she had been written into a Greek myth in which she danced to the tune of a lyre or strode through the gates of Elysium. Or (and she always smiled to herself when she thought of this), she could have been an Incan high priestess bent in utmost reverence to Inti, the sun god, at the very peaks of the Andean mountains. She longed to be gifted with the Midas Touch, with the blessing of being able to turn anything around her into gold with a fleeting touch. In her stubborn daze, she failed to remember that in the myth, Midas found it to be more of a curse. Every day and night, at sunup and sundown, when golden light filtered in through her windows, she prayed fervently to every god she knew of. She prayed to have the Touch. She prayed to be the Touch itself, to be a divine gilded presence, to have the power to create something tangible that would outlive her. Unfortunately, the gods listened. They did not give her exactly what she wanted, however: they gave her something she would love initially and then often resent beyond what words could express. The gods gave everyone around her the ability to turn her into gold. With every praise, every smile, every nod of approval, every word of encouragement, every whisper of good luck and every vow of confidence, they slowly eroded her mortal skin until it became pure gold. She was gold, gold, gold. At first it thrilled her; it was exhilarating to turn into what she loved most in the world. She stared at her skin for hours on end, watching its seraphic shimmer catch the eyes of everyone who walked past. However, as the sun rose after a long night of watching the light of the stars reflect off her skin, she finally despaired as she felt the full blow of the curse rattle her. She was gold itself, but she couldn’t move. She was rendered immobile, joints fused by the metal that had poured through her veins until it lent her the rigid countenance of a statue. Dawn washed over the land, but she was frozen under the shade of an olive tree. She struggled to meet the sun outside the low hang of the branches, to feel at least an inch of its warmth and once again see how its rays were drawn to her luminescence. What good was it to be the incarnation of the sun if she was destined to be eternally eclipsed? She was cursed to live under the olive tree’s shadow, at least until a storm would come and rip it out from its very roots…
The Library by Amy Rafinski
The rustle of the leaves, the calming feel of the wind, it all brought me peace.
After I greeted my friends, and I got my books, I left for the library.
As I reached it, I thought about how it looked, no different from other libraries, yet somehow, it felt unique. Maybe the reason was because of its calmness, or perhaps the lighting? No, it was not that. It was the sight of the birds flying in the sky; the grace in their flight.
This feeling I could only find in that library. It made you start one book and finish ten. What made that library so special? It was its ability to make you go to a different world, just by the turn of a page, a world with peaceful nights and shining stars.
How I loved to be in that one blue chair. the one found in that unique library, next to the window where the birds chirped.
The Bright Path by Amelie Lepretre
The sun shone as it broke through some cracks on the school floor . Everywhere you looked, you could now see mushrooms. The walls, the floor, even the ceiling, were all infected with them. Big and small, wide and thin. It was strangely beautiful. The colors could blind your eye as much as the glistening sun. However, once you made yourself welcome here, you would surely be driven out. People still visited once in a while, though. So, the mushrooms started lighting up in the dark, wanting to be of help to students. There were no other lights here other than the sun and the mushrooms when it got dark. It was as if they had a mind of their own.
Art by: Victoria Colón
Highway of Dreams by Lucía Oliver
The clock read 5:38p.m. He looked out the foggy car window. The haze felt like a thick blanket that covered the afternoon skies. He saw the trees and mountains speeding by the window. He heard light rain and thunder in the distance. The highway was almost empty, with barely any vehicles on it. He felt so relaxed, which caused him to fall into a daze. Whenever he would fall asleep, he would always hope he would have a nice dream. He loved to dream. It was his favorite thing to do. He loved to see all the different creatures, people, and locations that his brain could conjure up. He always found it so fascinating. The first thing he saw in his dream was a massive river, most likely over seven miles wide, and hundreds of thousands of miles long. The water was extremely clear, to the point where you could see the bottom. It was probably around one hundred feet deep. He got closer and noticed that next to the river, there was a wooden sign that claimed the river’s water was safe for humans to consume. “Humans?” he thought. “Why would it say humans? No other living things can read…” He brushed off his thoughts and took a sip of the water. It tasted almost exactly like bottled water, but a little sweeter. He decided to wander around to try to find something interesting to do. After walking about a mile, he came across an old, abandoned, and worn-down cabin. It had spiderwebs all over, and all the windows were smashed in. He was a little scared at first, but he eventually pulled himself together and walked inside. When he walked inside, his jaw dropped. The old, dirty cabin looked like a gigantic, beautiful palace on the inside. He saw a long, red, and gold carpet that extended all the way to a gold and silver throne that was about twice the size of him. The long tables that decorated the halls had plates with generous amounts of food. The people sitting at them all seemed very familiar. They looked like people he had seen before, but with slightly disfigured faces. Near the throne, all the way down the carpet, a small dog, with a big, beautiful crown caught his eye. The crown had all sorts of rare and expensive gems. He walked down the long hall to take a closer look at the dog, but no one seemed to notice him. He felt as if he were being stared at, but no one was looking at him. He walked faster until he finally reached the throne. The dog sitting at the throne looked like his real dog, Kiki, except this dog was white with brown and black spots and it was about the size of a small mouse. The throne was surrounded by multiple guards with long and sharp blades. The dog started barking at him, and the guards charged forward. He felt all the blades piercing through him at once. He closed his eyes, not knowing what was going to happen. The next thing he knew, he was on the floor of a dense and foggy forest.
The forest had blue and purple trees that swayed beautifully in the wind. He rested for a few minutes before standing up and walking again. While wandering through this forest, he encountered small yet colorful gnomes, gigantic trees (whose roots were ten times bigger than him), broken down cars that were full of mold, fairies, small huts made of mud, and so many more things that he couldn’t comprehend. He felt so overwhelmed with beauty and joy. The last thing he saw was a small species of humanoids, inside the small mud huts. They all said “Look outside!” at the same time. Although confused, he didn’t think much of it, until he saw the land was darkened by an enormous eye covering the once blue skies. He panicked and started to sprint out of the forest, as he had a phobia of overly large objects. He kept running and running, but the forest never seemed to end. He kept seeing the same trees and rocks repeatedly. He ran for too long, and eventually stopped to catch his breath. He accidentally took a sneak peek at the eye. It kept getting closer and closer, until he felt himself being swallowed up by the eye; melted almost. He woke up to his mom staring at him. He was sweating. “Oh, you’re awake. Took you long enough.” his mom said. He put himself together and got out of the car. He spent the few remaining hours of his day thinking about his dream. It felt so strange. It felt so real. It felt so…eerie.
Just An Ordinary Day by Alejandro Jiménez It was an ordinary day for Héctor, nothing special and little to do. He woke up, brushed his teeth, and took a shower like usual. However, when he opened his curtain, he saw a humongous eagle! Now, when you see an eagle the size of a school bus outside of your window, you’re probably going to scream, and that’s exactly what he did. He screamed in terror and ran from the window. The bird proceeded to open the window and enter. Hector grabbed a broom that was resting on the wall near his bedroom door. “What’s your name, young one? You seemed scared, and I won’t blame you. You’re not used to things like me.” the bird spoke in a fancy accent. “My name is Héctor... leave my house!” “Héctor, what a nice name.” The bird mused, “I need your help. There is a rift connecting both of our worlds and you need to close it.” “Why me? I’m 13 and just moved here from Colombia! I don’t know how to close a gate connecting two worlds!” “The reason why you have to close it is simply because you’re the first human I have ever met. The location is right here on this map.” The bird pointed at an X on a map he procured from thin air. “I’ll help, but only if you give me something in return.” Héctor said reluctantly and dropped the broom in defeat. With no time to think it over, they began their flight towards the place marked on the map, which Héctor recognized as Bangladesh. While flying, they saw many magical creatures, like Pegasi, serpents and goblins. But none were like the eagle he was riding on; it was majestic in its colorful plumage. “Hold on, what’s your name?” Héctor asked. “Me? The name is Roc.” Suddenly, they heard a laugh coming from behind them. When they turned, there was a group of goblins on little rockets chasing them. “Not this again, not more nuisances.” Roc complained, “Héctor, get ready!” Roc threw Héctor off and he started falling fast towards what he perceived as the middle of nowhere. Above, Roc struggled to fend off the goblins' vicious attacks. Before he knew it, Héctor fell on a haystack. A young lady saw him and ran towards him. “Are you okay? Where did you come from?” “I’m fine, I think. Where am I?” Héctor said, ignoring her second question. “You’re in my shack. My name is Liz. What’s yours?” “My name is Héctor. Is there any way you can get me to Bangladesh?”
“So, you’re trying to close the rift, huh.” She said with a slight upturn of her lips. “Well, you’re in luck. I have a boat you can use.” “Wait, how did you know I wa-“ Héctor said, before being interrupted by Liz. “No time to waste! Let’s go!” Liz and Héctor got on the boat. She explained they were in Mexico, and that it would take a considerable time to reach Bangladesh. Once they were settled, Héctor heard a scream from the cabin Liz had gone into a mere ten minutes before. Overcome by curiosity, Héctor made his way down the stairs and pushed open the door to her cabin. He began to ask her if she was okay, but- “You’re a werewolf?!” He asked, laying wide eyes on her. Liz snarled and looked at Héctor. ”I thought I told you to stay in your cabin. I didn’t want to scare you, and I’m not an evil werewolf. I can control my instincts.” “You should have told me.” “There are more pressing matters at hand. Like the big eagle that was perched on the boat and was asked us for help get to the rift.” “That must be Roc! He’s not dead!” Héctor exclaimed. After reuniting with Roc, they sped to Bangladesh on Liz’s boat. There must have been some sort of magic pushing the boat, because in a few hours, the silhouette of the coast peeked through the haze. “We’re close; I can feel its power. If we don’t close it soon, dangerous otherworldly creatures might be able to come through.” Roc said worriedly. “We can do it. I was able to get my hands on these magic stones that can help us close it.” said Liz while giving Héctor a yellow stone, Roc a red stone and keeping a blue stone to herself. The daunting rift opened up in front of them. Héctor had let his imagination run wild, but even in his dreams he could not have fathomed the sheer magnitude of the opening. “How do we close it?” He asked bravely. “We go up to it with the stones and all touch it at the same time.” Liz said excitedly. “Multiple monsters are going to prevent it by pulling us away, so we need to do it quickly.” They got closer and closer, Liz and Héctor sprinted while Roc swooped low over the land. A swarm of goblins and ghouls appeared and tried to block their path. They rapidly hopped on Roc’s back and flew towards the rift. Héctor held on to his plumage as if his life depended on it. The waves of power that radiated from the rift tempted them to turn back, but they knew they hadn’t come this far to resort to cowardice. With a heroic jump, they pressed the stones to the rift and-
Héctor would have loved to watch the end of the story. However, he was jolted back to reality by his alarm clock, and was forced to follow his monotonous daily routine of brushing his teeth and taking a shower.
An Eternal Rescue by Mia Muñoz
She walked through the New York City streets with her head all focused on work, work, and more work. Recently moved to the city, Mae was an 18-year-old girl who had just graduated high school. She had moved to follow her dreams of becoming a lawyer. Fast-forward to a couple of months later, she became overwhelmed with so much work that she could barely function. “A 10-page essay, 200 pages to read, all for tomorrow... how am I going to do this?” She thought to herself. Mae started reading, and after an hour and a half, to clear her head, she decided to take a short stroll through Central Park. On her way back, the sun already setting, an antique store on 5th Avenue caught her eye and one glimpse at the display revealed beautiful, glowing gnomes, fairies, and small treehouses. She entered quickly and asked how much each piece was. The cashier, a nice old lady, said “Fifty cents each.” Mae, surprised at how low the price was for such beautiful items, bought five of each one. She happily walked back towards her apartment in Manhattan, cutting through Central Park again. Immediately when she arrived, she went to her balcony and decorated it with all the things that she bought. At around 6:40pm, she continued working on her essay and reading for an extra couple of hours. A while later, worn down by the long day, she went to sleep. The next morning, she woke up to a strange, light, and subtle voice. “Wake up!” the voice said repeatedly. As Mae opened her eyes, she was startled by what she saw in front of her. It had long ears, really white and fluffy hair, freckles, and hazel eyes. Mae immediately jumped out of her bed. “Who are you?” She asked the strange looking girl. “That’s not important right now, he needs our help!” “What?” “Come with me!” She dragged Mae out of the house, which made her realize that she wasn’t in her apartment; in fact, she wasn’t in New York City at all. She was dragged out of a small cottage house shaped like a mushroom, all covered in snow. She passed through several mushroom-shaped elf houses until the little elf girl said again, “Follow me! Help me save him please.” Mae, in utter confusion, asked “Who are you? Where am I? And who is this he I need to save?”
"Right, sit down, please.” Mae sat down and while admiring her surroundings, she listened closely to what the elf girl was saying. “My name is Elisha, I come from the Elfes family, which is pretty popular in this small town. This entire town is called Etherealis, and it’s made up of elves. One of our elves, Rory, got stuck on Earth. You see, there is a special type of store on Earth that sells our portals to this world. We’ve been able to travel to Earth from time to time and experience what it is like. Yesterday, a group of us went there, including Rory, but instead of him coming back through the portal, you did. We have to get Rory back in less than 72 hours. If we don’t, he might die on Earth since it’s not his usual habitat. We can’t stay on Earth for more than 72 hours and humans can’t stay on Etherealis for much time either, so both of you are in grave danger.” Mae stayed in complete shock after Elisha told her everything and immediately agreed to help Rory get back to Etherealis. Mae and Elisha spent two hours coming up with a plan to be able to get him back. “We start tomorrow, as early as possible, and make our way to the Everlysh Forest. There should be a portal there.” “So we just have to get to that forest and go through, right? How hard could that be?” Mae asked. “Right. When you go through the portal it automatically brings Rory back.” “Perfect. I’ll make sure to be ready tomorrow before the sun rises.” The next morning, they were ready just in time and made their way to the forest. It took more time than expected because they had to face a few obstacles they weren’t prepared for. They were minimal, but they made Mae and Elisha lose track of time. “We’re late! No one’s ever been late.” Elisha said. “Wait, am I not supposed to be dead? Since It’s been more than 72 hours...” Elisha and Mae exchanged a confused glance. “Well, it’s really only a myth, since no one’s been late ever before, everyone just assumed you died if you were late. Let’s see, try going through the portal to see what happens! Maybe it’ll let you through.” Mae agreed, as she slowly walked against the portal, she felt her soul being taken back to reality. As soon as she was sucked in by the portal, she was thrown out again into the elf world. “What is happening?” Mae was getting anxious as she realized she couldn’t go back to her reality. “If you can’t go back, it means Rory can’t get back...” That’s when they realized their life would now become an eternal rescue.
Classroom Number 8 by Cecilia Bengoa
There once was this girl named Mary, who went to a school called Perpetuo that she loved very much. One day, however, something absolutely crazy happened! “C’mon Saiki, we have class!” said Mary. “But I don’t wanna go”, Saiki said desperately. Mary dragged Saiki all the way upstairs to room 8, but when they arrived, it simply wasn’t there anymore. “Saiki, are you seeing the same thing I’m seeing..?!” Mary asked, concerned. “ Yup...” Saiki said in a shaky voice. Neither of them could see classroom number 8. “Saiki, how about we just ask someone? Maybe we are just hallucinating, right?!” Mary said. “You’re right, let’s ask”, Saiki replied. They walked around trying to find someone, until they saw a teacher walking by. The weird thing was, they’d never seen that teacher before. They went up to her and asked if she knew where to find classroom number 8. “Oh, yes, it’s right upstairs,“ the teacher said. They went upstairs and suddenly it was there, classroom number 8. They thought it was weird that the classroom appeared right when they had asked the teacher. They opened the door and saw the classroom, but instead of their classmates, they saw ghosts that looked like the Founding Fathers. “RUN!” Saiki screamed at the top of his lungs. They both ran off trying to seek some help. “Sir! Sir!” Mary said desperately. We saw a ghost!” “Please! Stop joking around, kids!“ the principal said. “But we are not joking!” Mary fought back, “Come, follow us!” “I don’t have time for this nonsense! I’m leaving.” The principal turned around and walked back down the hallway. “What are we going to do?“ Mary asked.
They consulted each other and decided that they would check classroom number 8 at night. “Are you ready, Mary?” Saiki asked. “Not really. But we have to figure this out, so let’s go!” Mary said with confidence. They opened classroom number 8 and there they were, the ghosts! They entered the room, and when they looked closer, they realized it was all just the Founding Fathers playing tricks on them. It wasn’t that scary, after all, so they got out of the classroom more relaxed. “I thought I was gonna die.” Saiki sighed. “Oh, please, don’t be so dramatic! “ Mary said. “Hey! What are you kids doing here!?” They turned to find a security guard shining a flashlight at them “RUN!” Saiki screamed for the second time that night.
#8
Nature and its Beauties
Anna Beltrán, Vianca Bravo, Clara Díaz, Nicolás Rovira, and Anna Velázquez (Collaborators from Mrs. Wanda's 10th grade class) One sunny summer day, Randy and his pet Paco, a Puerto Rican parrot, were exploring El Yunque, the national rainforest of Puerto Rico. They picked up fruits and admired the beautiful forest while walking. It was a perfect day to appreciate nature and the resources it had; after all, they owned a small portion of the land. Randy and Paco saw the waterfalls and pointed out the majestic flor de maga while hearing the birds humming. While walking through the land that they owned, they saw their foes: Santiago, a vicious man and his pet Remi, the guaraguao. Alongside them, they saw a group of what seemed like constructors measuring and observing the terrain. Randy knew what would happen because it had happened before. Santiago approached Randy and told him that the tourist company wished to buy a portion of Randy’s land to expand tourism in El Yunque. Randy and Paco were surprised. The only time that Santiago had approached Randy was to buy his land to create luxury resorts and extravagant mansions. Santiago and Remi were greedy; they wanted money and would do anything to get it. Santiago saw the beauty of El Yunque as an economic opportunity to buy and sell the few private lands in the area and become rich. The situation was ironic since some of Remi’s family of guaraguaos lived in the forest and Santiago had grown up in El Yunque. Remi wanted to be like his cousins and live in a city where prey could be in plain sight. He had learned that his cousin had recently moved to the Metropolitan area and had not stopped eating pigeons since he arrived. The guaraguao longed to live in that kind of environment, but he was loyal and refused to abandon his owner Santiago. After a brief conversation, Randy and Paco agreed to sell their land. They had to find a new home for Paco’s family since the parrot community had lived there ever since their habitat was destroyed to create luxury condos. At the time, Paco lost many members of his big family. His brother died while they were looking for a new place to live. Fortunately, the family met Randy and they had been inseparable ever since. They thought that by providing nature tours they could bring awareness to the issues of deforestation and loss of habitat. Paco felt he could make a true change by sharing his experience with the tourists. After a lot of thinking, Randy and Paco made their decision. They signed the deal with Remi and Santiago. Unfortunately, Paco and Randy were unaware Santiago and Remi’s bad intentions. Remi and Santiago never explained their plan to them thoroughly, because it consisted of building exotic mansions and a resort in El Yunque to urbanize the forest for money. They had told Paco and Randy that it was for a tourism company, and that they would protect El Yunque’s beauties. The deal was made and Remi and Santiago were now the owners of a portion of El Yunque. The next day, constructors arrived and it was clear that Randy and Paco had been tricked.
Paco and Randy were still in shock. Paco felt guilty and heartbroken because his family had lost its habitat. In the first weeks of construction, Paco and Randy attempted to buy their land back. There was nothing they could do. They felt even worse for El Yunque because in a matter of months, their home would be overtaken by concrete and the ecosystem would be destroyed. Although Randy had given up, Paco knew he had to take action. He called his friends and family to meet with the leader of El Yunque, a Puerto Rican boa named Rudolph who wanted the best for the rainforest and Puerto Rico. After Paco and the others spoke to him, Rudolph decided to order a trial to determine what the best course of action was. The trial went on for weeks. Paco, with his community, fought vigorously to win their land back. Few were on Remi’s side, but his arrogance encouraged him to keep fighting. After a considerable time, Rudolph came to a decision: that he would take no one’s side. Remi saw this as a win since it meant that the constructors could keep building. Paco was disappointed, but he was still determined to keep fighting. One Saturday morning, Remi and Santiago were meeting with the constructors when they heard loud animal sounds. They tried to find where they were coming from, but there was nothing around them. Ten seconds later, a large crowd of different species of animals were marching in their direction. They were all chanting: “We want our home back” and “Give us our land.” Rudolph confronted them because even though Paco and Randy had signed the papers, they had to ask Rudolph for permission before building. Remi and Santiago were kicked out. El Yunque was back to its original status and the animals were very happy. Paco woke up a few moments later. Unfortunately, this was all a dream that Paco had. There was no hope for them because Remi and Santiago had done everything to prevent anything from going wrong for themselves. There was nothing that Paco could do. Randy felt proud of Paco and ashamed of himself because he had failed his friend. At the time, the mansions were great for investing money, but after five years, a portion of El Yunque had lost its beauty and nature was destroyed. Remi and Santiago were not taking good care of it so people did not want to buy the mansions because the beauty that had been described to them was gone. Remi and Santiago acknowledged what they had done with regret. Paco and Randy moved to a different location along with many other species. They were thriving, but still sad they couldn’t save their beloved former home. Remi, Santiago, and all of us should learn a valuable lesson: “Nature must be untouched and valued by what it offers.” This story is an example of what humans do to nature. They make buildings and offer land to people that just destroy it because they want money. When you destroy nature, restoring it takes a lot of time- if it is even possible. Let’s protect our home and make sure our endangered species don’t lose their habitats.
Centenary Corner #2
by José Méndez
Along with Perpetuo’s centenary year, we celebrate Prof. Miranda’s last year with the school. She has dedicated over three decades of her life to teaching and has been a part of Perpetuo’s community for over a third of it. Zeitgeist interviewed Prof. Miranda as a way to honor her years in Perpetuo and discuss how her experience with Perpetuo has been a fairytale to her.
What has your experience as a teacher in Perpetuo been like? Prof Miranda: “First off, I never thought I would end up in Perpetuo. Back in high school, they used to be our rivals. Life has a way of working around things… Eventually, the English Department position for 7th grade was vacant. I was back like a fish in the water… One thing about my teaching is I give a lot of work… and even though students complained, they ultimately got it. Years down the line, when I least expect it, a student finds and thanks me for pushing them. It’s the students that keep me going. They are my medicine and make me come alive with their vitality, ideas, and their creativity. However, years do not pass without leaving their mark. The body tells you when it’s time to take a little rest… Teaching is not my job; it is my vocation. I want to be the tool that facilitates learning for my students; I cannot force them to do it… “Todos somos aves de paso,” when we are here, we do everything we can to the best of our abilities, but no one is indispensable. Others will come around. That is what is excellent about Perpetuo: most of the teachers are like that, and they want to be that tool for the students.”
Has the students’ writing style changed over the years you have been teaching? Is there anything in particular that stands out? Prof Miranda: “I’ve always had students that come in with the natural ability to write, and I always encourage them to keep at it. Most times, they don’t even know how good they are... Right now, I have some students with their own styles. Style usually takes a long time to develop. It is amazing and impressive how they have accomplished so much already.”
What comes to mind when you hear the phrase “Perpetuo as a fairytale”? Prof Miranda: “I’ve always admired Perpetuo’s creativity and art in terms of performances. Recently Terán’s and Vázquez’s plays and concerts have been beautiful… I don’t know music, but I love to sing. Not only does Perpetuo develop a child’s intellectual ability, but also the little artist in them.”
Everything in life happens for a reason, and, one way or another, it all works out. Ever since Prof. Miranda was a student at Sagrado Corazón, she has been all too familiar with Perpetuo. So when Perpetuo called her to substitute a teacher for a few months, she knew that although it would be a significant change, it would be worth it. Perpetuo’s Middle School has been Prof. Miranda’s home for a few years now. Her methods of teaching aim to immerse the students in the class subject and produce spontaneous reactions. She has developed excellent relationships with the students. Not only do they learn a lot from Prof. Miranda, but she also learns much from them. She credits them for her long career. During adversity, Prof. Miranda does not shy away from Perpetuo; she embraces the community.
When she was a student and thought she could not accomplish something, her teachers convinced her otherwise. It is because of her great teachers that Prof. Miranda ended up following in their footsteps. She mentions that Perpetuo is unique because most of its teachers are, like we know her to be, genuine and noble. They care for their students and make it a top priority for them to learn in a fun and entertaining manner. Prof. Miranda is continuously impressed by her students’ ability to write. Even though many don’t know it, they are writers and poets at heart. She occasionally assigns students to write a short story with vocabulary words, and their submissions are extraordinary. They subconsciously utilize humor and other techniques to produce an excellent literary piece. Even though Prof. Miranda has had fewer writers in recent years, their talents are phenomenal and not like many she has seen. Even when she was a student at Sagrado Corazón, Prof. Miranda admired Perpetuo and its exceptional performances. They have always been so beautifully put together. This year, she intends to participate in the Drama Club’s interpretation of Bienvenido don Goyito, a wonderful send-off for Prof. Miranda. Perpetuo has always been great because it acknowledges other aspects of a student’s character. Intellect is not the only supporting element to their future success.
Congratulations, Prof. Miranda, on an amazing career! On behalf of the students, thank you for your time, dedication, and hard-work. You don’t know how much you have done for us. I hope you have a wonderful year, and you get a well-deserved rest. We love you, take care.
Fairytale Name Generator First letter of your first name A: Adventurous B: Bizarre C: Courageous D: Dark E: Enchanted F: Flamboyant G: Grumpy H: Haunting I: Imaginary J: Jittery K: Kindhearted L: Lonely M: Mysterious N: Nimble O: Omniscient P: Powerless Q: Querulous R: Radiant S: Spiritual T: Truthful U: Unhappy V: Violent W: Wise X: Rare Y: Youthful Z: Zealous
Your birth month January: Faun February: Cyclops March: Leprechaun April: Mermaid May: Faerie June: Werewolf July: Goblin August: Monarch September: Dragon October: Ogre November: Vampire December: Nixie
books books By: Estefanía Berio and Lucía Garrido
movies By: Catalina Echegoyen
playlist By: Catalina Echegoyen & Mia González Season of the Witch - Donovan Rhiannon - Fleetwood Mac Planet Caravan - Black Sabbath Pink Moon - Nick Drake Woodland - The Paper Kites People Are Strange - The Doors Superstition - Stevie Wonder Doin' Time - Lana del Rey Solider, Poet, King - The Oh Hellos Like Real People Do - Hozier Cherry Wine - Hozier Castles Made of Sand - Jimi Hendrix Into Dust - Mazzy Star Magic Man - Heart Amoeba - Clairo warm glow - Hippo Campus Francis Forever - Mitski gold rush - Taylor Swift My Heart is Buried in Venice - Ricky Montgomery the lakes - Taylor Swift The Guilty Party - Matt Elliott April Come She Will - Simon and Garfunkel Cactus Tree - Joni Mitchell In Your Arms - Sunbeam Sound Machine When the Sun Hits - Slowdive
