CommonApp エッセイ ~Yale University~

私が出願したエッセイをただただ記録のために載せていくシリーズです。参考までに。
Yaleは受かりませんでしたが、エッセイは書いていて面白かったです。楽しく書けた気はします。
剽窃はありませんのでご安心を。

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2022 Yale Supplemental Essay

Tell us about a topic or idea that excites you and is related to one or more academic areas you selected above. Why are you drawn to it? (200 words or fewer)

I have loved reading biographies such as "Uesugi Yozan," "Lincoln," and "A Man Called Pirate,” and being fascinated by their adventurous, warmhearted life stories. That is why, rather than reading textbooks, I get more excited about learning the background of Japanese criminal law master Shigemitsu Dando's theories of "subjectivity" and "personal responsibility," drawn from his childhood memories of being raised by a samurai father, or Max Weber's "Politik als Beruf," based on his concern with Germany’s dysfunctional parliamentary democracy. I am excited to learn about the lives of people and to create new theories by connecting their values.

Similarly, my street snaps reflect people going about their daily lives. Through the viewfinder of my camera, even ordinary scenes are transformed into artwork with a contrast of light, shadow, and color. When I see my street snaps win awards at photo contests over landscape and studio photography, I realize that each person's ordinary life is as beautiful as Mount Fuji at sunset.

Through both the artistic activity of photography and the academic study of political science, I have felt that human life is beautiful. The question of how to theoretically and institutionally develop this principle is the theme of my life. (200words)

What is it about Yale that has led you to apply? (125 words or fewer)

Yale’s history reflects the history and future of America and the world. And where better to study the past and future of American democracy from the perspectives of political science and photography than at Yale?
Professors Bruce Ackerman (We the People), Oona Hathaway (Foundations of International Law and Politics), and Renee Cox ("Yo Mama's Last Supper") are, of course, fascinating. But what I am most looking forward to is the opportunity to engage in dialogue with other future world leaders about such academically interesting issues as the future of freedom of expression and the relationship between cities and people. I cannot wait to start designing the society of the future with my peers from Yale, the 21st century coffeehouse. (119words)

What inspires you? (200 characters or fewer)

At the end of the day, discussing my dreams with Takayasu, my best friend of six years and a realist thinker opposite to my optimist. Bumping shoulders, we say, "Let's do our best again tomorrow." (196characters)

Yale’s residential colleges regularly host conversations with guests representing a wide range of experiences and accomplishments. What person, past or present, would you invite to speak? What would you ask them to discuss? (200 characters or fewer)

I would like to ask Montesquieu, the architect of the separation of powers, how the state’s powers should be divided in an age when the framework of the state is being shaken by cryptoassets and GAFA. (200characters)

You are teaching a new Yale course. What is it called? (200 characters or fewer)

Individual and Community in CT7567 Captain Rex: Learn how to overcome the conflict between loyalty and conscience through his life in Clone Wars. Pre-watching the entire Star Wars series is required. (199characters)

What is something about you that is not included anywhere else in your application? (200 characters or fewer)

I disassembled an iPhone’s lithium-ion battery and saw it burst into flames. I learned firsthand that alkali metals are quite reactive. Don’t worry, I promise not to burn down my dorm. (184characters)

Reflect on a time when you have worked to enhance a community to which you feel connected. Why have these efforts been meaningful to you? You may define community however you like(in 400 words or fewer).

My classmates call me the God of Cleaning.

In Japanese high schools, we have to take charge of cleaning the blackboard between classes. Though almost no one wants to do this, I enjoy taking on this responsibility.
This is because once I alone wipe the blackboard with an eraser, all the other students and teachers enjoy the lecture in a clean environment. Even one teacher’s comment saying “This class’ blackboard looks beautiful” warms my heart. And these days, some of my classmates have started to clean the blackboard together after seeing my professional blackboard cleaning.

The "blackboard eraser" spirit of enjoying everything to the hilt was demonstrated in other areas as well. Starting a craft club (a.k.a. Eco-run) on my own, I told my friends how much I enjoyed building models and welding steering wheels to make a car, and the number of members naturally grew from one to two, to ten, and eventually, the club grew into a club that built various things, from school shelves to miniature trains. 

After joining the Photography Club, which was on the verge of being discontinued by its five members, I became the head of the club, entering photo contests and talking about the appeal of 1960s Early American photographers such as Eugene Smith, Vivian Maier, or Robert Frank in the school magazine. Now we have a large group of 20 members, and last year, we held an exhibition outside the school for the first time in the history of the photography club.

I used to solicit my friends to join the Photography Club by saying, 'You have an artistic sense. You should join us!’ However, I was rejected by all of them. But when I enjoy taking pictures, they get interested in joining. Perhaps this "blackboard eraser" spirit has the power of empathy that makes those around me excited.

You cannot force others to do what they don't want to do. But, if you not only take the initiative but also do it with a sense of fun from the bottom of your heart, gradually they will become interested and join in the activity.  Therefore I would like to keep the spirit of the "blackboard eraser" as something that not only cleans my mind but also naturally cleans the minds of those around me, giving me a sense of purpose in my daily life. (394words)