A church is not a place one would typically look to find a rock band. But attendees of the 5 o'clock youth mass at Saint John Fisher would have their choir accompanied no other way. Guitar, bass, drums, piano, and electric violin: these five instruments converse in a perfectly synchronized musical dialogue. If Brian, the bass player, begins the tenor line, I, the violinist, will jump to a floating high note up the octave. If I grab a descant, Joe, the...

When my family and I went on college tours over spring break last year, we visited over 12 different campuses in a 5-day period. While other students collected pencils or sweatshirts at the various student gift shops, I made sure to find a copy of each school’s daily newspaper to take home and analyze. Once back in the seclusion of my room, I read each one over, with the intent of gaining insight into the student life on each campus....

("intellectual vitality" prompt) My ASL (American Sign Language) journey began with a bilingual musical. When I first met Alana, the only deaf girl in the cast, she appeared lost among the loud, chatty musical theatre students. Wishing to break her isolation, I went to introduce myself. Within minutes of our conversation I mangled several deaf manners - don’t shout, don’t speak at the translator, etc. It became obvious that Alana was not the one out of place. I...

(note to future roommate prompt) It’s odd to say “I look forward to working with you” since “living” would appear the better gerund. Yet, there is no doubt that I will work with you: use you as a sounding board for ideas or a human receptacle for bursts of stress or excitement. To ensure our working systems will be “compatible” I have enclosed a 10-step-guide to understanding my mental wiring. 1. Yes, that is hot pink electric violin. Don’t...