Undergraduate / Columbia Supplement Question 1. "Popularity and acceptance" [2]

Please tell us what you found meaningful about one of the above mentioned books, publications or cultural events.
Popularity and acceptance. I feel that those two words perfectly describe the goals of my first three lackluster years of high school. Years that involved erasing true colors, and putting on a mask that displayed a feigned interest for football and Lil Wayne. But of all the months of trying to "act hard", I never seemed to assimilate into the elite group of jocks and cheerleaders. Instead, my obsession to climb the echelon of high school social hierarchy further isolated me from the popular cliques, and led me to lose true friendships. Chris Crutcher's "Athletic Shorts", tells the overstated message of to "be true to yourself". Though I heard this multiple times from my teachers, it obviously took me a while to fully understand the old saying. After reading, I came to the realization that my quest to become a "cool kid" was downright stupid. I didn't have to be admitted into a coterie obsessed with looks and gossip to find true happiness, I just had to accept who I was. So I embraced my passion for the paintings of John Singleton Copley, and ceased paying attention to Twitter. Once again, I sang along to soundtrack of the Phantom of the Opera and The Book of Mormon, and stopped memorizing lyrics of songs from a pop culture that endorses drug use and adultery. The novel shined a light on a much needed truth of my high school journey, a truth that helped me forge new friendships and gain back old ones. It was a truth that gave me acceptance and the gift of true happiness.