"Opponents ready? Judges?" The three judges nod slightly - by the seventh debate round of the day, everyone in the room is exhausted. Nevertheless, I begin speaking quickly, and almost immediately forget how tired I am. In debate, the combination of a controlled format that allows for careful strategy and the adrenaline of adapting to new arguments becomes almost addictive. As I realize that I have an intuitive sense of what to do next, yet still have to think quicker...

In his poem "The Second Coming," James Joyce wrote of an apocalyptic scene where "the best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity." Possessed by the "worst," Joyce explains, "passionate intensity" leads to disaster, but possessed by the good, it brings amazing outcomes. I believe that positive form of passionate intensity best characterizes the University of Pennsylvania. In my first five minutes on Penn's campus, it was clear that Penn is vibrant with intensity, evidenced just...