EmpoWer Presents:
M ake Kindness Contagious 2017
Human Kindness To be kind is to be human, and to be human is to be kind But why do we, as humans, act so cruelly to other humans But why do we, as humans, so often hurt other humans To be cruel is to be human but to be human is not to be cruel Cruelty is the rejection of benevolence, the death of compassion Cruelty is the fear of love, the absence of humanity To be nice is not the same as to be kind Kindness comes from within, niceness is merely just an action Deriving from an obligation Kindness is a quality, a precious trait Enough to protect love from hate There are passions in your heart capable of igniting a fire Anger, vexation, hate, and frustration So why not focus those flames on Empathy kindness, love, and compassion -Anonymous
“Positive Self-Talk� By: Anonymous you fall in love at thirteen it is may and you are sick again delicate and easy prey, you are but you pray: you are lost, you are found you are home, you are drowned time comes to a standstill and tensing up now; fight or flight burns in your veins you could feel this fleeting moment forever for the world is a mess and you are part of an unfortunate end but you are more powerful than you think than you know then, you know you paint and draw and talk and sing it’s nothing at first and too painful, but it is getting easier and you are out of love and in love and one hundred thousand different things you are infinite emotions, you are radiating love, and you are love and you are broken, but all the stronger for it and you are sick and well and better than before and you have fallen out of love with your sorrow finding new love in yourself, new love in others yes, you are still recovering but you wake up with a view of the world so different than it once was they say not to make homes of people, but you have made a home of yourself
Shadows There once lived a boy, Afraid of the dark. He jumped between shadows, And smiled at The sun. Every dawn was his birthday; Every dusk made him shiver. But no one quite knew How to fix his young mind. “No more monsters here”, said his father, just a whisper. “I’ll stay if you like, Scare them off, Keep you safe.”
And pulled him to the floor. Night passed by like oceans, they flowed. But his childhood fears, he never outgrew. Ten years later: avoiding the shadows. He walked home from High school, alone In the cold. He cooked himself dinner, alone; It was cold. His walk was erratic, his frown absolute. He felt like a shadow, so quiet, so slow.
And every night the dreams The boy knew better. Of a better tomorrow: Some shadows would scream, People who almost Some shadows might bite. Had talked, who But those weren’t the ones almost To keep him up at night. Had looked, who almost The darkest moved Had noticed him. Slow, The scariest ones Quiet. They dragged like a paste,
He almost felt warm. almost. I am a shadow, he thought, so cold.
There are shadows all around us; What is one more? What is one fewer? He was tired of fear, tired of quiet, tired of slow. Tired of shadows and dark, tired of light. Years passed by like nights, they flowed. The boy, pulled closer and closer to shadow. Until one night, by sheer happenstance. A stranger, now friend, Thought to give him a chance. The coffee was warm. The room was bright. All the cold of the world meant nothing in here. The boy soon talked, talked of everything, said it all. His hopes and his dreams, his thoughts and his fears. The words that he says finally met willing ears.
He was no shadow, not anymore. And all it took Was some coffee And a smile. There now lives a boy, Unafraid of the dark. He jumps between nothing, And smiles at the shadows. Every dawn is his birthday; Every dusk makes him laugh. But no one quite knows Just how far he has come.
-Anonymous
Art by: Jodi Podoleki, ‘21
I went to the Women’s Rights Rally following Trump’s election in Chicago on January 21, 2017. I was there with my friend Tara Ryan and her brother’s girlfriend’s family—a family I had never met before but ended up inviting me to their Thanksgiving Dinner by the end of the day. This invitation speaks to the bond that was formed not just in our own group, but with everyone at the rally. To be with an endless crowd of like-minded, caring individuals created a harmonious vibe that was very inspiring and attested to the power of coming together under a noble purpose. -Noah Fishman, ‘18
EmpoWer
EmpoWer was originally founded on the basis of political ideology. Amid all the tension in the current political climate arose impassioned individuals willing to make a change. However, as the club launched and began it’s monthly meetings, events, fundraisers, and many other festivities, politics became secondary to the club’s goal. Kindness became the foundation of the club. It was about bringing everyone together, no matter race, gender, sexuality, etc. It was a club created to spread kindess and acceptance. On October 14, 2017, 6 members of EmpoWer participated in the “Nationwide Solidarity March for Peace” in downtown Chicago. We had spent hours the day before crafting posters with sayings such as “Respect Existence or Expect Resistance”, “Love not Hate makes America Great”, and “Love Trumps Hate”. When it came time for the march to begin, it began to downpour almost immediately. Amazingly, no one was dissuaded from the task at hand. We were all there amongst strangers to spread the message of peace and unity. As the colors from our posters dripped into the puddles below, our smiles only grew. Our call and response of “When the whole world is against us!” and “Unity will strengthen us!” only grew louder. It was on that day as we marched in the pouring rain that we truly saw power of love. Nothing could dampen our spirits because rain or shine, peace and love will not resign. Kelly Lennon & Louise Macaraniag
Delaney Bannon, ‘20 Many stories deal with heartache, tragedy, and loss. Most of them don’t have any positives in them, even when dealing with the most tragic of subjects. And you may ask, “Well, why would they?” Here’s why: sometimes, your only weapon against heartache, tragedy, and loss is positivity. When my dad was re-diagnosed with Stage four Advanced Bladder Cancer, my world came to a halt. Why was my family going through this again? Why was a man like my father being put through this turmoil again? A man who has been through so much in his life, who has helped so many, and who has brought other’s up in times of need was dying before me. The cancer had spread to every bone in his body. Nothing could bring my spirits up in that moment. But as the doctor told my father about his sad misfortune, he simply nodded his head. My mother and I were hysterical, yet he remained calm. My dad was admitted to the hospital to try and get his pain under control. Advanced Bladder cancer that spread to the bones is an extremely painful cancer, and it makes it almost unbearable to try and rest in any position. It took a week for his pain to be fully under control, and then he could be discharged from the hospital. During that week, my father was still cracking jokes and laughing like he was a teen again. He even made his nurse and doctor laugh when he said he couldn’t believe, “I’m going to go bald before my brother.” Even in this weak and terrible state, my father somehow managed to keep his personality intact. There are times where I wonder how my father keeps looking forward, especially when his type of cancer is treatable but not curable. His chemo treatments are long, and his body shows the signs of tiredness and fatigue. But something that keeps me going is knowing that he goes to work the day after chemo. My dad is a carpenter, and he is constantly on his hands and knees; not so much anymore, but still. I cannot believe what he puts himself through to support his family. Sometimes, your only weapon against cancer is hope, faith, and positivity.
Shannon McGreevy, ‘19
Marlowe Bangeman, ‘18
Acknowledgements Creators EmpoWer Officers, ‘18 (Louise Macaraniag, Kelly Lennon, Sarah Anderson, Julia Jann) Christina Johnson, ‘18 Michael Frazier, ‘19 Justyna Lepa, ‘18 Jennifer Blasius, ‘18
Contributors Noah Fishman, ‘18 (p. 9) Jodi Podolski, ‘21 (p. 7 & 8) Delaney Bannon, ‘20 (p. 11) Shannon McGreevy, ‘19 (p. 12) Marlowe Bangeman, ‘18 (p. 13)
Special thanks to: Mr. James McGowan Mr. Alexander Stathakis Mrs. Johanna Abend Mr. Dave Berendt