On Personal Statements

I tried to fix my UC personal statement to be more interesting...

"Perhaps we can scare away the ghost of so many years ago with a little illumination, gentlemen!" Then it started: the first haunting chord that enthralled audiences everywhere, the chord that stole my breath away and lit a flame within my heart. It was my first time watching Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera and it immediately caught my attention. All the different motifs combined and created a musical masterpiece that truly inspired me. From the “Overture” to “The Final Lair”, the wonderful music never ceased to leave me in awe. After the music, the characters really brought that same feeling of music alive. The Phantom’s obsession with music, Christine’s dedication to it and Raoul’s love for it all combined into a feeling that I could really deeply understand. I connected to the Phantom’s need to have music. Music is like a constant in an ever-changing world. To me, it was just that, the notes will always be there no matter what and I could rely on it to express different feelings and relax. Christine’s dedication to music was much like mine. Then through her, I learned that even dedication needed limits in order to really enjoy music. Without music Raoul would not have been able to recognize Christine. I related to the his pure-hearted love towards music and Christine who embodied the soul of music. Although it was only one performance, one show, it is a memory that I really treasure.

In the end, my love for music will always be a constant. My love is not in a way that I wish to study music, but rather a way that music will always hold a special place within me. I would like to say that the reason for this was due to my parents pushing me to pursue music, but that is not the truth. It is the simple things that make me love music: movie backgrounds, musicals, and songs I listen to day to day. It was The Phantom of the Opera that reminded me of that. To be honest, I thought I had lost my muse after years of mindless practicing but it had rushed back to me the moment I saw the musical. It also reminded me that music was something to be enjoyed and whether I was practicing or listening or performing did not matter.

This could really be applied to anything and not just music. I believe that life is meant to be enjoyed. When there is something out there that I find I really enjoy, passion, love, and dedication towards it is really important. I find that the most important thing is to never let whatever you enjoy go without a fight. No matter what, I am willing to put my everything into things i enjoy and really treasure the experiences it gives.

On The Stranger

Throughout the whole book, Meursault has always appeared nonchalant. I think the moment he gave his existence essence was when that unconcerned attitude was broken. It started after the trial when he clearly did not want to die. However, the moment that he decided to give his existence essence was he snapped and started yelling at the chaplain. Before that he just took everything as it was. But at that moment, he confessed that he wanted a life where he could remember the the one he was currently living. He said that in the end, the blind rage had washed him clean. This shows how he wanted to live a new life. He determined himself to be indifferent like the world. I think this is the point where he becomes a person. All the other times he was always going with the flow without thinking. This time, although he is still going with the flow, he reflected and thought of the past and future. It was the first time he had explained his actions. He said that no one had the right to cry over his mother because she had been happy and free to live once more which is the reason he did not cry over her. He also found the world like himself. This shows how he now knows what his self was like. It was his identity. In the end, he was happy again. He was happy that he was indifferent and with death his life would be complete.

On Walt Whitman

"There was never any more inception than there is now, 

Nor any more youth or age than there is now, 

And will never be any more perfection than there is now,

Now any more heaven or hell than is now."

This poem was not so much about the American or national identity but rather about identities in general. I think Whitman is trying to say that it is important to live in the moment. An individual's identity is how the individual is in the present. In the stanza, he is talking about there is nothing more than the present. It really shows how there is nothing more defining of an identity than what they do in the present. A person's identity cannot be anything of the past because then that may not actually be their current identity and what they feel. Like the previous statement, a person's identity also cannot be defined by their age but only what is in the moment. The present is the perfect representation of an individual's identity. This really shows how Whitman believes that the defining moment for an individual's identity is the present. It tries to teach people that it is not the past or the future that defines you, but rather the present and how you are in the moment. Although the past does affect who you are, your identity is not the same as the one you had in the past and your identity can change. 

On Empathy and Selfishness

During the discussion of Out of the Silent Planet, the topic of empathy. Empathy is, by definition, the ability to understand another person's feelings. In my opinion, empathy exists; however, just because it exists does not mean people are not selfish.

People are selfish and that cannot be changed. Even though a person can feel bad for another, they may not do anything about it. For example, when most people watch the news and read or see something terrible happening to other people elsewhere, they would probably think to themselves, "Oh! That's terrible. I hope the situation gets better." Then what? Nothing. Many people even forget about it a few days later. Does that mean that we are not empathetic? Of course not. The moment you saw the bad news you were empathetic by even feeling bad for the people in the terrible situation. But did we do anything? Not really. We are selfish enough to not care and not do anything to help others even when they need help. Not to say that no one helps but the point is that most people don't.

In the end, if all people were empathetic and were not selfish, we would not have as many problems as we do today. People enjoy indulging themselves and sometimes even when they feel empathy, they make excuses not to help. It is the way people are but maybe if we can change that, the world could be a better place. 

9/20 - 9/27 Favorite Quote and Song

Quote --

"I'd like a drink. I desire to forget life. Life is a hideous invention by somebody I don't know. It doesn't last, and its good for nothing. You break your neck simply living.

-- Victor Hugo, Les Miserables (Grantaire) 

Song --

Beyond the Door sung by Hadley Fraser

This week's favorite quote and song is up! 

On Facts and Opinions

To say that everything we hear is an opinion and everything we see is perspective is incorrect. As it is with many problems, there is a grey area and nothing is for certain. The statement itself would then be contradictory if it is held true because then that statement would be an opinion as well. I think that everything is a mixture of facts and opinions.

I can say for certain that if you hear someone say "I hate math." you would say that it is that person's opinion on math. However, it is also a fact about the person; that is to say as long as they were speaking the truth. No matter what you say, that statement is true to the person saying it. If they don't like math then they don't like it. There's not much to else say. You would not argue with that person and say that the point that they do not like math is their opinion on themselves. In that moment, it is true that the person does not like math. However, like opinions, these statements can change. A few years later, the same person may say that that they love math. Then both statements would be true because it all is in the moment. In the moment which that person claims that they hate/love math, it is entirely true and it is entirely what they believe. It is the same with seeing in perspective. The perspective that they see is true for them. You would not tell someone that they did not actually see something. People would not ever see the same thing but that does not mean that there is no truth in what they see.

People value sight and hearing as a way to get to the truth. Even if to you what someone says is an opinion or what they see is a perspective, to them it is a part of truth. It is the same as if you were to say to me that you saw a duck by the pond. I would not tell you that what you saw was just perspective. You saw what you saw. I guess my point would be that people have personal truths, a fact is also an opinion and visa versa.

My Personal Philosophy

The purpose of life would be to enjoy living and something that I love is music since it makes me who I am. I think the joy music brings is one thing that will never change as time goes on. I would like to say that the experience that was the most significant to me was when my parents pushed the younger me to continue music, it is not the truth. It was the moment, or rather three and a half hours, I watched The Phantom of the Opera in Hollywood.

It was a breathtaking experience. I can still remember how the first haunting chord of the “Overture” blew me away and the rest of the songs continued to amaze me. From “Angel of Music” to “The Final Lair”, the show had my full attention. Aside from the enthralling music, I loved the characters and could relate to them and their passions. It was also significantly different from watching a recording or the movie. In the theater you feel as if the music surrounds you but the recordings and movie doesn’t have that same majestic feeling.

This experience is gave me the desire to never let music go. The show allowed me to find my muse and to find my music once more. I had lost my music and forgot my purpose with it after years of mindless practicing and The Phantom of the Opera actually made me feel enraptured by music once more. It was a feeling that I had felt in my early childhood but had forgotten ever since. Now music is my love and passion. It is always there to help cheer you up or express your feelings. It is one of the most important things in my life and it keeps me from giving up.