2023 · Reconnecting · 2023
Hello! My name is Paola and this past winter quarter I had the privilege of taking ILAC 242: Poetry Workshop in Spanish, with the marvelous Dr. Cintia Santana. I had not written poetry since my very poor attempts in my high school journals— let alone poetry in Spanish. I must admit, I was slightly intimidated at the prospect of creating poetry once more. I was especially hesitant in my abilities to write formal poetry. However, the sonnet and romance ended up being my favorite exercises and I came to appreciate the limits of their metrics. Thematically, I explored quite the range of topics— being the eldest daughter of Mexican immigrants, questions of spatial displacement, questions of a more philosophical displacement of the self (or rather the many selves that we are), conversations with poets and artworks, conversations with cities faraway, and much more. These three poems are a small peek into this meditative experience! Read More ›
2023 · Debating · 2023
This screenplay draws influence from Bernard Williams's “The Women of Trachis” and “Utilitarianism and Moral Self-Indulgence”. This work questions the coping mechanisms humanity uses to rationalize and accept seemingly unnecessary pain and poses a new world to the reader in which pain can be reduced and minimized through time travel. Throughout the story, the characters commit premature murders to prevent tragedies. While Williams argues in favor of morally unsavory actions to achieve favorable outcomes, terrible actions are often retrospectively justified as “necessary evils”. In this story, the main character questions this notion through her hesitation to commit murder and her disbelief that her actions impact the future. Read More ›
2023 · Growing · 2023
Healthism is the belief that one's health is one's own responsibility. Living a healthy life is important for everyone and it is true that one's behavior contributes to health but there are many more factors that influence health. To improve the health of the United States, these problems must be addressed. Much of medicine, however, continues to focus on individual behavior rather than the whole picture. I wanted to express my concerns about healthism in comic form because I recognize that using different mediums to convey messages can be a powerful way to reach a broader audience, and comics can be particularly effective in engaging people who might not otherwise would interact with these important topics. Read More ›
2023 · Persevering · 2023
As a queer person of color, I find it important to tell queer stories. Therefore, Rainbow Crosses is a comic that deals with the treatment of members of the LGBTQ+ community in religious settings. This comic will be based on the Santos family, a conservative and religious family that lives in a small town outside of the city of Valencia. In this family, Ana Lucía Paulina Reyes-Santos, the youngest daughter of the family, is growing up and realizes her sexual orientation as a lesbian. However, from the beginning of the story, it is noticeable that his social environment does not allow him to express himself as such. In fact, through the first comic frames, it is noted that Juan Gabriel García-Santos, the father of Los Santos, dictates the behavior of others. Through the character of Juan, you will see a connection between religion, abuse, and his extremely macho perspective. His restless attitudes make us see the malice of this character. In addition, he will realize that Juan is a hypocrite speaking ill of people from the LGBTQ+ population while, as a university professor, he is being unfaithful to his wife with María Bernarda Paula Reyes de Santos, his children's teacher. The abusive and macho actions of the father do not allow the daughter to feel safe. Of course, at the Catholic school, the lesbian daughter doesn't feel safe until a new father named Padre Esperanza arrives, who comes to the school and talks about the importance of love and his desire to reform the church. Padre Esperanza talks with Ana and the two become friends. At the end of the play, the church father tries to convince the family of the fact that the daughter's sexual orientation is not a sin. Although the conservative father rejects the truth about his daughter, the mother walks away from her cheating husband and accepts her daughter for who she is. In short, this comic makes a social criticism because it shows the hypocrisy of human beings who cling to their religious beliefs without understanding the human perspective like that of members of the LGBTQ+ population. Read More ›
2023 · Growing · 2023
Ask any Salvadoran, and they'll be able to tell you about Menchedita Copalchines, or la Cocolina, or any other favorite character from when they read Cuentos de Cipotes as a child. Cuentos is the most beloved collection of short stories in El Salvador. Rather than writing Cuentos para Cipotes (Tales for Children), its renowned author, Salarrué, wanted to bring out the inner child in everyone by telling these simple, silly, and incredibly imaginative stories as if they were being narrated by children -- an effect I attempted to recreate in my own writing. I hope my humble translation of an unrivaled classic gives you a taste of Salvadoran culture and brings out your inner child. Read More ›