The fiery red-orange Mumbai sun perches over an elevated green space as part of a lavish condominium complex where my brother, my cousins Harsh and Tanya, and I are playing badminton. As my brother and I volley the birdie to each other, Tanya slips away to the park. Less than a minute later, she returns looking dejected. I ask her what happened, and she murmurs that some boys over at the park had taunted her for using her grandmother’s...

It was like any other day. After dinner, my parents quietly slipped out of the house for their evening walk, but their daily ritual was cut short when they rushed home and left with the car keys in a flash. The next day, I learned my father had developed an irregular heartbeat from his diet, the intensity of his walk, and the inherent weakness in his repaired heart valve. Seeing him in such a vulnerable position was unusual. My father...

When I was younger, my family had a dog named Prion who was nicknamed “Poppy”. Explaining Poppy’s actual name to my peers - who had no background in biology - was always a challenge, because I did not know the answer to that question myself. Years later as I was nearing the end of a chapter focused on protein-folding in my AP Biology textbook, my eyes drifted and I read an interesting section on prions! Suddenly, a shot of...

When I think of why I gravitated towards Northwestern, I see the connection between Northwestern’s embodiment of the word “and” to my diverse background and eclectic interests. Northwestern students don’t sacrifice one part of the college experience in favor of another. From Northwestern’s location in Evanston, Chicago is accessible providing internship, research, and cultural opportunities. Students produce groundbreaking research but also lose their voices cheering for the football team at Ryan Field. Inside the classroom, Northwestern would...

I initially gravitated toward Wisconsin, because I knew I would not have to sacrifice one aspect of the college experience in favor of another. Students at the university seem to maintain the perfect balance between academics and life. While they spend countless hours in laboratories producing groundbreaking research, they reserve time to cheer on the men's basketball team. After a long day of classes, homework, and extracurriculars, students meet up with friends and enjoy Madison’s restaurants and entertainment. Primarily,...

Quiz bowl functions like how I discovered the activity: stumbling upon something novel and exciting. I have learned about subjects I would have never encountered in school from Sophocles to the Spanish Civil War. Quiz bowl rewards these acquisition of knowledge through instant gratification every time I buzz and answer a question correctly. Outside of learning and competing, I have developed close relationships with many of my teammates. The only aspect of the tournament which we look forward to more...

Being a STEM-oriented person, I realized that engineering would capitalize on my love for science and math by using it solve problems. Purdue consistently ranks highly in engineering because of its emphasis on providing undergraduates with practical experience. Purdue is next to Discovery Park, a hub of startups, which hire students to do research. Purdue’s reputation allows students to have internships at companies like Abbott. Additionally, students use engineering to help local nonprofits through Engineering Projects in Community Service....

One year ago, my father was hospitalized for developing an irregular heartbeat caused by a flaw in his repaired heart valve. Later, I discovered I might have a congenital heart valve defect like my father. I wondered if there was a way to fix my dad’s heart valve while allowing him to maintain the quality of life. I learned biomedical engineers are already growing new organs from stem cells, so I thought they could devise a solution to my...

It was like any other day. After dinner, my parents quietly slipped out of the house for their evening walk, but their daily ritual was cut short when they rushed home and left with the car keys in a flash. The next day, I learned my father had developed an irregular heartbeat from his diet, the intensity of his walk, and the inherent weakness in his repaired heart valve. Seeing him in such a vulnerable position was unusual. My father...

It is a Sunday afternoon, and the gym is silent except for the constant reverberations of the basketball being dribbled. As I begin to shoot the ball inside the arc, a teenager about my age taps my shoulder startling me. He asks, “Do you want to play one-on-one?”. I agree to his request. As the game progresses, we play defense with more intensity forcing tougher shots. After the game, we quietly retreat to the benches where we eventually start discussing...

Quiz bowl functions like how I discovered the activity: stumbling upon something novel and exciting. I have learned about subjects I would have never encountered in school from Sophocles to the Spanish Civil War. Quiz bowl rewards these acquisition of knowledge through instant gratification every time I buzz and answer a question correctly. Outside of learning and competing, I have developed close relationships with many of my teammates. The only aspect of the tournament which we look forward to more...