Undergraduate / "Opinions" What Matters to You and Why- Stanford Supp. [6]

This is a very VERY rough draft. All comments appreciated. I will definitley look at yours!
Questions:
Does it flow? I feel it's somewhat choppy but don't know how to go about making it smoother.
Is the idea a little too far fetched/ vague?
Thanks again!

Prompt: What matters to you, and why?

The phrase "everyone is entitled to their own opinion" encompasses an ideal I find being passed over by much of society today. Sadly, I feel this negative attitude towards expressing interest in a particular cause or prevalent topic is gaining quickly. More and more I come across adults and teens terrified to engage in any type of verbal debate, for they fear it will end in feelings of anger or a bruised friendship. Civility in said verbal debate would not only buffer any heated words being thrown out, but give way to the exchange of facts aiding in the development of one's perspective and culture.

We are born with the ability to love, hate, desire, betray, and change our minds. There is no reason to waste the talent our brains harness to assess situations and form cognitive appraisal or disapproval of them. There is an infinite amount of knowledge to be shared when opinions are voiced. A single person's opinion can change the course of the future. The strength of voice is undeniable. This has been seen in much of history and continues to be seen in our everyday life. Not every person on Earth is allowed to speak their opinion. I feel a hushed opinion is equivalent to denying a right so many others fought for. Their opinion was that we deserved to feel as though we could create change where we saw fit.

Consequently, this entire essay is my opinion. My opinion matters to me, but so does everyone else's. It is so vital in our divided country to not only form strong opinions, but to voice them and stand with them. I don't deny the danger of opinions in both negative and positive situations. I believe, though, an opinion unspoken is equally as dangerous as a spoken opinion has the potential to be. Ultimately, the effect of an opinion isn't known until it's spoken. Still, fear should never serve as a boundary for productive thought and influence. Voice, of one or of many, matters to me. Then again, that's my opinion.

Undergraduate / "Dancing Down a Winding Road"- Stanford Future Roomate Essay [2]

This is my first draft so it's a little bumpy. Do you think you get an idea of who I am through what I talk about? Any suggestions are welcomed! Thanks!

Prompt: Write a note to your future roommate that reveals something about you or that will help your roommate- and us- get to know you better.

To my roommate,
I'm a stream-of-consciousness writer so get ready for a trip down a winding road.
I hope you brought dancing shoes. If not, no worries. We'll pick up a pair on our first late-night adventure around the city. Oh, and if you can't dance then we'll get along swimmingly because I can't either. That doesn't hinder me from impulsively unleashing my dance moves, though. I won't hold back in public and may embarrass you at times. Honestly, I'm not trying to make you uncomfortable. Movement is somewhat of a motif in my life and I find dancing very cathartic. I can only hope you will look passed my oddities and join me in what I like to call the derivative of breakdancing.

Aside from my flailing about, I enjoy the relaxation of Friday night in. After depleting all the energy from our bodies and minds we can indulge in a box of Junior Mints and watch a movie. I can be quite the ball of emotions when it comes to chick flicks so don't take my sobbing at Seven Pounds or I am Legend too seriously. Will Smith just gets me every time. I cry at the SPCA commercials as well, so be warned.

Along the lines of emotional expression I'm very verbal. I'm not afraid to cry, or to laugh at outrageous volume, or even to yell when I'm overcome with passion (given the setting be appropriate). I tend to go off on tangents expressing my desire to preserve the natural beauty of our ailing environment. Don't be alarmed, I will settle myself down in a matter of minutes. I'll be optimistic and say you'll adapt to this quickly. Hey, maybe we can save some forests together!

I look forward to our trips up into San Francisco, my favorite city. I hope you're a Giants fan, or it may be harder for us to get along than I expected. I imagine our journey through the next four years will be relative to a trip down Lombard Street; exciting, unpredictable, and memorable in every sense of the word.

I'm so stoked to meet you I can barely stop dancing.
-Meagan