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Reflective Essay: Uchicago's Song Of Myself

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In the main quadrangle, I struck up a conversation with a UChicago student. When I asked him what he was majoring in, he said with a completely straight face, “Religious Studies and Astrophysics”. While other institutions might satisfy one of my interests, UChicago can satiate them all.
I’ve always been curious, which unquestionably translated into a love for discovery. Instead of wanting dolls for my birthdays, I asked for Legos or 1000-piece jigsaw puzzles. Walking through Best Buy, I’ve always ogled at the appliances, wanting to understand their hidden complexities. As I grew older, the more problems I encountered, the more answers I wanted to find. I began to discover the intricacies of coding. Instead of playing games, I learned to create them. Instead of being daunted by numerous segmentation faults, I embraced the challenge. The first time my code ran successfully, the elation I felt escaped articulation. I am happiest when I am learning. What is so appealing about it is the connection formed between my ideas and their physical manifestations. I often question what I see—How does that …show more content…

Music is one of the most integral parts of my identity. I’ve played the piano since I was six and later joined the Fort Worth Youth Orchestra as a flautist. Initially, I only cared about accuracy, but as I’ve practiced, I’ve uncovered the subtleties of tender diminuendos and rich crescendos. Vivaldi woos me with his poignant motifs. Hayden’s symphonies charm me with their hypnotic reveries. With fingers skittering Mendelsohn and pounding Grieg, I bring dimension to my world. Music lifts me from pianissimo to fortissimo, different triads expressing my thoughts better than my voice can. When I play, I wrap my audience in rhapsodies, creating a sacred moment of lingering connection, uniting a diverse community in harmony. As part of the UChicago Orchestra, I want to be in tune with my peers and connect the diverse school

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