Undergraduate / "Do it for the Fat Lady" - Stanford supplement- intellectual vitality [4]

Stanford students posess an intellectual vitality. Reflect on an idea or experience that has been important to your intellectual development.

"Do it for the Fat Lady," my teacher declared with fervor in her voice and zealous hand gestures. We had just finished reading J.D. Salinger's Franny and Zooey, and it was class discussion time. I am a science fanatic, and English is not at the top of my favorite subject list. I love learning the concrete laws of physics and the minute structure of the cell. With science, there are no hidden meanings and obscure metaphors, just the facts of the universe. Despite my interests to the contrary, this particular Monday morning class left me pondering life's meaning.

As I read the novel, I was not entirely certain what point Salinger was attempting to convey. Franny is in a state of emotional anguish and her brother Zooey struggles to help her overcome her spiritual perplexities. Zooey tells her of a time when he refused to shine his shoes to make an impression on others in society. He considered them idiots because of their misplaced priorities on the superficial aspects of life. His brother, however, instructs him to shine them anyway, shine them for the Fat Lady, the everyday person. Franny finally comes to understand and find peace in her soul.

Life is not about the reward at the end of the task; it is about the people you touch and the lives in which you make a difference. While they might appear inferior, they are people, and they exist in this world and have their own stories to tell. To be alive means doing things for others, giving love and joy, just because; to be the best you can be no matter who the other person is, because you have been blessed with so much and have a yearning to share those blessings with others before your time is up on Earth.

Suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!

Undergraduate / 'one outrageous year together' - letter to futute roommate [5]

Write a note to your future roommate that reveals something about you that will help your roommate know you better

Dear Roomie,
Well it looks like we will be embarking on one outrageous year together. I am so eager for us to create new memories together this coming year.

I am a night owl at heart. My favorite time of day is right at dusk, when the sky turns that perfect shade of midnight blue and the moon lies low over the horizon, treetops and houses silhouetted across the sky. While the rest of the house lies in quiet slumber, I may be folding clothes from the heaping mound on my floor, dusting my shelves of knickknacks, or reading snuggled beneath my blankets.

I am a simple girl. My idea of the perfect Saturday evening involves curling up on the couch in my pajamas watching reruns of my favorite crime shows, NCIS and Bones, or reading a novel that chronicles a teen's romantic and life woes. Everyone always seems to have that one hobby they absolutely love but never seem to be able to find the time to indulge. For me, this is reading. Nothing beats opening the pages of a book and immersing myself in a fictional world, escaping some of life's sometimes harsher realities. No matter how hard I may try, I always find myself skimming the end of the novel before I have finished the first chapter.

I love my crazy family more than anything. You will probably see a photo on my desk of me grudgingly smashed between my sister and cousin as they kiss my cheeks. I may jokingly call it abuse, but they just tell me it is sisterly and cousinly love, and I know they are right.

I cannot wait for us to finally meet!

I need to add more to the opening and concluding paragraphs so just skim over those. suggestions would be great!

Undergraduate / 'krumkake, a traditional Norwegian cookie for Christmas' - Stanfort what matters [6]

What matters most to you and why?

I am still working to add a bit more to the end of the first paragraph so my thoughts just kind of stop at the end

No Christmas is complete without making krumkake, a traditional Norwegian cookie, with my dad and working at my grandpa's Christmas tree farm. No Easter feels whole without my family's merciless egg smashing contest. No Valentine's Day is right without a scavenger hunt through the house and Chinese food for dinner. And no New Year's Eve is final until we have attempted to finish a 500 piece puzzle before the ball drops. These traditions make the holidays complete. No matter how much life may change, traditions create a sense of dependability. While my sister travels to Costa Rica for a semester, and I embark on my own college experience next year, the traditions we hold on to will always keep our family close. Family traditions provide something for everyone to hold on to....

One of my favorite quotes is, "Life is not about the breaths we take, but the moments that take our breath away." To me, a successful life is not measured by how much money one makes or how many promotions one receives. A successful life is one of happiness and love, and remembering the little moments that mean a lot; trying to stay warm while drinking hot cocoa in the little shack of the tree farm, having my pastel colored egg survive and win the competition, discovering the final scavenger hunt clue and cracking open the fortune cookie, and placing the final piece of the puzzle right as the ball begins to fall. Traditions provide opportunities to create these unique memories and hold on to special moments with family and friends.

suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!