Peace Only Starts With You - MSU Personal Statement

TOPIC: Describe a significant event from the past two years which required you to interact with someone outside your own social or cultural group (ethnic, religious, geographic, socio-economic, etc.). How did this impact you? What did you learn and what surprised you? [400 word max.]

College life has is not easy for many people; being a religious Jew makes the task even harder. Can’t eat from the cafeteria. Need permission to miss an exam for Passover. Can’t even study properly on weekends due to the Sabbath. In November 2014 – February 2015, however, I had a most difficult, yet amazing, life changing experience.

            As president of the Jewish Student Organization at OCC, Michigan, I realized that with all the hate going on in the world, we must begin working properly towards cooperation world-wide. Diligently, I began putting together a Multi-Faith Panel event to help spread awareness and love throughout my college grounds.

            Preparations slowly began to gather our esteemed panelists. Deciding upfront that there will be a representative of six major faiths (Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Atheism, & Hinduism), I knew it would take time to confirm the various speakers.

            Two months passed by, and still things had to be done. Fliers distributed, brochure made, forms filled out. Soon the day had arrived. On February 12, 2015, forty people including the Campus President and Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs, gathered into a study hall to change the world for the better.

            The event was a grand success and I, personally, gained as much from the preparations as I did from the event itself. I realized just how far one must go to make sure not to say or do something that could potentially offend someone from a different background. I understand better now that just because you do not agree with someone else’s way of thinking, it does not necessarily make them wrong; it just means you are both at a body of water and are crossing it via your own unique pathway.

            Throughout the event, I gained a deeper insight as to what each of these many belief systems actually believe; as opposed to what I had previously assumed. I was surprised to learn, for example, that my concept of Atheism was false.

            This event, the planning and the attending, is without a doubt one of the highlights of my life. I felt like this is what college is about: learning to not be shy about something you are passionate about, and to work towards a goal. To appreciate your classmates for who they are, not what they believe in. To try and make a difference.

High School Musical 3: Senior (Modern Dance Essay)

            One of the most common musicals produced by the Disney Channel is the High School Musical series. Known for their beautiful way of intertwining a story with modern dance, HSM brought enchantment to many children, teenagers, and yes, even adults worldwide. Each song brings with it a force of beauty, awe, affection, and class. The use of many various dance techniques are portrayed throughout each of the three films; however I found Senior Year to be the most passionate and enthralling to watch.

            The first song of the film, “Now Or Never” is a perfect example of the power that dance can have to portray emotions, feelings, and thoughts. The scene is a basketball game, where the stakes are high. The actors are dressed in the team jerseys. The dance is very fast-paced using double time for their actions; most of which are locomotor. Due to being a basketball game, there are lots of various pathways being used with all possible levels. During a foul play, the dancer collapses suddenly to the ground; during a jump shot, the actor sustains in the air.

            By contrast, the song entitled “Can You Imagine?” is the complete opposite; yet shows the power of non-locomotor dance techniques. It is a very slow, half-time dance and is mostly non-locomotor; yet that is the beauty of it – there is so much told in the lack of movement! The two dancers switch from middle to high levels and contract inwards toward each other while towards their own body. There is also a sudden grab of the female dancer which proceeds to open up the dance to movement pathways.

            Another similar dance is entitled “Can I Have This Dance?” It, too, is a slow waltz (literally). As waltzes tend to be, this dance is done in half-time movements with slow steps throughout the stage. Both actors keep eye contact and mirror each other’s actions. The female is sustained in her fall by the male dancer as well as being suddenly tossed into the air halfway through the song. Towards the end, the female does a sustained pekay followed by twists mid-air. With twists and Shawshays, this dance, as well as the one prior mentioned, shows the art involved with ‘Show Don’t Tell’ that is the true power of dance.

            Throughout the above three songs, one can grasp the story within the story that is told via elegant dance. A song is pretty; dance makes it a wonder to watch. The art of the body expressed to the audience is what makes or breaks a musical. The gasp as the dancer sustains in pekay. The gaping mouths when he/she twirls through the levels. The suspense of watching a double-time leap. The beautiful difference in melt and rise. This is art. This is dance. This is beauty.