Disclaimer:
This is a personal blog and should be taken as such. So don't sue me if what I write pisses you off. Or if I write lies. Or if I give maladvice. Or if you fail to read through my sarcasm. Et cetera.
I like stalkers.
Is it in bad taste to quote one's self?
"The greatest of debaters are not only the most eloquent -- they are the most bruised, the most resilient, the strongest of heart." -- Andrew Loh
Quotes "How many times have you chickened out?" - Qu Hsueh Ming
"Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds." - Albert Einstein
"An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile - hoping it will eat him last." - Sir Winston Churchill
"Affirmative action is something the good don't need and the bad don't deserve" - A wise man
"The men who create power make an indispensable contribution to the Nation's greatness, but the men who question power make a contribution just as indispensable, especially when that questioning is disinterested, for they determine whether we use power or power uses us." - John F. Kennedy
"The problems of the world cannot possibly be solved by skeptics or cynics whose horizons are limited by the obvious realities. We need men who can dream of things that never were." - John F. Kennedy
"I love America more than any other country in this world, and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually." - James A. Baldwin
"Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is but a broken winged bird that cannot fly." - Langston Hughes
"Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference." - Sir Winston Churchill
"Dreams are true while they last, and do we not live in dreams?" - Alfred Lord Tennyson
"Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education alone will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan "press on" has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race." - John Calvin Coolidge
"We will either find a way or make one." - Hannibal
"Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake." - Napoleon Bonaparte
"For evil to triumph, it is only necessary for good men to do nothing." - Edmund Burke
"War begins in the minds of men, and it is in the minds of men that the defenses of peace must first be constructed." - UNESCO Constitution
"The proper study of mankind is man." - Alexander Pope
"My kind of loyalty was loyalty to one's country, not to its institutions or its officeholders. The country is the real thing, the substantial thing, the eternal thing; it is the thing to watch over, and care for, and be loyal to; institutions are extraneous, they are its mere clothing, and clothing can wear out, become ragged, cease to be comfortable, cease to protect the body from winter, disease, and death." - Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens): A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court
"Patriotism is to support your country all the time and your government when it deserves it" - Mark Twain
"The reasonable man adapts himself to the world. The unreasonable man persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man." - George Bernard Shaw
"The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those who have not got it." - George Bernard Shaw
"Democracy is a system ensuring that the people are governed no better than they deserve." - George Bernard Shaw
"If we don't believe in freedom of expression for people we despise, we don't believe in it at all." -- Noam Chomsky
"During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act." - George Orwell
"When the people fear the government, you have tyranny. When the government fears the people, you have freedom." - Thomas Paine
"I sense a learning: that much dumber people than you end up in charge. Look at the way things are. I'm no fucken genius or anything, but these spazzos are in charge of my every twitch. What I'm starting to think is maybe only the dumb are safe in this world, the ones who roam with the herd, without thinking about every little thing. But see me? I have to think about every little fucken thing." - Vernon God Little, Act II
Please write a brief statement telling us why you have decided to apply to Swarthmore in particular.
I believe that every college brochure portrays the identity, the individuality of the college itself. Swarthmore's brochure stood out in that way. From the start it appealed to me because it was different. It did not conform to the "norm". It exuded creativity. It didn't have the usual long, verbose, bland, self-praising essays; but quirky and interesting bits of information. I loved how it showed me the cultural and intellectual diversity of the college through pictures, flow-charts, cartoons! I was excited, because I am "weird" by normal standards: I find all my classes interesting. I want to learn anything and everything. I want to be all that I can be. I have a plethora of interests and passions, ranging from debate and dance to music and trivia, and the brochure has convinced me that I will definitely not be bored in my pursuits, intellectual or extracurricular. I like how learning for learning's sake is institutionalized in Swarthmore with the de-emphasis on GPAs and the encouragement of collaboration among students and how it can help me grow. I laughed at the portraits of students, the sarcastic comments, the little bits and pieces of trivial facts that ultimately make Life interesting. I love how close it is to historic, romantic Philadelphia; and how beautiful and dramatic the scenery and architecture are. In short, the brochure told me I would fit in perfectly; that Swarthmore had everything I was looking for: it is unique and non-conforming, a leader in every sense; it is a place where the "weird" students can find vigorous and stimulating learning, generous financial aid, a diverse student population with tremendous potential; and it has a great sense of humor. (Which other college would name their ice hockey club the Mother Puckers?!) As I flipped to the last page I saw a (road) sign: Kuala Lumpur (an adjacent city), of all places, was on it; and I knew then that I was destined for Swarthmore.
Cedarcent September 8, 2006 03:08 PM PDT Love the essay, simple, brief yet personal and conveys ur interest wonderfully. mine simply dulls when compared to it. Haha. Anyway, will need plenty of your help this year. =)
Hsueh Ming September 8, 2006 10:35 PM PDT What a crap load of bull. But bull is what they want. So.
Cedarcent September 10, 2006 02:00 AM PDT Haha.. true in a sense but that's what the uni wants. Hey Andrew, how's life treating you there?
Andrew September 11, 2006 03:51 AM PDT swat is fun!
wendy September 15, 2006 12:10 AM PDT destined for swarthmore...haha.
de-emphasis on gpa's...
maybe im destined for hku?! it doesn't have everything i was looking for. it doesn' have the ideal campus. it doesnt have the ideal environment. so i guess i wasn't destined for hku, but indirectly destined for something else.
wendy September 23, 2007 08:41 AM PDT uh i actually left a comment years ago? i thought it was the first time that i read this essay.
dude May 7, 2008 08:30 AM PDT Eww, shameless brown nosing. So much cringe that it's actually not bad.
This is the biggest ego-stroking blog I've ever seen. I don't even know whether it's for real or if it's some sorta inside joke.
Daniel John November 19, 2009 09:13 AM PST Very nice post... I think swat is fun.
