Sexuality in Vogel's How I Learned to Drive

A concept we discussed in class that I found interesting was the comparison between Vogel’s sexuality and that of the characters in her stories. She is a lesbian and we nothing about her past sexual experiences (childhood, teenage life). However there are definite examples of sexual abuse, obviously in the relationship of Uncle Peck and L’il Bit as well as Uncle Peck’s youth. Does anyone have any ideas/theories on Vogel’s fascination with sexual/child abuse?

tim

How The "Macarena" Changed My Life

We’ve all heard it. We all know the moves. But do we know what it really means?
“Dale a tu cuerpo alegria Macarena
Que tu curepo es pa’ darle alegria y cosa buena
Dale tu cuerpo alegria Macarena
Hey, Macarena!”
Translated, these powerful lyrics mean:
“Give your body pleasure, Macarena.
Because your body is for giving pleasure and good things
Give your body pleasure, Macarena
Hey, Macarena!”
The message of this influential ballad rings true in all aspects of my life. Before I heard this wondrous ditty, I led a lethargic lifestyle filled with the constant consumption of delicious desserts, porterhouse steaks, fried chicken, and piña coladas. After feasting, I would retire to the comfort of my couch where I would stay for days on end. Little did I know, I was giving my body displeasure! Once I heard the song, the message inspired me to get off the couch and change my ways by giving my body the pleasure and good things it deserves! Now I am an active teenager, participating in activities such as miming while pursuing my dream of attending Clown College. I hold seminars at local middle schools telling the students my story with the hope of inspiring them to get off the couch and dance to the moral of the “Macarena”. All of my future successes in life, I owe to Los Del Rio for their inspirational and brilliant message which has motivated me to reach for the stars. If only everyone appreciated the significance of the “Macarena”. Hey, Macarena.

My Snowboarding Fiasco: A college essay on being safe.

Last winter, my family and I took a trip to South Tahoe for a relaxing vacation in a winter wonderland. Unfortunately we did not know that around the holiday season South Tahoe became infested with mass groups of people. Huge men with little snow caps were waddling everywhere hoping to find an empty bar to keep warm. You could hear little children scream every five seconds because their ears were sensitive to the cold air. Mothers walked around with their designer snow boots and five thousand dollar fur coats. These people were clearly…not skiers, even though they looked the part. Fortunately, we did not let the harsh crowds steer us away from our vacation.

We checked into our rental around 10:30 am, and in about three seconds every room was commandeered by a member of my family. My cousin and I had a huge room that had a view of nothing but white – every inch of the outside world was covered with snow. As soon as we at gotten settled into our rooms, we were all out the door and on the slopes. I had never skied in my life or snowboarded for that matter, but I had an idea about how it all worked. So my cousin and I decided to take a snowboarding class together at the Heavenly Ski Resort. All of the instructors there were Australian and had heavy, hoarse accents which made it even easier to understand them. Once our class had ended, I felt that I was ready for the slopes. Granted I was not the best out there, but I was feeling pretty confident that morning. I got to the top of the mountain and just let go – I was flying past people, left and right; swooshing past them. It was such a exhilarating experience that I went back to the top of the mountain.

Although I stood on my snowboard as I flew down the hill, I got the idea where maybe sitting on the board like a sled might be fun. So without haste, I sat on the board and my cousin pushed me down hill. At first I was having a blast; again flying past people – but I soon lost control of the board and began spinning spastically in circles. Every time I tried to stop, I would just gain more speed. I was so worried I would hit something or someone, and lucky me I did. Upon reaching a crowd of people, I slide backwards into someone who was looking elsewhere. It looked as though I had just got a strike in bowling - the other person literally flew into the air and landed back first onto the frozen snow. I on the other hand continued to slide right on through their little pow-wow. At this point, my cousins had spotted me and were running after me to help me stop my run-away board. I finally stopped with the help of an old oak tree that thankfully was in the center of the path.

I learned a lot from this experience. For one thing, I should never assume that I am ready to take on mountains after having a lesson from someone who barely spoke English. And another thing; if I ever loose control of my snowboard, I should just roll or jump right off and let it slide underneath someone without me on top of it. With my new sense of safety, I will be a great asset to your university.

My Drawer of Shoes: A College Essay

My life and interests can be discovered by merely looking in the drawer under my bed, where the shoes are. In that drawer are about 15 pairs of shoes of various types, colors, and styles. They can all be carefully put into three different categories: athletic shoes, formal shoes, and the comfort shoes. They not only symbolize my character, but also my priorities in life.

First, the athletic shoes: tennis, running and ballet slippers. I currently have two pairs of tennis shoes. On the court I wear Adidas and only Adidas, because they are the only company I trust with my feet. I have gone through a total of five pairs so far, showing my dedication and perseverance through the thick times (the soles), and the thing ones (the worn out toes). My life revolves around when I have practice and I schedule time to do other things around matches and tournaments. I am tenacious and dedicated to my sport and all the things that come with it. My running shoes are bright pink and white, contrasting my intense and spunky personality with the calm and studious aspects of my life. In between tennis matches, dance rehearsals, and running miles at a time, I find time to sleep, read, and strive to finish all the homework assigned.

Next, the formal shoes for dinner parties, prom, and other proper events. There are the red patent leather heels with the little black bows and, my favorite, the black stilettos with rhinestones all over them. They display my versatility and capability to achieve any problem thrown at me. I accomplished the ability of walking in three-inch heels, and the pain is almost nonexistent. Unfortunately sometimes beauty is pain.

Last but certainly not least are the comfortable shoes: the fuzzy slippers and the sandals. I love to be comfortable in whatever I am doing and in whatever I am wearing. So, in times of trouble, I can always return to the comfort of my slippers and the familiarity of the leather sandals that I have worn for years.

The many sides of my personality, and the variation of person that are contained in my single person is example enough as to why I should be accepted to Yale University. Accepting me would add a diversity not many schools are lucky enough to have and if you accept me, I promise to continue to support others with diverse beings such as mine.

How Getting My Hair Highlighted Changed My Life Forever: A College Essay

I have always had the most drab, dull hair color. For much of my adolescent life, I felt like something significant was missing from my life. In every activity I pursued, be it running for student body president, mock trial captain, or yearbook editor, I seemed to fall flat. My life, just like my hair, was dull and lifeless. Then one day, I went to the salon to get a routine trim when it hit me – my life would be so much better if I had luminous caramel, butterscotch, and maple syrup-colored streaks in my hair. Against my mother’s wishes, I dived headfirst into the proverbial pot of peroxide.

I was so nervous when the stylist was applying the foreign-smelling substance to my head, but I knew that it was the right thing to do. No matter how nervous I was about this change, I knew I could not turn back now.

After sitting for hours under the harsh, grueling lights of the salon’s heaters, my new hair, and by association, my new life. Once my new cut and color was unveiled to the student body at my school, all my dreams came true. Not only did the president-elect suddenly and mysteriously “transfer” to another school, leaving me to take her place, but the mock trial team rebelled and decided that I would be the best person to lead them to the state championships. And as though things couldn’t get any better, the moderator of the literary magazine approached me and asked me to be editor, which is a far more prestigious position than that of yearbook editor.

So, thanks to my brave decision to highlight my hair, I ended the year by becoming the most overachieving student that my school has ever produced…not to mention the one with the best hair.

My Life is Like a Sandwich: A Satirical College Essay

Plain and simple, my life is like a sandwich.
The bread, which encompasses my life, symbolically represents my friends and family. They are the wheat and grain which empower me and help me sustain energy throughout the day. The love of my family is warm and inclusive and always supporting me at high and low moments throughout my life. Like bread, my family and friends are supportive, but also soft and accepting. My sandwich of life never needs a toothpick, because the bread always seems to maintain my needed structure.

The lettuce represents my love of photography. Like lettuce, photography helps me cleanse my palate, and is the crisp refreshment from the day to day stress I endure at school. Photography is my cathartic release. Similar to my love of both cabbage and romaine, my passion for photography includes both black & white and digital color.

The mustard on my sandwich represents my love for the different spices of my life. I enjoy spontaneity, and I believe that like the sharpness of the mustard, my life dwells on the exciting moments. Whether Dijon or French’s, I choose the direction I want my life to take.

Lastly, the turkey represents the meat of my life. I believe that the focus of my life is my passions. I love English but I also aspire to explore a career in medicine, and I believe that these passions drive me. They are what ground me, and fill me up. Like turkey in a sandwich, my passions are at the center of my desire.

Yes, my life is like a sandwich, and I believe that the complete understanding of my palatable scrumptiousness will help me find my next paths in life. Yes, I believe that by attending your university, I will fully and completely come to understand my inner hoagie.

Why I Should be Accepted to Harvard: A College Essay Satire

Last summer I went to Africa to help care for orphaned children with AIDS. The orphanage was run by Sister Clare, an 85 year old nun who had devoted her life to taking care of Africa’s unwanted children. I had to sleep on the hard wooden floor in Sister Clare’s room and only ate one meal a day because that is all the orphanage could afford. I knew these hardship were worth it when I witnessed they eyes of the children gleaming with joy because I was there. One day, the happiness in their eyes was replaced with desperation because the refrigerator that stored all of the medicine they depended on to survive broke and it was only a matter of hours before the medicine went bad. Sister Clare came to me and told me that someone had to go to the nearest town, which was 15 miles away, and find the mechanic who could fix the fridge, but she was too old to make it that far. Being the brave and compassionate person that I am, I immediately volunteered for the job and headed out. After running several miles, as I was passing a junkyard, I realized that I was never going to get to the town and back in time; I needed to figure out a way to get there faster. Suddenly I had an idea. I ran into the junkyard and after several minutes of searching I found what I was looking for: an old bicycle. I jumped on and raced down the road as the rusty wheels squeaked beneath me. With the help of the bicycle, I reached the mechanic in time for him to save the medicine . That day taught me an important lesson: if I take advantage of the resources around me I can achieve anything. Harvard is my rusty bicycle, and if I am given the chance to ride on the seat of a Harvard education, I will accomplish great things.