I'm trying to figure out which direction to go in for my application essay.
This is the topic:
For almost one hundred years, the Latin words, "Vires, Artes, Mores" have been the guiding philosophy behind Florida State University. Vires signifies strength of all kinds - moral, physical, and intellectual; Artes alludes to the beauty of intellectual pursuits as exemplified in skill, craft, or art; and Mores refers to character, custom, or tradition. Describe how one or more of the values embodied in these concepts are reflected in your life.
I'm considaring going two ways with this;
I could concentrait on a single experience, which would be my summer where I vollunteered on a trail maintence crew up in the aderondack mountains, and I would show the experiences relation to "veres". But I'm not sure if thats what colleges want, and if it's too much of a stretch from the topic.
My other option is playing it more safe, and concentraiting on "Artes", because I go to an arts magnet school. I could relate all of the three latin words, and how my artistic education has helped develop my "mores" and "vires", but more importantly, how the three intertwine to make a succesful working combination.
I must admit that I am quite a small person in stature. I had to stand on my tip-toes to reach the sign-up pin board for this summer's trail maintenance crew, and at the sight of me, those trail volunteers must have thought I'd never be able to move boulders. But that's the thing about strength; it is often assumed that the only form of strength is that of a physical nature. Florida State University holds the concept of 'Vires' to embody all aspects of strength, including that of moral and intellectual nature. Through my life's experiences, I strongly relate to this; I express strength in moral determination, and strength in intellectual dignity. This summer for example, I volunteered for one of the most challenging projects I've ever experienced. In the Adirondack Mountains, myself and six other students worked in the muddy wilderness moving boulders and redirecting water flow to preserve mountain trails.
The mountain we were set to work on was having problems with erosion from the rain water; once clear uphill paths were now mudslides. It was our job to build a rock staircase to keep both soil and hikers on the trail (avoiding future erosion), and to build a stone "water bar" to redirect rain water off the trail. Such a task certainly required multiple aspects of "Vires". For one, I had never imagined the work could be so difficult.
We backpacked in approximately 60 lbs each of gear and food and camped off trail in the boonies near our work site. We woke up when the sun came up; we worked until we got hungry; we worked until it got dark. We had no sense of time; no sense of anything after a while.
The demanding labor also required me to be strong intellectually though, for throughout the physical labor we had to problem solve and make calculations. To make the staircase, we moved boulders so big that it took three people to roll them, inch by inch, down the slope with giant iron rock bars. It was a perilous job that could go wrong very quickly and if so, could very easily waste a whole days work. Without being able to problem solve, or invent a wooden ramp to get a rock out of a gully for example, the job would have actually been a lot harder. Once we had the stones, we dug huge holes into thick mud to set them in. The holes had to be the perfect size; not to small or the stones wouldn't set, and not to large or the soil we filled in would wash away. With out measuring tools I had to calculate the exact fit or else 300 pounds of heavy lifting would be wasted.
The work was immensely difficult, but I stuck to my moral "Vires". In order to "move mountains" so to speak, our crew needed strength in teamwork. Many times I considered feigning illness and leaving early; but, I didn't. I stuck by the rest of the crew who were having just as hard as a time as I was, and I helped the others through the hard times. At the very end, we hiked up the rest of Ampersand Mountain. Looking down from the peak, out across to the horizon and all the green and blue in between made it all worth it. I helped build the trail up to that view. My blood, sweat, and tears were apart of the mountain. When I finally got home, I was a changed person. I had always thought of myself as strong and adventurous; but, after such moralizing and difficult experience, I realized that the greatest strength is not necessarily the physical ability to lift a boulder, but the willingness to try and the nerve to tough it out even when you can't.
ROUGH BEGINING OF SECOND:
Like a finely tuned clock, the interlocking aspects of Florida State University's guiding principles only work properly when they are working together. Similarly, my life reflects the "Veres, Artes, Mores" philosophy in a way where the independent components compliment and enhance each other. I am an artist and for the past seven years, I have been privileged enough to attend two excellent Preforming Arts magnet schools. Growing and learning in this kind of environment has influenced my life and aloud not only my skills as a creative person blossom, but also my strength and my character. Through my accomplishments related to the concept of "Artes", I now look at life differently, and I have developed a unique sense of "Vires" and "Mores" to accompany it.
So my questions are this:
which topic idea do you suggest I go with?
and which style of writing is prefered?
Thanks so much :)
Good afternoon.
I think both topics are good and appropriate to answer the prompt. If there is no word count limit, I suggest you touching briefly on all three; that will present you as a very well-rounded, capable individual. If that is not what you want or need to do, I suggest going with the first essay because it is a more powerful experience. Your voice is stronger and more confident, and that is a trait you definately want the board to see.
Good luck!
Regards,
Gloria
Moderator, EssayForum.com
