Prompt 1: We are a community with quirks, both in language and in traditions. Describe one of your quirks and why it is part of who you are. (250 Words)
I am a thief. I pick my victims carefully and I carry out my work diligently. I've been a thief for as long as I remember. I've been stealing since my pre-pubescent elementary school days.
It all started in the second grade when I had finally mastered the art of writing. Although spelling was not my stronghold, I could write the letters of the alphabet with the precision and accuracy of that belonging to a professional.
One morning, while I was competing my daily journal in Ms. Wilkes class, I decided that my handwriting gave too much away. It was abnormally neat for a second grader and because of this I was often deemed the grueling task of having to write whenever we had group projects. So on that fateful morning, I looked to my right and watched as my friend Katie wrote her response to the question of the day. When I felt as though I had seen enough, I turned back to my paper, and I stole her handwriting. It wasn't perfect, but it was close and as the years went by I only got better.
I stick with the same stolen handwriting for weeks or even months at a time before I actively seek out yet another victim. It's a type of guilt-free, completely legal stealing. I would describe it as one of my quirks; it's become the odd way in which I display admiration. After all, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
Prompt 2:What work of art, music, science, mathematics, or literature has surprised, unsettled, or challenged you, and in what way? (250 Words)
It took me only a few hours to finish Flowers for Algernon. It wasn't because I had any obligation or time constraint pertaining to it. It wasn't like those times I've hid away consuming book pages because I was due to see the movie later that day. I finished Flowers for Algernon so quickly because I was hopeful. I turned each page with the hope that things would get better, with the hope that the sad plot line would eventually dwindle away and there would be a happily ever after. I just couldn't wrap my mind around the injustices displayed in the book.
It ultimately made me realize the paradoxical standard many are subjected to. It is easy to look down on those whose intelligence doesn't amount to yours, but when it comes to those whom you deem to be smarter than you, many of us resent the feeling of inferiority. I sympathized with the main character Charlie Gordon who suffered from a mental disability resulting in his low IQ, before eventually going through an experimental operation that turned him into a genius. Prior to the operation Charlie longed to fit in, and after the operation he was still isolated from those around him as they felt he was too smart and perceived him as arrogant.
It is unsettling to think that this is something that is actually present in everyday life. There is jealousy and competitiveness surrounding education that's distracting many from following their passions regardless of the opinions of others, while making other feel isolated from their peers. Given the opportunity to attend UVA, I know that I would be in an environment that is inclusive and supportive of its student's academic pursuits.
i'm a thief. I pick my victims carefully. I've been a thief since second grade. Although spelling baffled me, I could trace the shape of every letter with ease. One morning, while completing my journal in Mrs. Wilkes' class, I decided my handwriting gave too much away. It was way too neat to belong to a second grader and often earned me the grueling task of being the scribe whenever I had to do groupwork.
One other piece of advice, don't end an essay on quirks with a cliche. UVA is looking for what is new, original, and fresh about you. The cliche obscures that. Instead, end with this sentence: Stealing your handwriting is my weird way to show I like or admire you.
Good luck! TampaTutorEric
