ZEITGEIST Thursday, November 14, 2019
A LITERARY MAGAZINE
painting yyoouurr b l a n k canvas
VOLUME 6 - 2019-2020 Academia del Perpetuo Socorro 704 José Martí Street Miramar, Puerto Rico 00907
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ZEITGEIST LITERARY MAGAZINE
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR As Zeitgeist enters its third year, the members of the club are more excited than ever to bring the school community this first issue of the 20192020 academic year. We sought to choose a topic that would be relevant to everyone and influence them in some way, so we ended up tasking our writers to talk about “Painting your own blank canvas.” Members of the club also painted the magazine’s blank canvas by collectively working on the cover art. Throughout this publication, you will be able to see the different approaches that were taken to this prompt. Every single day, we paint the blank canvas of our life without realizing it. Our experiences shape who we are and who we will be, so with each decision we make, we are picking up our paintbrush and painting a new portion of the canvas that is our life. However, this edition is not limited to our prompt. We always like to incorporate current events into our magazine, so you’ll find several treats about Halloween mixed into the rest of the pieces. I’m proud of every single artist who worked on this version of Zeitgeist, and hope you enjoy reading it as much as we enjoyed the process of crafting it.
Thursday, November 14, 2019
We thank all our members: Zeitgeist Board Prof. Mari Vega: Club Moderator Harold Peón (12): Editor-in-chief Claudia Figueroa (11): Assistant Editor Carlos Méndez (11): Secretary Ricardo Mercadé (12): Art Director Julia García (12): Graphic Designer Ariana Viera (11): Publicist
Zeitgeist Contributors Amara Villarini (12) Ana Laura Pérez (12) Pablo Ramirez (11) Claudia López (11) Mariana Salinas (11) Tiare Sierra (11) Jimena Lin (11) Valentina Mercado (10) José Méndez (9) Lucía Garrido (9) Álvaro Ramal (9) Carolina Aguayo (9) Catalina Echegoyen (9) Estefanía Berio (9) Yénesis Cintrón (9)
- Harold Peón, Editor-in-chief Printed versions of this edition will be distributed in November 2019. Zeitgeist encourages students from any grade that are passionate about cultural and artistic endeavors to join the club or to contribute to the magazine! Academia del Perpetuo Socorro is not affiliated with any of the opinions expressed in this publication. All authors reserve rights to their work. Visit the website for more information: zeitgeistlitmag.com
Thursday, November 14, 2019
ZEITGEIST LITERARY MAGAZINE
HIGHLIGHTS
Poetry
Choices by Estefanía Berio ..................................................... 5 Change by Carolina Aguayo ................................................... 5 New Beginnings by José Méndez ......................................... 6 Blank by Pablo Ramírez .......................................................... 6 waves by Claudia Figueroa .....................................................6 Jolly Halloween by Carlos Méndez ..................................... 7
Stories Strokes of Color by Lucía Garrido ...................................... 9 A Blank Canvas, Full of Goals by Yénesis Cintrón ........ 10 Embracing New Beginnings by Catalina Echegoyen .. 11
Essays Beyond the Glass by Crude ................................................... 13 The History of Halloween by Yénesis Cintrón .............. 14
You Are Zeitgeist Who is Zeitgeist?....................................................................... 16 The Joker Movie Review by Álvaro Ramal ..................... 18 A Playlist for Halloween by Julia García ......................... 18 Horrorscopes by Tiare Sierra and Mariana Salinas..... 19
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Art by EstefanĂa Berio
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ZEITGEIST LITERARY MAGAZINE
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Art by Isabella Burckhart
Choices
Estefanía Berio
Starting a new year Yet another fresh start The future isn’t very clear Should you listen to your heart?
The pain from a nearly forgotten past The excitement of what’s ahead Is everything going to last? Where has everything led?
Change Carolina Aguayo
Art by Claudia López
it’s sometimes unpredictable inevitable unwanted at the moment it may fill us with rage it’s like turning to a new page one that can’t be arranged how we would want it to be
The paths are laid out in front of you Which one will you take? After everything you’ve been through Are you finally awake?
although it may seem strange it’ll just get tougher with age we’ll have decisions we would rather change we’ll always look for something new
Mistakes have been made But now they’ve been erased Past memories left to fade Leaving space for new ones to be placed
New opportunity, New chance, New beginning, We’ll look for a change
Art by Mariana Salinas
ZEITGEIST LITERARY MAGAZINE
Thursday, November 14, 2019
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New Beginnings José José Méndez Méndez Art by Carlos Méndez
A new year is here Full of worry and fear It's not time for you To feel down and blue
Don't be scared Just be prepared To paint your own canvas
Blank
Pablo Pablo Ramirez Ramirez
Blank canvas So innocent and pure with day to day madness It’s painted by you
From blank To whatever you create You make each decision Smearing paint on it
Not ruining it No, never But making it yours Only yours
waves
Claudia Figueroa
a broken ocean lies stagnant under a blazing savage sun shattering the glass severely with its smile are those tears floating in the sky? the clouds, now in the depths are they jealous the weeping waters took their righteous place? it is madness: see it to believe it drops of salt infused water arise the ocean waves crash and roar the rocks tremble with their shock
Art by Tiare Sierra
the waters are in chaos not one man will be strong enough to defeat the potent whips of those forceful waves fearful beings fearful hearts only emotions, only heartbreak defeat us to control us
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ZEITGEIST LITERARY MAGAZINE
Jolly Hallow e e n Carlos Carlos MĂŠndez MĂŠndez As the chilly days near in autumn of the year the leaves begin to wither, and the twilights, dark and long hither. Let's rejoice our jolly Halloween. They emerge tonight. Every sprite, devil, ghost, and ghoul. They will rise, possess, creep, and kill. The scarecrows say: "What a thrill!" and rejoice their jolly Halloween. Watch, listen and fear this dreadful night. With red, orange, and golden light, the jack-o'-lanterns shine so bright. Forever, we ghosts remain unseen, as we celebrate our jolly Halloween.
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Art by Harold Peรณn
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S h a d e s o f CLucĂa o l oGarrido r
The time came when the Creator of the Universe was tasked with painting the blank slate, my mind, as I entered a new era, a new life. With a brush in hand, He set about covering the entirety of the canvas with a vast array of colors. He started with memories He thought I should keep and dipped the brush in a light blush to remind me of my childhood: the time spent under a soft blanket, laughing with my sister. A shade of blue that resembled the ocean on a warm summer day quickly followed, allowing me to never forget where I came from. He continued in such a way, even adding darker tones, because He knew I’d need the lessons I had learned, painful as some may be. With strokes of green, He added to the painting the understanding of the vastness of the world and desire to travel it. The canvas was now filled with bright splashes of colors all around, and the Creator took a step back to admire his work. He was shocked when he realized He had left a blank spot. He took a brush and tried to cover the space with paint, but it remained bare. This spot represented the future, and would be filled with whatever colors I decided mine would have.
Art by Catalina Echegoyen
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A ooff GGooaallss A BBllaannkk CCaannvvaass,, FFuullllYénesis Cintrón Yénesis Cintrón
So much had to be done. Finish the homework, study for tests, attend clubs’ meetings, track and field practice, help out in her community... Sadie felt overwhelmed by all the activities she had to do throughout the day. With all of this, she never had time to focus on determining, realizing, and accomplishing her personal goals. There was so much to accomplish, yet Sadie never had time. “That’s it.” Sadie told herself. “Yes, there are so many things that I need to do, but I’ll do them later. I need to focus on myself, even if it’s just for a few hours. I can do the homework and study later.” With that in mind, Sadie set herself to this and started brainstorming on Art by Valentina Mercado things she’d like to accomplish this year. Her new year was a blank canvas. A canvas that she was to cover with her personal goals, things she’d like to change, and also the activities in which she participates because, even though they could be a bit exhausting, she still enjoyed them. Hundreds of ideas came to her at once. She focused on the one she thought about most of the time, even during her classes: writing. Sadie loved to write. She loved creating characters, places, a world that was different compared to the one she was actually in. She wrote this idea in a paper and started imagining how her blank canvas would look with just this idea in mind. Her other goal was researching about things that caught her attention. This could be the latest article NASA released about the Andromeda Galaxy, the biography of Angelica Schyuler, the story behind the building of Hagia Sophia, or even a new helpful herb that could aid someone in a specific medical condition. “Some people”, she thought, “aren’t so interested in these topics, but I am. And I am going to add this to my list of goals and the picture I have of my blank canvas. Who knows? Maybe I’ll actually paint a blank canvas based on my goals for this year.” Spending more time outdoors was another one of Sadie’s goals. She would always think about visiting the beach, rivers, mountains, and lakes. She felt that, with all her frequent deadlines, she never had time to truly explore her natural surroundings. “It would be fun. To just go outside, with a backpack filled with a few essential things, not knowing my destination, just keep walking, and simply observe whatever I find in my path. Some people might think I’m crazy to just randomly take a walk, not knowing where I’m heading or what I might be faced with, but if I never do this, then I might never experience what people say about ‘living your life.’” Aside from these goals though, there were so many others. Sadie wanted to learn a new language, travel all over the world, visit archeology museums, and even grow her own small garden. As these ideas came to her mind, she would write them on the paper, and sometimes add little notes. For example, beside her goal for learning a new language, she would write Turkish; beside growing her own small garden, “Don’t forget tulips, and maybe try for food, like tomatoes.” As she augmented her list with more goals, she kept sketching in her head how her blank canvas would look. Sadie wasn’t exactly an artist, but she could draw some small things, and even more if she puts her mind to it. “You know what?”, Sadie thought to herself, “I’m going to add this to my list of goals: drawing. Then, I’ll paint that blank canvas with my goals.” She knew that if she drew in her blank canvas, she would accomplish anything she sought to do this year.
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mbbrraacciinngg N Neew w BBeeggiinnnniinnggss EEm Art by Ariana Viera
Catalina Catalina Echegoyen Echegoyen
Gabrielle had always been satisfied with her life. She was a typical middle school student with good grades, spectacular friends, and nothing severe affecting her everyday life. Gabrielle had always been a smiling, carefree young girl. Yet all of this changed when she was forced to move and start over in a place she knew absolutely nothing about. When Gabrielle first set foot in the United States, she knew it would only be for a short visit. This time, that was not the case. Moving from Colombia to Chicago was her mother’s choice, and it was the right thing to do given their economic situation. When her mother and father separated, Gabrielle’s life
slowly started crashing down. Her father abandoned them, moving to God knows where, and her mom was left with nothing but very little money and a career that didn't earn her much. She thought it best to look for job opportunities in order to continue her life with less worries, so she sat down and searched for job offers far from where they lived. She simply wished to get away from her country of birth and start new memories elsewhere, and just like that, a stupendous offer popped up in Chicago, Illinois. As this new life arose for them, she found herself feeling more worried than ever before. One night, as they lay in the humble, one-bedroom apartment they would have to call home for a while, Gabrielle faced her mom and asked her when things would start looking better for them both, as she was also feeling quite uneasy about the whole situation. The mother, surprised as she was by the question this young soul had just asked, considering how she was so worried about how this change had mainly affected her, contemplated the adequate words to answer her daughter’s inquisition. Thinking it all over, she sat up, tucking a piece of the girl’s hair behind her ear. Her light brown eyes faced Gabrielle’s gloomy ones and she quickly composed herself. The mother said, “Think of it as a start of a new chapter. A chapter full of endless possibilities that will blossom and become that of your greatest desire. Simply let go of the need to control your future and allow things to run swiftly. Adapt, grow as both a person and a student, and do what is expected of you. You’ll see how things will be much clearer once you do.” Gabrielle considered her mother’s prudent words and decided it was best to both acknowledge and act upon them, knowing it was the ideal thing to do. As time went on and Gabrielle progressed in her new school, she saw herself becoming friends with insightful human beings that were willing to support her unconditionally. People that seemed too sweet, too genuine for this little world we live in. As she sat in her school desk, assigned to write a short essay of “The Art of New Beginnings”, she wondered about how her life would have been if she had not followed her mother’s counsel. Everyday she felt strange at school, trying her best to adapt to this new chapter of her life, she remembered those wise words her mother told her that night. Those caring words she would repeat in her head every single day. Knowing this, she started writing down: “New beginnings are always starting and ending, even though we might not notice. We never get to decide whether or not our life gets to change; all we can do is hold tight and properly embrace them.“
Art by LucĂa Garrido
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B e y o n d t h e G l a s s Crude Crude
Famished and plump men lie on the dried up mud with hollow dark sockets similar to that of a dark corridor. Their skin is the color of burnt terracotta, slowly turning a hue of grey. Their story was never fully told and will be left a secret; no man ever discloses all their tales. The now brittle corpses are transferred to a cold room, this type of frigidness was never experienced by the corpses before. Invasive tools approach the still carcasses that lack all emotion due to the passing of time. The humid scent of bygone trinkets thumps the nose at Chicago’s Museum of Archaeology. The fragrance gets impregnated in the cotton of clothing and does not let go; it serves as a memento from your visit. The crisp white floor reflects each of the solitary exhibitions that only a few spectators watch through the glass veil that restricts any interaction. The coolness nestles each exhibition, preventing them from aging, it also holds the last bits of something that is barely a silhouette. These silhouettes hold history that will never be revealed; this realization acts as a stimuli for the imagination. The most baffling silhouettes are those of pottery. The surfaces divert from the color of peaches in the midst of summer to the color of what is left on an ashtray that has not been cleaned for way too long. Its figure may be tall and skinny or squat and bloated. What truly makes pottery the focal point in an ocean full of precious stones is the lack of personality. They are bland and need the imaginativeness of each spectator to inculcate into them. Here is where their story is finally told. A lanky boy balances his limbs to carry the sizeable ceramic pot over his head effectively. He feels each grain of sand but has grown immune to the scorching feeling that accompanies it. His shaky hands barely hold the pot because it is full of that which will tranquilize a parched mouth. He finally arrives at the place he calls home and cautiously dismounts the pot from his head and places it with his collection of other pots. He has fulfilled his duty. These pots, with the passing of time, will become famished and plump men that will lie for much too long. When these are to be picked up once again, they will be a product of ignorance: their story will be lost. So for those who spectate, craft an alluring tale for the men that lie and for the other gems found in a museum. These ingenious tales are what make the experience worth a while, because it lets the mind run free while restoring what was once lost.
Art by Ana Laura PĂŠrez
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H i s t o r y o f H a l l o w e e nYénesis Yénesis Cintrón Cintrón October 31 is usually the only day of the year when one can dress as a character of preference, whichever it may be, and not be considered weird. It’s because on this day we celebrate Halloween. Though, we do celebrate it annually, we don’t really know about its origin. Nor do we really know why we celebrate it the way we do. The roots of Halloween originated in what today is Ireland, but was back then the land of the ancient Celtics. The Celtics had a festival for marking the end of harvest season and the start of what they considered to be the dark time of the year, associated with human death. This festival is called Samhain. The common thought back then was that when the dark time of the year arrives, ghosts of the dead would return to Earth. To ward off the ghosts, the Celtics would light bonfires and wear costumes. During the time of the Roman Empire, Samhain was combined with other festivals such as Feralia, which commemorated the passing of the dead, and Pomona, a Roman goddess whose symbol was the apple, hence the tradition of bobbing apples on Halloween. During the Middle Ages, Samhain was also combined with some Christian festivals. Some are All Souls’ Day, which was celebrated to honor the dead on November 2, and All Saints’ Day, which celebrates all of those who have entered Heaven. The night before All Saints’ Day, also referred to as All-Hallows, was called All-Hallows Eve. Throughout time, All-Hallows Eve changed to the name of Halloween. When Halloween came to America, scary story-telling and reading each other’s fortunes became customs, mostly throughout the southern colonies. Halloween evolved greatly throughout the 20th century. In the 1920’s, neighborhoods started organizing activities such as trick-ortreating, haunted houses, and costume parties to keep pranksters from creating chaos on Halloween night. From the 1930’s to the 1990’s, new costume ideas occurred constantly and many of those ideas can be seen today. Some of those involved making more costumes for children, to dressing up as characters from movies, to masks, to dressing up as horror characters. Halloween is a celebration that has changed a lot throughout time, and today, it has become a day for fun, spooky activities.
Art by Claudia Figueroa
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Writer Profiles
Zeitgeist wants to celebrate its new writers, as they will contribute to painting the blank canvas that is the future of our literary magazine. Read about why our contributors write, and learn a little bit more about who they are.
José "Millo" Méndez Millo joined the Zeitgeist family this year, during his 9th grade. His first
Welcome to
piece, New Beginnings, is featured in this issue. He describes himself as a pretty reserved and laid-back writer, and believes that writing is "the absolute best way to express feelings."
Estefanía "Tete" Berio Baquero Tete is currently in the ninth grade, but she has liked reading and writing since the fourth grade. Her friends describe her as caring, loyal,
Catalina "Cata" Echegoyen Cata is 14. She loves theater and music, and finds delight in both reading and writing. She enjoys writing short stories because of the opportunity it gives her to incorporate aspects of her real life. She is in 9th grade, and makes her Zeitgeist debut with her piece Embracing New Beginnings.
smart, and enthusiastic. She begins her journey in Zeitgeist with her piece Choices, featured in this issue.
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ZEITGEIST LITERARY MAGAZINE
Writer Profiles Yénesis Cintrón
Zeitgeist!
Yénesis is currently in 10th grade, and she just joined Zeitgeist this year. She's usually very quiet, and prefers listening over talking. However, she loves writing because it allows her to express herself very freely. "No one tells me what I can and can't write about."
Carolina Aguayo
Carolina describes herself as a very determined and driven person. She just joined Zeitgeist this year, so her first piece Changes, can be found in this issue, She enjoys writing because "it's the best way to understand a person's feelings, perspectives, and who they are as human beings."
Ana Laura Pérez Ana Laura is one of our artists. She is very indecisive, so it can take a while for her to draw something she likes. She's a Senior, and she decided to join Zeitgeist during her last year of high school. For her, art holds a special value because of how it can convey feelings while expressing information and history.
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J o k e rÁlvaro Álvaro Ramal Ramal
Thursday, November 14, 2019
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“Is it just me, or is it getting crazier out there?” Is a quote that truly sums up what is one of the best films of the decade. The second the movie started until the final credits rolled, I felt a chill down my spine. This feeling was mostly caused by Joaquin Phoenix’s outstanding and horrifying performance as Arthur Fleck, a deranged man who’s getting thrown into a cruel society against his will. You get to gradually see his descent into madness in a way that made the whole theater want to crumble in their seats and take a breather. Moments that will be talked about for years to come, came and went in these scenes so well shot, acted, written and scored that it will feel as if you’re watching a Scorsese film from the 70’s. It is a work of art in its own brutal, violent, realistic, and beautiful way. This movie will provoke many questions to be asked and debates yet to be answered about mental health, social media, gun laws, crime, and our society as a whole. I strongly suggest you to enter this film with an open mind and without hopes of a bat-shaped superhero coming in to save the day. No powers, acid chemicals, nor leather suits, just pure darkness, anarchy, and life.
A Playlist for Halloween Song: "End Credits" Soundtrack: Coraline
Song: "Sally's Song" Soundtrack: The Nightmare Before Christmas Song: "Hedwig's Theme" Soundtrack: Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone Song: "Oblivion" Artist: Grimes Song: "Me and The Devil" Artist: Soap&Skin
Julia Julia García García
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Horrorscope Tiare Sierra and Mariana Salinas
What is your fortune for this spooky season?
Scorpio Friendly tip: Stand your ground; value your power. Avoid… Putting limits on yourself and sealing your inner desires. What creature are you? Skeleton
Sagittarius Friendly Friendly tip: tip: Reflect Reflect on on your your current current priorities. priorities. Avoid… Avoid… Self Self depreciation. depreciation. What What creature creature are are you? you? Centaur Centaur
Capricorn Friendly tip: Show kindness to your peers. Avoid… Stubbornness and holding grudges. What creature are you? Chupacabras
pisces Friendly Friendly tip: tip: Strengthen Strengthen your your spiritual spiritual and and philosophical philosophical beliefs. beliefs. Avoid… Avoid… Focusing Focusing on on mistakes mistakes of of your your past. past. What What creature creature are are you? you? Mermaid Mermaid
Aquarius
Friendly tip: Focus on your creative energy. Avoid… Arrogance, selfishness and caving in. What creature are you? The Loch Ness monster
Aries Friendly tip: tip: Spend Spend more more time time with with yourself! yourself! Friendly Avoid…Wasting energy energy on on things things that that halt halt Avoid…Wasting your personal personal growth. growth. your What creature creature are are you? you? Zombie Zombie What
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Taurus Friendly tip: Be true to yourself. Avoid… Getting into problems with loved ones. What creature are you? Mummy
Gemini Friendly tip: Improve your communication skills. Avoid… Keeping your problems to yourself. What creature are you? Medusa
Leo
Cancer Friendly tip: tip: Give Give the the best best Friendly of yourself. yourself. of Avoid… Overthinking. Overthinking. Avoid… What creature creature are are you? you? What Fairy Fairy
Virgo Friendly tip: tip: Keep Keep Friendly working hard hard to to reach reach working perfection. perfection. Avoid… Expecting Expecting too too Avoid… much from from others. others. much What creature creature are are you? you? What Unicorn Unicorn
Friendly tip: Take some time to relax! Avoid… Negative thoughts. What creature are you? Ogre
Libra Friendly tip: Strive for progress and get ready for abundance. Avoid… Being satisfied with something less than what you deserve. What creature are you? Bigfoot