A few short hours after Chile’s new president, Sebastián Piñera, was inaugurated, Marymount of Santa Barbara middle-school students rolled up their sleeves to make empanadas, a common and delicious South American delicacy, in an effort to raise money for Chilean earthquake relief.
During the inauguration ceremony in Santiago, Chile was jolted by yet another big aftershock. Still reeling from the devastation brought by the Feb. 27 8.8-magnitude earthquake, Chile, like Haiti, is in need of public support.
Marymount middle-school students were eager to pitch in. The students felt closer to the situation in Chile because of a recent student exchange during which two students from Santiago, Chile, spent several weeks taking classes alongside Marymount students. Both of Marymount’s exchange students survived the quake unharmed, but communicated the experience of the earthquake and its aftershocks.
Marymount’s math and Spanish teachers joined in the effort for Chile as well. Students translated a Chilean “Empanada de Pino” recipe written in Spanish and converted metric measurements to U.S. equivalents.
Teacher Jeremy Hui oversaw the cooking and helped fill orders. Señorita André, a Marymount Spanish teacher, said the empanadas were “!Riquísimas!” Student Tyler Wilson said they were “really, really good.”
Hundreds of empanadas evaporated in record time while hundreds of dollars were raised to help Chile. All of the money will be sent to Chile as a part of an international solidarity event in Santiago.
— Molly Seguel is the director of admissions for Marymount of Santa Barbara.