College of Agriculture and Life Sciences: (500 words)
How have your interests and related experiences influenced the major you have selected in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences?(communications major)
Physicist Richard Feynman realized his passion through childhood discoveries with his father, and I have realized my passion through weekly Sunday baking sessions with my mother.
Mother insisted on only putting homemade food on the dinner table. Therefore, every Sunday morning, she and I would bake cakes for that week's dessert.
When I was younger, I couldn't understand her insistence on not buying one of those flamboyant supermarket cakes that looked much better than our mono-colored ones. "Of course they'll look and taste better with all the artificial junk on them," Mother would argue. "Yes, but this one says 'free of artificial flavors'," I would explain. Then Mother would declare how she found advertisements those days untrustworthy and that I was the exact kind of gullible child they were trying to target at. I started wondering- has the abundance of false advertising entirely corrupted people's expectations towards media and communications? I wondered if there was something I could do; it was the first time when the idea of majoring in Communications struck me.
Another thing I realized from cakes was that, unlike other pastries, a single cake might consist of several different-flavored layers and frostings, along with a variety of garnishes. As appealing as each of the ingredients might be on their own, together, they create a blended perfection. I will say that communication is the best in its different-flavored layers too. That is why communications, multimedia in particular, amazes me by being able to communicate with all layers of human consciousness and by appealing to all kinds of people simultaneously. They offer us a plethora of art forms blended into one, providing an irresistible mix of literature, theater, music, and action. Hence, for an expressive girl who lives for creativity, media is the ultimate "cake" of my interests.
The way a cake is represented also greatly determines whether it will whet a diner's appetite- through baking sessions with my mother and I have developed skills to perfectly display my product. I have learned that it is more than the mere arrangement of the garnishes that determine a cake's appeal; rather, the diners themselves are the important factors. For example, children tend to love sweeter chocolate, while older people have a taste for darker ones. I have successfully applied this knowledge to the field of communications on several occasions, including speech contests and debate competitions- I would adjust the depth of my speech to the crowd I am addressing. This is another lure that communications hold for me- the challenge to know my audience, and figure out what appeals to them.
As with Cornell's assistant professor, Jeffrey Niederdeppe, who utilizes the communication power in media to change the world for the better, my compassion makes me yearn for a chance to contribute to our world. Cornell University offers a top-rated education in the Communication Major, valuing applicable skills and memorized theories. With "for the benefit of society " as the college's priority, there really isn't more a person who wishes to impact the world could ask from a school.
PS: this is my first thread! thank you guys in advance :)
hen Mother would declare how she found advertisements those days untrustworthy and that I was the exact kind of gullible child they were trying to target at
Run on and don't say "those days"
really like your analogy to cake, creative well done!
