Undergraduate / "waving guy" - Person who influenced you [8]

Soo the question is: Indicate a person who has had a significant influence on you, and describe that influence.

My answer is pretty unconventional I think. However, I did my best to make it as interesting and personal as possible. I am very open to edits/suggestions! Thanks :)

Its 7:43 a.m. and the school entrance is a block away. I have time before first period starts so I ease off the gas. Then I see him. He is an Indian man in his mid 30's, and today he is wearing a gray t-shirt, blue athletic shorts, and white sneakers. He jogs past the school entrance and is about to pass the Prius in front of me. Suddenly, he does something magical. Without breaking his pace, he glances towards the Prius, swiftly raises his hand, waves, and jogs on. Now it's my turn. I hold my breath in anticipation as I approach closer to the man. 'Will he do it again?' I ask myself. Sure enough, the man waves for a second time. Thrilled, I enthusiastically wave back, nearly making the car come to a complete standstill. The man proceeds to wave at every single car he passes.

Although my frequent morning interactions with him are brief, "waving guy" has shown me the importance of greeting others. At first I was amused by the subtle eccentricity of his consistent waving. Also, what kind of jogger waves to cars? However, I soon began to appreciate his simple gesture when I realized that it takes confidence to greet strangers, albeit strangers in cars. I lacked this confidence, especially when it came to greeting people. I was always too self-conscious, counting the seconds until the appropriate time to whisper a weak "h...hello." If no one responded, I would berate myself and renounce all forms of human communication. Yet after watching waving guy in action, I saw that greeting people could be effortless and that an unreturned wave did not signal the end of the world. After some practice, I managed to successfully greet my friends and minor acquaintances with a bright "HI!" I was happy to discover that after greeting them in this way, people became friendlier and more relaxed around me. It crossed my mind that a sincere greeting is one of the most effective yet underrated methods of relating to others. After all, we all want some form of acknowledgment, and I have learned from waving guy that even a simple wave can suffice.

Undergraduate / Bob Dylan and Dental Hygiene: BROWN supplement [4]

Ahhh everyone is probably celebrating new years but just in case you are not everyone: PLEASE HELP! Thanks!

PROMPT: French novelist Anatole France wrote: "An education isn't how much you have committed to memory, or even how much you know. It's being able to differentiate between what you do know and what you don't." What don't you know?

A distinctively raspy voice croons from the loudspeakers: "Early one morning the sun was shining/ I was laying in bed." The assistant gently swabs my gums with numbing gel. "Wond'ring if she'd changed at all/ If her hair was still red." I bite down on something large and soft that keeps my mouth open. The dentist asks me a question and I nod back. I hear the whirring of a drill. "Heading out for the East Coast/ Lord knows I've paid some dues getting through." The whirring sound is coming from inside my mouth now as the drill fixates on my bottom right molar. "Tangled up in blueee." Saliva and enamel spews everywhere as the dentist furiously drills through the cavity. A tube is forced into my mouth and makes a wet noise as it sucks away the debris.

I will never forget the day I had my cavity unceremoniously filled to the poetic lyrics of Bob Dylan. Had I taken better care of my teeth I would never have had to commit such musical heresy. Yet had I not brushed my teeth religiously? I asked my dentist what I had done wrong, but truthfully I already knew the answer. How could I not after years of dental hygiene indoctrination during elementary school? Yes, I knew I should have consistently brushed the backside of my teeth. I knew I should have rinsed with mouth wash and flossed extensively. I knew that not doing these things would result in cavities. What I did not know, however, was that I was completely responsible for what I knew. I took my knowledge about dental hygiene for granted and brushed my teeth carelessly. It was only after I felt the consequences of my omissions that I realized that I was the only one who could have prevented my teeth from rotting.

Just like teeth, knowledge decays when it is not properly supervised. After teachers, parents, and peers bestow their knowledge unto us, it is our responsibility to use our newfound knowledge to its fullest extent. I believe that being indifferent to what we know is worse than not knowing at all.

Undergraduate / (the Rhode Island School of Design) Why Brown + (Writing) Academic interest [2]

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated :)

Please tell us more about your interest in Brown: Why does Brown appeal to you as a college option? Who or what has influenced your decision to apply?

My interest in Brown first sparked when I heard of its close relationship with the Rhode Island School of Design. As a student who enjoys both art and academics, I am enticed by the prospect of being able take classes at RISD. I also desire to be part of Brown and RISD's vibrant community that has a perfect balance of both intellectual and artistic minds.

If the Brown/RISD relationship wasn't enough of a reason to put Brown at the top of my college list, the open curriculum was all the reason I needed. Being able to choose my classes without the pressure of adhering to a core curriculum sounds refreshingly liberating. I believe that Brown's nonrestrictive attitude towards education will foster a safe and stimulating environment for me as I learn from my successes and even my failures. Brown promises an adventure that I am ready and willing to begin.

Why are you drawn to the academic fields you indicated in the Anticipated Degree and Academic Interest questions above.
I am continuously fascinated by how good writing has the power to seize my attention, whisk me into new realities, and make me feel ranges of emotions. I yearn to engross myself in the study of literature so that I myself may learn how to translate my thoughts both effectively and creatively into writing. As an English major at Brown I know I will be given the tools to cultivate my natural love for reading and writing into an indispensable asset.