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October 16th, 2006
BRADENTON - Four Manatee District high school students were honored during a luncheon ceremony at Tropicana's Bradenton offices Monday for writing creative essays about “What Hispanic Culture Brings to American Society.”
Lakewood Ranch High senior Stephanie Rescigno won first-place in the essay contest which was sponsored by Tropicana and timed to coincide with Hispanic Heritage Month. Rescigno received $500 for her prize-winning essay.
Rescigno said she originally chose to take part in the essay contest to get extra credit at school, but the assignment eventually took on added meaning.
“Once I started writing it, it became an opportunity for me to express myself and to solidify what I already felt about the importance of different cultures,” said Rescigno, who was joined at the luncheon by her mother, Martha, and her father, David.
Manatee High senior Maria Carolina Ronderos, who could not attend the ceremony because she was competing in a district golf match, won $250 for taking second place. Valerie Panting, a junior at Manatee, won third place and was presented with a check for $100. Palmetto High senior Jessica Ramirez received Honorable Mention recognition at the ceremony for her essay.
The schools represented by the top three finishers received a cash award equal to the three winning cash prizes
Tropicana sponsored the contest and put on the luncheon that was attended by the winners, members of their families and representatives of the schools they attend.
“We wanted to do this to show our support for our local schools and community,” said William Merlino, a Chemist at Tropicana who presented the awards. “The idea for this contest was to draw attention, understanding and awareness of Hispanic culture because it has become such a big part of our community.”
The following is Rescigno's winning essay:
What Does Hispanic Culture Bring to American Society?
By Stephanie Rescigno
Culture is a celebration of human knowledge, beliefs, and behaviors filled with values and ideals. It consists of language, food, music, art and tradition. An important effect in a culture's utility is the transmission of knowledge to succeeding generations. All of these cultural elements ultimately expresses the success and enlightenment of the human race, providing that it encompasses the total product of a society's creativity and intellect. The United States of America is fortunate to embrace numerous and diverse cultures from around the world. The Hispanic culture is a piece of colored glass in this American kaleidoscope - a continual, momentous pattern that reflects the different cultures that shape American Society.
The Hispanic culture is rich and lively in its many customs. The language, food and music all play integral parts in Hispanic daily living. These aspects of culture add to the spice of American society. First, the Spanish language is harmoniously spoken, bringing in a beautiful romance language to the United States. The influence of the Hispanic community has made the Spanish language beneficial in the economic and business environment. Next, the Hispanic cuisine offers the tastes and smells that American society craves. Traditional foods include: meats, vegetables, beans and rice, plantains, and spices such as chili peppers. All of these dishes have been integrated into the meals of the American people. Lastly, Latin music has influenced American music with its rhythmic and melodic sound. The percussion resonance of this music inspired such dances as the salsa, conga, and cha-cha-cha popularized and performed by the American people. Latin music burst into the mainstream due to artists like Ricky Martin, Selena and Shakira.
One of the most essential elements the Hispanic culture brings to American society is its family values. The family is a strong and supportive unit in the Hispanic culture, filled with love and dedication. Familia, or family, includes the parents and children, however it continues into the extended family. Individuals of a family have the moral responsibility to help other family members in time of need, whether financial or emotional. These family values tie into religion and celebrations of the Hispanic culture. The church influences family life and community affairs, providing spiritual meaning to the Hispanics. The celebrations, or fiestas, involve family participation whether it be an international holiday such as Christmas, or a birthday such as a girl's 15th birthday called a Quinceanera. American society appreciates these traditions and values brought by the Hispanic culture as we too practice these ideals of family, religion and celebration.
In conclusion, the Hispanic culture brings another color onto the canvas of American society. This culture gives the needed paint to complete a masterpiece - the mixture of cultures that makes America the beautiful country it is. The vibrancy of Hispanic traditions and values provides American society with language, food, music and family principals respected and honored in this country.