Dissipated on Sept. 10, 2019, Hurricane Dorian is one of the most expensive tropical storms in history, which vanished resource of overall value of 8.31 billion. According to NASA, on Monday, Sept. 9, Hurricane Dorian  was a post-tropical storm after a mid-latitude weather front and cold seas altered its tropical characteristics over the weekend. For the people who lived in the Bahamas, however, this Category 5 hurricane’s effects lasted long past Sept. 9;  the damage was unparalleled by any other tropical cyclone’s damage ever recorded. Given the situation, the Palmetto community responded by aiding the relief effort through donating supplies, clothes and medicine.

“I, with my daughter and my husband, have collected toilet paper and jars of peanut butter to the church. We are talking about an entire island that was devastated. Even your little jar of peanut butter, as insignificant as it seems, it may be the difference between one person having a meal or not,” English teacher Maria Sanin said. 

Palmetto was of service to the relief of the Bahamas. But some students have the wrong idea and believe their contributions would be inconsequential when considering the extent of the damage and the considerable amount of resources sent to the Bahamas. However, students should not  bent for this line of thinking; whether or not other people donate for the relief should not change your intention of being helpful. 

“If so many people that are giving, is my donation going to really make a difference? It does. Because every little person puts their little ounces of support. So each one of us individually, but then when collectively comes to together, it does make a significant difference. It’s powerful,” Sanin said.

In order to promote necessary provisions for the Bahamas, many teachers give extra credit to those who bring supplies. Many students think the practice is beneficial for which it promotes both goodness and grades at the same time. A few students, however, disagree with this practice, and say that providing extra credit results in some students only doing it for  the easy A, which devalues the human kindness.

“If you don’t donate out of the kindness in your heart, just don’t donate at all. You should just be a good person on your own. I would never offer an extra credit for something when you have to go out of your way [to help]. It’s like a bribe; teachers have to force someone by saying you get a free grade,” junior Mya Monteverde said.

A natural disaster is upsetting for everyone, but maybe being falsely kind is the real damage.