College of Arts and Sciences: Cornell
Describe your intellectual interests, their evolution, and what makes them exciting to you. Tell us how you will utilize the academic programs in the College of Arts and Sciences to further explore your interests, intended major, or field of study.
While history often encompasses the idea of learning from the past so that "mistakes are not repeated," I like to think of the discipline as a creative tool to open the mind to new experiences and forms of art. History, like all subjects, must be applied to a wide variety of topics but is unique because it shapes my individual personality and background.
Although history is a perforce often taught in schools, the most enticing factor is that the actual learning occurs in the world outside of the classroom. I find myself applying the knowledge I acquired in a classroom to the world and imagine the varying perspectives that that somehow coexist. How would life be different if I were a leader of the Civil Rights movement? A ten year old boy living on a farm during the Dust Bowl? Or even the emperor of the Tang Dynasty in China? I often find myself questioning the relevance of who I am and where I come from. Whether we are eating a Mexican Chipotle burrito for dinner or watching the World Cup, we are surrounded by examples of cultural diffusion as a result of the past.
On a personal level, historical context and perspective plays a major role in my spoken word poetry. One of my most enjoyable pieces to write concerned Noor Ibrahim, a former resident of a diverse community known as District Six in Cape Town. Poetry about historical events presents me with opportunities to transcribe my knowledge onto paper in the form of an art. It further allows me to open doors where I am the story-teller of events that have occurred thousands of years ago or a decade ago. My take on history is that it is always in progress and can be the answer to questions as simple as explaining the function of a button or the mechanics of a nuclear bomb.
Both the Cornell Abroad Program and Model United Nations club would comprehensively give me a hands-on opportunities to explore historical instances, sites and perspectives. If accepted to Cornell University, I intend on continuing my participation in the Model United Nations. By doing so, I hope to expand my knowledge of foreign cultures, history, and religions. Pursuing a degree in sociology or political science at Cornell might hopefully allow me to explore my interests on an international scale while connecting with students and professors within the campus as well. Of the array of programs and activities in the Cornell curriculum and campus life, the student-run film society, symphony orchestras, and international exchange programs interest me. The arts programs might present new opportunities to express myself through modern forms that I would not have alternatively been exposed to pursuing a degree in sociology or political science. I would hope, as well, to expand my awareness of other people and ideas owing to the diversity of the Cornell student body.
Describe your intellectual interests, their evolution, and what makes them exciting to you. Tell us how you will utilize the academic programs in the College of Arts and Sciences to further explore your interests, intended major, or field of study.
While history often encompasses the idea of learning from the past so that "mistakes are not repeated," I like to think of the discipline as a creative tool to open the mind to new experiences and forms of art. History, like all subjects, must be applied to a wide variety of topics but is unique because it shapes my individual personality and background.
Although history is a perforce often taught in schools, the most enticing factor is that the actual learning occurs in the world outside of the classroom. I find myself applying the knowledge I acquired in a classroom to the world and imagine the varying perspectives that that somehow coexist. How would life be different if I were a leader of the Civil Rights movement? A ten year old boy living on a farm during the Dust Bowl? Or even the emperor of the Tang Dynasty in China? I often find myself questioning the relevance of who I am and where I come from. Whether we are eating a Mexican Chipotle burrito for dinner or watching the World Cup, we are surrounded by examples of cultural diffusion as a result of the past.
On a personal level, historical context and perspective plays a major role in my spoken word poetry. One of my most enjoyable pieces to write concerned Noor Ibrahim, a former resident of a diverse community known as District Six in Cape Town. Poetry about historical events presents me with opportunities to transcribe my knowledge onto paper in the form of an art. It further allows me to open doors where I am the story-teller of events that have occurred thousands of years ago or a decade ago. My take on history is that it is always in progress and can be the answer to questions as simple as explaining the function of a button or the mechanics of a nuclear bomb.
Both the Cornell Abroad Program and Model United Nations club would comprehensively give me a hands-on opportunities to explore historical instances, sites and perspectives. If accepted to Cornell University, I intend on continuing my participation in the Model United Nations. By doing so, I hope to expand my knowledge of foreign cultures, history, and religions. Pursuing a degree in sociology or political science at Cornell might hopefully allow me to explore my interests on an international scale while connecting with students and professors within the campus as well. Of the array of programs and activities in the Cornell curriculum and campus life, the student-run film society, symphony orchestras, and international exchange programs interest me. The arts programs might present new opportunities to express myself through modern forms that I would not have alternatively been exposed to pursuing a degree in sociology or political science. I would hope, as well, to expand my awareness of other people and ideas owing to the diversity of the Cornell student body.
