How will you, with your life experiences, contribute to the vitality of Bates?
Some people simply ignore them. I, however, adore them. Antique books have been my passion since I walked through the door of Scriptum Bookstore in Oxford, England. What separates me from most book collectors is my penchant for the "not-so-rare" books: the ones with modest prices scribbled carelessly beneath their covers. My ideal book is that which has been shoved into the cracks reserved for useless, stained, unredeemable volumes. Once I get my hands on a book such as this, I begin my work. I am always willing to restore my acquisitions: even if it means buffing out a book's leather cover with old shoe polish, resewing the binding of a mangled manuscript, or painstakingly erasing every pencil mark left by a book's previous users.
In my eyes, each individual book is a one-of-a-kind treasure. Every one of them deserves a chance to be held, to be read, to be restored. I extend to Bates my knowledge of the "book arts" and my intense curiosity for the dusty and forgotten of this world. Through my restorative efforts, I have breathed new life into things once considered irreversibly derelict. Adding to the life of an already flourishing Bates shouldn't be too hard, then.
Be harsh, please! I'm hoping to submit this soon...
The imagery in this essay is AMAZING.
I loved the last sentence of your first paragraph.
It was an interesting subject and I'm sure its original as well
but I'm unsure if your "knowledge of the "book arts" will contribute to the vitality of Bates. Maybe you should be specific on what you can contribute.
I liked the connection you drew between "vitality" and having "breathed new life into things once considered irreversibly derelict." Very nice.
I think you don't have to change much because it seems to be straight to the point. I'm just worried that it won't answer the prompt directly.
I loved it though.
Thanks so much Mary for taking a look at this essay, as well! I, too, am a bit unsure as to where I should go with my ability to actually contribute to the vitality of Bates. I'm thinking I will somehow connect my interest to the Rare Books Collection at the Ladd Library (Bates College's library). Although even then I don't know about much I could do there besides read through the books. I certainly wouldn't be able to restore them; and if I tried they'd probably have to execute me.
hahaha
I think the Rare Books Collection is a great connection because its very specific to the college.
Maybe you can go off of how you actually LIKE to read old dusty books. Because not a lot of people do. Instead of them being boring to you, you enjoy their... oldness?
I'm sure they wouldn't execute you; they probably might just cut off your hand or something.
I was wondering if anyone could help me edit this. I know it's a bit late! And I need to submit this ASAP!
From Fisherwoman to Travel Journalist
I used to want to be a professional fisherman. It's not too surprising if you knew my family well. My dad is an avid fisher. Growing up, my dad would take me fishing every summer near the Catskill Mountains. I absolutely loved those summer days-the summer sun, pastrami sandwiches, fresh-squeezed orange juice, being near the water, and my little blue fishing rod. Those days were perfect and I remember telling myself, "When I grow up, I want to be a fisherwoman!"
I've since learned that as much as I love those summer days, there is a job indisputably more suitable for my demeanor. And that job would be a travel journalist. Throughout this year, my love for travel, photography, and writing has blossomed. Perhaps this took place during my many road trips or my sojourn in Aruba. But I found myself learning more than I ever have. And more importantly, I wanted to write about it. And I did exactly that. I started a travel blog and can now proudly say that I am an avid blogger.
As a member of the Bates community, I would be honored to share my insatiable curiosity, my enjoyment of learning new languages, my love for outdoors, and my passion for traveling. I hope that by my junior year at Bates, I will have gained a large group of friends that I can travel with. I yearn to spend winter in Prague with them and share with them the beauty of Christmas during our stay. And if they're up for it, I would love to bring them to Hong Kong; I could share with them the Chinese culture that I had experienced when I had gone several years ago. And lastly, I look forward to bringing them fishing near the Catskill Mountains on a summer day.
I LOVE THIS. The imagery is thrilling; it is unique and the admissions office will actually want to read it, will enjoy reading it.
About extending your knowledge of the "book arts"... this is not literally what you will be contributing. Perhaps you could say something about wanting to discover people, and see them for more than meets the eye. Not repair them, of course- but appreciate them for those things which take an effort to see. Talk about how you will extend yourself to the people, the Bates community.
Personally I'm just beginning my response, I've been struggling with the question. Only a few hours left, ah! Good luck to you :)