P-E-N-N-S-Y-L-V-A-N-I-A The sun was smiling on me that day. I could feel it. The fifth grade spelling bee had finally arrived. My teacher headed to the front of the room to explain the rules of the bee. She concluded, "Take your places, and good luck." My heart skipped a beat, or eight. As we each found a spot along the wall, I looked around at my classmates with a fresh, vicious perspective: She's only concerned with the way her hair...

We are not citizens of the United States, but of the world. Manmade political boundaries and religious and ethnic differences do not divide us. We all relate on a basic human level and must cooperate as such, embracing our similarities as fast as we categorize our differences. The two academic areas I plan to study advance these beliefs. The first is international relations, through which I will explore the dynamics of both old and new world orders. My focus will...

Beauty of Imitation I am a delegate of the United Nations. I negotiate and resolve the many international crises of our day. I assert my positions on countless global I apologize. You see, making high school Model United Nations as real as possible comes easily to me. Sure, I don discount suits, engage in bastardized parliamentary procedure, and raise slapdash placards. Yet amidst this pretense, I have uncovered realities and - most important - beliefs. John Keats says, 'Beauty if...

Upon our meeting, I'll ask two questions: Have you ever given blood? Will you do so in the future? Regarding question two, I am unyielding. Go ahead and call me a bloodthirsty seventeen-year-old, but I am passionate about blood donor recruitment. As a president...

Our torrid affair began when I was just a freshman. Having no answer to the college question became annoying fast, so I began to research. The Brown site was a treasure trove. I loved discovering not only tech artistry but also a liberal philosophy of education that...