"Application Essay"

Rachel Adams

English 11

12:30-1:45pm

22 February 2010

As a kid, I had many passions growing up and this one in particular stuck with me the most. It was making art just in general. I love doing it all and the way it makes me feel. It is one of my escapes in life, and my art has developed very much over the years.

Ever since I was really young, I have always had a passion for drawing, painting, and even sculpting with clay and play dough. I have always loved making things look that what I would consider to be beautiful. My dad would always be painting a pretty picture, or sketching something for work. I thought it was amazing how someone could express his or herself just by putting a pencil to paper based on what they perceived.

When I was about twelve years old, it was then I realized that I had more than just one passion or talent rather. I was really good at making things look good, and I can also sing really well. I knew I wanted to do something significant with my life, but I never knew one hundred percent. I knew I would have to choose eventually and I did just that this year. My major was major, but I switched it to art because there is so much room for development and improvement. There is so much more you can do with art. Everything in today’s world revolves around art. We could not survive without it. It’s how we communicate, and humans must have socialization.

I am presently at Bristol Community College (BCC), and it offers a fantastic Graphic Design program. I know because, that is the program I switched to. When I transfer out of BCC, I would like to change my major to Web Design since I am always online and I love the internet. I have taken a Web Design class, and I loved it. It was the most interesting class I have ever taken.

Although college can be extremely stressful, I know I would be the greatest art student you have ever had. This is because of my love of art and my loyalty to it. I’ve been surrounded by art my whole life and I would love to better my career by furthering my education in something I love and am devoted to.

"This I Believe"

Rachel Adams

English 11

12:30-1:45pm

8 February 2010

I believe in non-smoking, and the impact it has on families. Smoking is very bad for your health and your family’s well being. It has many harmful side effects, physical and emotional—especially for your family. It causes many different types of cancer, heart disease, and chronic lung disease. The sad thing is it is the single most preventable cause of early death in the world. It can cause death and diseases to whoever is exposed to smoke. This is often referred to as second hand smoke. The emotional toll this takes on your family is also ridiculous.

My grandfather started smoking when he was about 10 years old. He always had breathing problems up until his untimely death, at 58. This was approximately two years ago. Near his death, he could barely walk or breathe and he developed emphysema. I remember visiting them on the holidays, we would be having a great conversation, laughing and such and then he would reach for his inhaler. When it got really bad, he would end up in the hospital for long periods of time. It also affected my grandmother. She was often hospitalized with the same breathing problems, but was not as bad as his. She is still alive.

The emotional toll his death took on our family is still present today. We think about how it could be prevented. If he did not smoke, he would still be alive right now. We realize that the “what ifs” do not change anything, but we still wonder. I grew up in a smoke-free environment and I wonder what causes people to start smoking. Why would someone want to put a stick of death into his or her mouth? I think it’s absurd, and completely disgusting. I always told myself I would not associate with someone who smokes, now here I am about to marry a smoker. The future cannot be predicted I suppose.

Both of my parents used to smoke before I was born, and I am glad they did. If they did not quit, I wonder if I would view smoking in the same light I do now. Maybe I would think that it is okay to smoke, since my parents do. I wonder if I would justify it. There are so many bad things about smoking. Cigarettes are made of 4,000 deadly compounds and toxics. How could someone put that into their mouth and breathe that into their lungs? It is like having a death wish. It has a warning label on the cigarette carton! Come on people. I think that people are either Ignorant, or uncaring about their life.

Smoking has dreadful effects, physically and emotionally. It causes many diseases and it can affect your family, friends, and all of the people you surround yourself with. If you love your family you should not smoke, or quit while you still can.

"Eating Disorders Caused by the Media"

Rachel Adams

English 11

12:30pm- 1:45pm

1 February 2010

If you have ever turned on the television, watched a movie, read a magazine, saw a billboard, or even surfed the Internet, you probably know what it feels like to be pressured by the media. The media spends millions of dollars each year to get the perfect actors/actresses and supermodels. A passage from an essay, entitled “Beauty…and the Beast of Advertising” by Jean E. Kilbourne, explains this. This leads to eating disorders and how advertising and the media is to blame.

In her passage, Kilbourne describes how even fourth-grade girls feeling too fat, and feeling the need to diet and over-exercise. The media produces an image of how the average teen and even young adults should look like. This image always reflects a perfect supermodel. She also refers to grade-school girls trying to look like the people they look up to. These people are usually models, movie stars, or singers. This sends the wrong message, as in reality, there is no such thing as perfect. As Kilbourne describes, “When Glamour magazine surveyed its readers in 1984, 75 percent felt too heavy and only 15 percent felt right. Nearly half of those who were actually underweight reported feeling too fat and wanted to diet” (Kilbourne, Beauty...and the Beast of Advertising). This message also conveys that being beautiful equals happiness, which in fact that is not always the case. This is not a healthy way of thinking.

I agree with Kilbourne that the media is to blame for lack of confidence in people and that they do not feel good enough to fit in this society. I think that young girls or even adults should not have to worry about their bodies as long as it is not affecting health. They should be happy with his or herself and realize that we are all different in our own way.

I also agree with Kilbourne that the media is causing eating disorder in young girls, teens and even adults. That amazes me. They are so obsessed on being “beautiful” and thin that they do not realize what harm they are causing to their bodies! For example, I have friends that have resorted to eating disorders because they had to lose weight for a certain sport. This friend in particular was in gymnastics. She had to be in a certain weight class. She suffered from anorexia nervosa and eventually had to be hospitalized and then go through rehabilitation. There are so many more effective and healthier ways to lose weight. This is extremely dangerous, and in a lot of cases can cause death.

In Jean E. Kilbourne’s passage from her essay, “Beauty…and the Beast of Advertising” She describes how the media can cause eating disorders even in grade-school girls. The media produces an image of how the average person should look like. This is very stressful, because not everybody is designed to look like a model, and we should not have to. They can become so obsessive with their looks, that it can cause eating disorders and in some cases, even death.