It is with great pride that the RamPage presents its first bilingual section, the Latino RamPage supplement. Editorial coordinator Yeritza Mejia and her team are among the many students at MCSM for whom Spanish is a first language. Unlike many parts of the world where every citizen is fluent in more than one language, America has always enjoyed being a huge nation where English is the only language everyone needs to learn. For that reason, Americans do not always value multi-lingual people as much as they should. The Latino RamPage exists in part to celebrate one particular form of bilinguality as well as to demonstrate the many advantages and pleasures of being able to translate your ideas from one language and cultural perspective into another. Every other month the Latino RamPage hopes to present unique bilingual points of view, as well as to practice the valuable skill of literary translation! So check it out! Pa’lante!
Ser Bilingüe
Al entrar a la secundaria muchos de nosotros experimentamos una tormenta de emociones y expectativas, estas expectativas son tanto buenas como malas. Podemos apreciar esta inseguridad de un punto de vista más abierto, ya que somos bilingües. Ser de otra nacionalidad o tener la habilidad de hablar más de un idioma nos da la ventaja de sobre salir entre muchos. A veces nuestro autoestima es derribado por un insignificante comentario sobre nuestro aspecto o nuestra forma de hablar, afectando así nuestro desarrollo educativo. Esto le sucede a muchos estudiantes que provienen de otros países, en muchas ocasiones e visto como otros compañeros se burlan o se ríen de nosotros los bilingües; por el simple hecho de no poder hablar Inglés correctamente. Lo que más me molesta es que muchos llegamos a creer lo que estas personas dicen, no quiero decir que los bilingües son mejores, si no que están tan capacitados como otros para realizar un trabajo. La superioridad hace que las personas se degraden los unos a los otros para mantener ese rango mayoritario. La única forma de poder combatir esta discriminación o “Bullying”, es manteniendo tu frente en alto, recordando que tu puedes hacer todo lo que te propongas.
Cree en ti y en nadie más, porque al final del día tu eres el autor de tus logros.
Aquella imperfección que veían, no es más que la ignorancia a la inteligencia que ellos no admitían.
Escrito por Domingo Fortuna.
Being Bilingual (English Translation)
Upon entering high school, many of us experience lots of emotions and expectations—as many negative expectations as good ones. Perhaps we experience these insecurities from a broader point of view because we are bilingual. Being of a different nationality, and/or being used to speaking more than one language, gives us certain advantages that allow us to overcome many difficulties.
At times, our self-esteem is undermined by insignificant comments about our looks, or the way we speak, and this interferes with our educational progress. This happens to many students who come from other countries, and many times I’ve seen how other classmates tease or laugh at us bilingual kids just because we don’t speak English correctly. What bothers me most is that many come to believe what these people say. I’m not trying to say that bilingual people are better people, but we are just as capable as others of doing good work. Feelings of superiority make people degrade others to maintain a sense of power or control. The only way to combat this form of “bullying” ( if you become its target), is to keep your head high, remembering that you can do everything you aspire to do. Believe in yourself and no one else, because at the end of the day you are the author of your own success. The “imperfections” others see in you are often nothing more than their ignorance of a style of intelligence that they refuse to embrace.
Just Thinking for Once!
I have been reading a very interesting book titled “The Adoration of Jenna Fox” by Mary E. Pearson. It’s about a seventeen-year-old girl who has just woken up from a year long coma, and is still recovering from the terrible accident that caused it. But, she has absolutely no recollection of her previous life or of anything that the people who claim to be her parents talk about. How does she know that “Jenna” is really her name? How come no one ever visits her? So many questions came into my mind while reading this book. For example, has anyone ever thought about how most of the time when a Writer, Producer, or Director creates a work of art about a person with any type of illness, they usually choose someone with cancer or heart disease? Why?
Nobody notices that psychogenic amnesia (also known as dissociative amnesia; a memory disorder characterized by a sudden retrograde autobiographical memory loss said to occur from a period of time from hours to years) is as big of a problem as any better known disability. I definitely understand why books and movies like “The Fault in Our Stars” are big hits; and that when you write something you want people to see it or read it because you obviously get profits from it. But then again, movies like 50 First Dates, starring Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore, show the serious consequences of non-fatal disabilities. 50 First Dates is about an ultimate bachelor facing the ultimate challenge when he meets a stunning girl with a great personality that years before they met had a car accident that damaged her memory. She forgets everything that happens daily when she wakes up the next morning, so she can’t remember anything that happens after her accident. She is always stuck on that day and her brother and father always recreate that day excluding the accident so she won’t suffer. But one day she meets the bachelor (Adam Sandler) and he ultimately decides to make her fall in love with him every day, videotaping what they do, so that she can see what happens over the years they are together. Isn’t that an amazing plot for a movie? She doesn’t have to die or never be able to have children for the story to be interesting, don’t you think?
Also, how come writers, directors, or producers like to write so much about the struggles in the life of substance abusers, as if addiction is a brain disease when is definitely not. I believe that addiction is a choice, and by creating a work of art about such a sad choice, what are they expecting? Why do they expect audience compassion and empathy for substance abusers when they really don’t deserve it? I’m not trying to be mean, but addicts make their own decisions, and once you decide to make that decision as an adult you should really face the consequences as an adult. So I personally don’t think movies and books about the struggles of addicted people are appropriate.
Solo Pensando Una Vez al Año (Spanish Translation)
He estado leyendo un libro muy interesante titulado “La adoración de Jenna Fox” por Mary E. Pearson, el cual se basa de una chica (Jenna) de diecisiete años de edad; quien acababa de despertar tras un año en estado de coma, y que todavía se recupera del terrible accidente que lo causó. Jenna no tiene absolutamente ningún recuerdo sobre su vida, o sobre las personas que dicen ser sus padres. ¿Cómo sabe si Jenna es realmente su nombre? o ¿Por que nadie la visita? Estas preguntas vinieron a mi mente al leer este libro. ¿Alguien ha pensado alguna vez en cómo la mayoría de las veces cuando un escritor crea una novela, un productor una película, o director un artículo; sobre una persona con cualquier tipo de discapacidad suelen elegir a alguien con cáncer o enfermedades del corazón?
Nadie se da cuenta de que la amnesia psicógena también conocida como amnesia disociativa; un trastorno de la memoria que se caracteriza por una pérdida de memoria autobiográfica retrógrada repentina dice que ocurre a partir de un período de tiempo de horas a años y es tan grande como cualquier discapacidad. Definitivamente entiendo los libros y películas como “la falta en nuestras estrellas” que es un gran éxito, y que el autor busca que las personas lo vean y/o lo lean, ya que obviamente obtiene beneficios de ella. Pero, de nuevo, películas como “50 primeras citas”, protagonizada por Adam Sandler y Drew Barrymore quien esta apunto de obtener una licenciatura, pero antes de conseguirla la vida le pone un último desafío. Este conoce a una chica impresionante, con una gran personalidad, pero ella años antes de que se conocieran tuvo un accidente automovilístico que provocó un daño permanente en su memoria; por lo cual olvida lo que sucede diariamente después del accidente debido a esto se ve estancada en ese día, mientras su hermano y su padre intentan recrearlo excluyendo el accidente para no hacerla sufrir. Un día conoce a un chico (Adam Sandler) del cual se enamora todos los días y graba lo sucedido para observar los últimos años que esten juntos. ¿No es esto una increíble trama para una película? Ella no tiene que morir o no ser capaz de tener hijos para que la historia sea interesante.
¿Que crees tu?
Redactado por Scarlett Vargas
CIEGO AMOR por Yeritza Mejia
¿Por qué “separado” se escribe todo junto y “todo junto” se escribe separado?
Esta es una de las muchas frases que habitan en mi cabeza. Me da a entender que una cosa va de mano de otra, estando juntos estamos separados por momentos, y si estamos separados estamos juntos en un mismo mundo. Algo complicado pero yo me entiendo.
¿Que piensas tu?
PRIMER ACTO
Se abre el telón, Ana, una chica de ojos mieles y cabello castaño, vestida con una bata blanca de la cual parece salir una luz cálida y brillante que la cubre completamente, dándole un toque dorado a su piel. Está sentada en el césped, mirando fijamente a la nada; con un cuaderno en la mano y un vaso de limonada al lado. Toda la vida se ha preguntado, ¿si es verdad que una persona solo se enamora verdaderamente una vez? Si es asi, les voy a contar lo que le paso a su primer ultimo amor…
(vuelta al pasado)
ANA
Todo ocurrió una tarde de verano mientras daba un paseo por la playa, la misma playa en la que había crecido y de la que me alejaría dentro de unas poca semanas, podía oler el mar, la arena, y la frescura de la brisa. Cerré mis ojos imaginando como seria empezar de cero en un nuevo sitio en el que no conocería a nadie, sorprendentemente lo que vi me gusto. Sería como si volviera a nacer, podría elegir una nueva “identidad” si así lo quería, pero no lo haría; de todos modos solo hay una Ana como yo en el mundo y esa definitivamente soy yo.
De repente Ana ya no estaba de pie, sino tirada en medio de la playa, y se había llenado de arena. Ana levanta la cabeza y observa delante de ella unos tenis blancos seguidos por una piernas bronceadas, unas bermudas marrones y una camisilla del mismo color que lo tenis. Se levanta lentamente, mientras se sacude la arena de encima. Observa al chico delante de ella, era delgado pero definitivamente no era flacucho. Tenía pelo negro, ojos marrones, una boca pequeña con labios rosados, los cuales estaban entre abiertos. Cada músculo de su cuerpo estaba perfectamente marcado, incluso su abdomen el que podrás observar sin problemas a través de la camisilla.
CHICO
Lo lamento, no te he visto.
ANA
¿Como que no me has visto?
CHICO
Pues es un poco difícil ver si eres ciego
Ana baja la vista hacia la mano del chico, la cual sujeta bastón para invidentes en el que no había reparado antes, se cierra el telón.
SEGUNDO ACTO
Las cortinas se abren, ambos están sentados en la arena charlando y mirando al horizonte.
CHICO
Me llamo Erick
ANA
Mucho gusto, yo soy Ana
ERICK
¿Que haces aqui?
ANA
Solo paseaba mientras pensaba
ERICK
¿Y en qué pensabas?
ANA
Nada interesante, solo reflexionaba sobre mi vida
ERICK
Eso no es bueno, sabias
ANA
¿Por qué?
ERICK
Porque solemos reflexionar sobre las cosas que nos faltan en la vida, y eso solo nos deprime
Ambos se miran a los ojos, un segundo despues se besan; se apagan las luces.
TERCER ACTO
Se abre el telón, han pasado dos semanas y seis días desde que Ana y Erick se conocieron. Todas las tardes exactamente a las 17:00 horas se encontraban en la playa, justo en el mismo sitio en que se conocieron. Charlaban, se bañaban en el mar, o simplemente se abrazaban en silencio. Hoy por ejemplo estaban observando el cielo acostados en la arena, mientras Ana le decía a Erick las formas que veía en las nubes.
ANA
Esa nube se parece a ti
ERICK
¿Como una nube va tener mi aspecto?
ANA
No lo sé, únicamente tiene cierto parecido con tu cara, Erick, tengo algo que decirte
ERICK
Dime
ANA
Mañana me marcho
ERICK
¿Como que te vas? ¿A donde? ¿Cuando Regresas?
ANA
Me voy a New York y no regresaré
ERICK
¿Como que no regresaras?
ANA
Solo que no lo hare
ERICK
¿Hay algo que pueda hacer para evitarlo?
ANA
No
ERICK
¿No te volvere a ver?
ANA
Si
ERICK
Podemos estar juntos, aunque estemos separados por momentos
ANA
Nunca estaremos separados, estamos juntos en un mismo mundo
ERICK
Te amo
ANA
Te amo
[Se dan un último beso antes de separarse y tomar caminos opuestos, con la esperanza de volver a verse algún día… Ana lloraba mientras observa como la costa californiana se iba haciendo más pequeña desde la ventanilla del avión, al mismo tiempo su corazón se rompía en mil pedazos que nunca se volverían a unir. Había una cosa que Ana no le había contado a Erick, y era que estaba enferma con cáncer terminal y solo le quedaban cuatro días de vida. Se iva a New York, a morir en la ciudad que siempre había soñado visitar. Y si, ella tenía la esperanza de volver a ver a Erick, aunque fuera en el mas aya.]
Se apagan las luces y se cierra el telón.
FIN.
“BLIND LOVE” a short play by Yeritza Mejia (English Translation)
Offstage Voiceover: Why do we write the word “separated” as one unbroken word, but when we write “all together, or “all at once” we use words that are split apart? This is just one of the many thoughts that stick in my head. It makes me understand that everything goes from one hand to another; that while we are together we are still separated by moments; and even if we are separated we are still together in the same world. It’s a complicated thing but I think I understand it. What do you think?
ACT ONE
A theater curtain opens. We see Ana, a girl with honey-colored eyes and dark chestnut hair, dressed in a white nightgown which seems to exude a brilliant warm light all around her, giving a golden tint to her skin. She sits on the grass, staring fixedly into space, with a notebook in one hand and a glass of lemonade by her side. All her life she’s been asking: Is it true that a person finds true love only once in a lifetime? If so, then I’m going to tell you all what happened to her first and last love…
(Flashback)
ANA
“It all happened one summer afternoon while I was spending time on the beach; the same beach where I had grown up, and which I would miss when I left in a few more weeks: where I could smell the sea, the sand, and the cooling breeze. I closed my eyes imagining how it might be to start from scratch in a new place where I knew no one…and surprisingly, I liked what I saw. It would be like being born again, I’d be able to adopt a new identity if I wanted to. But I wouldn’t do that. No matter what, there was only one “Ana”, and I was definitely her.”.
Suddenly Ana is no longer standing. She is sprawled in the middle of the beach, covered with sand. Ana lifts her head and sees before her a pair of white tennis shoes followed by two bronzed legs, brown Bermuda shorts and a short tank top the same color as the sneakers. She gets up slowly, brushing the sand off her body. In front of her she sees a boy. He was slender but not too skinny. He had tan skin, brown eyes, and a small mouth with slightly pink lips. Every muscle on his body was sharply defined, even his tight abdomen which could be seen easily beneath his sleeveless shirt..
CHICO
“I’m sorry. I didn’t see you.”ANA
“How could you not see me?”CHICO
“Well, it’s a little hard to see if you are blind…”Ana lowers her gaze and sees the hand of the boy holding a white walking stick that she had failed to notice earlier. The theater curtain closes.
SEGUNDO ACTO
The curtains part again and we see both Ana and the blind boy sitting in the sand chatting with their faces turned towards the ocean horizon.
CHICO
“My name is Erick.”ANA
“Nice to meet you. I’m Ana.”ERICK
“What are you doing out here?”ANA
“Just walking around and thinking.”ERICK
“And what were you thinking about?”ANA
Nothing interesting. Just reflecting on my life.”ERICK
“That’s no good. Know why?”ANA
“Why?”ERICK
“Because we only reflect on the things we lack in life, and this only depresses us!”
The two hold hands. Ana stares into Erick’s eyes and a second later they kiss. The stage goes dark.
ACT THREE
The curtain opens. Two weeks have passed, and six days since Ana and Erick first met. Every afternoon exactly at five pm they meet on the beach at the same spot where they met. They talk, they bathe in the sea, or just embrace in silence. Today, for example, they lie on their backs in the sand gazing towards the sky, while Ana describes to Erick the shapes she sees in the clouds.
.
ANA
“That cloud looks like you!!”ERICK
“How can a cloud have my features?”ANA
“I don’t know, only it absolutely resembles your face. Erick…I have something to tell you.”ERICK
“Tell me.”ANA
“Tomorrow I’m going away.”ERICK
“Why are you going? Where? When will you come back?”ANA
“I’m going to New York, and I won’t be coming back.”ERICK
“How is it that you can’t come back?”ANA
“I just can’t.”ERICK
“Is there anything you can do to prevent it?”ANA
“No”ERICK
“You can’t come back to see me?”ANA
“No.”ERICK
“We can still be together, even though we are separated by moments.”ANA
“We will never be apart. Because we are together in the same world.”ERICK
“I love you.”ANA
“I love you.”They give each other one last kiss before going their separate ways, with the hope that one day they might see one another again. Ana cried as she watched the California coast line getting smaller in the distance through her tiny airplane window. At the same time her heart shattered into a million pieces, because, there was one other thing that she did not tell Erick. She did not tell him she was ill with terminal cancer and had only four more days to live. She was flying to New York because she had always dreamed of visiting that city before she died. And yes, she still had hopes of seeing Erick again, but it would have to be in the next world.
The stage lights dim. The theater curtain closes.
THE END
.
