Prompt: Stanford students possess an intellectual vitality. Reflect on an idea or experience that has been important to your intellectual development.
"No, Fillmore came before Pierce!" I insisted with conviction.
"No it was Pierce and then Fillmore!"
"Fine then lets look it up! Ha told you Fillmore came first!" Knowing that I had won a smug smile formed along the creases of my mouth.
"Alright you won that round but who invented Calculus?" Without another word our battle of intellect resumes.
My Grandfather and I have always challenged each other, we rack our brains for questions to trip up the other. This may seem an unusual way of bonding with a grandparent, and perhaps it is, but it is within these debates that I have gained a consciousness and a passion to learn about history, politics, and the world around me. From the time I was a little girl I have always sought to make my family proud. My Grandfather has always been the hardest to please and therefore the one whose praises meant the most. While other members of my family would indulge my childhood whims to play Candyland or Clue, my Grandfather insisted on playing Chess. At first I lost miserably, but soon I began to embrace the challenge. The day I finally bested my Grandfather in Chess was a wondrous day, but then as always a new obstacle presented itself. As I grew older I approached our battles of intellect with the same determined composure I exhibited during the Chess matches of my childhood.
I once read that one should never discuss politics at the dinner table, but in my family it has always been the starting point for conversation. My Grandfather and I have always differed on our political views, turning many family dinners into heated political debates. I used to hate the raised tones, but now I see these moments as challenges to test my opponent in yet another round of our ever ending scrimmage of whit.
My relationship with my Grandfather has never been as easy as I would have like it to be, but in truth hardly anything worth having is. The intellectual challenges my Grandfather presented to me gave me so much more then just knowledge about history and politics, they gave me the confidence to form my own opinions of the world. These dinnertime debates have allowed me to reflect on the issues that face the world today, consider a possible major in Political Science, and most importantly taught me that you don't have to agree with someone to love them.
