<p>Posting essays "that worked" is a wonderful initiative and we should be thankful to the participating colleges. However, its greatest value also represents its greatest danger: flattery by imitation. In so many words, the essays posted by schools only represent essays that worked for THAT school. Case in point, Conn College continues its tradition to reward essays that are, should we say, different; I call them the purple and pink essays in reference to Pepto-Bismol or the type of writing you see in books with a picture of Fabio printed on the jacket. </p>
<p>Is this really an essay worthy of praise, let alone emulation by anyone except a Conn College applicant?</p>
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Not reveille, but the thunderous crack of a head colliding with wood woke me one early July morning. Big Mike, an eight-year old, overweight, asthmatic ball of energy had shot up like a catapult, only to receive a face full of top bunk from the overlying bed. With glossy eyes and a contused forehead, Big Mike incoherently shifted his weight and rose to his feet. I watched curiously as the class clown of my cabin unconsciously staggered over to his seedy secondhand suitcase at the foot of his bed. The frigid air coated Big Mike's skin with a layer of goose bumps as he defied all convention by dropping his boxers and turning his open suitcase into a portable urinal. The nine glasses of bug juice he drank during lunch evacuated his body and soaked the suitcase's contents. I froze, mystified and yet thoroughly amused. Should I wake him and risk his embarrassment? Or should I let him finish and deal with the situation in the morning? I decided to wait. Big Mike hoisted his boxers and dreamily returned to his bunk.</p>
<p>Cool morning dew blended unceremoniously with the warm stench radiating off of the musty suitcase. The aroma wafted towards my bed and hit me harder than Big Mike had hit the top bunk. As I attempted to fall back to sleep, the bugle echoed throughout camp. Morning music blared and kids were getting dressed when Big Mike shouted, "Yo Dane, somebody peed in my suitcase!" I told Big Mike and the other guys how I had mistakenly left the cabin door open over night. " A raccoon must've got in; I'm sorry dude, that's my fault." Big Mike and the rest of my oblivious campers ate breakfast as I spent the morning doing laundry.</p>
<p>Eight years ago I joined my second family. At Camp Minikani I, too, wet the bed and idolized wacky counselors I only dreamt of one day becoming. Now I am that wacky counselor, an unexplainable role model in worn out tennis shoes and a beat up baseball cap. I am an extraordinary combination of doctor, lawyer and teacher. Each week of the summer eighteen parents some doubtful, others relieved leave their most prized possessions with me: a liable, loud, long haired lunatic. I am a blender full of coach, referee and teammate. I build trust between ten complete strangers, myself included. I help reveal hidden confidence at the rock wall. I am a guide in social adjustment while I undergo my own self-discovery. Together we construct unforgettable memories just as my counselors once did for me. </p>
<p>Minikani's effect on me has expanded far beyond just the summer camp. It has molded me into an outgoing, mature, and effective leader year round. The positive atmosphere at camp has inspired me to give back to my own community through peer tutoring and freshman advisory. My group presence and style of creative encouragement have made me an inspiring team captain both on the soccer field and on the ice rink. I have learned to take challenging risks in school in terms of which classes I enroll in and projects I undertake. I am eager to meet new people and learn as much from them as they have to offer; I have learned that a cabin of eight year-olds can enlighten me with imaginative ideas about outer space as much as a physics teacher can. I know I would be an asset to your school because I am a well-rounded leader who thrives in a community environment. I look forward to the incredible learning opportunities as well as giving back to the campus through my extracurricular involvement and leadership.</p>
<p>Big Mike, my other campers, and the rest of my Minikani family have influenced my life as much as I hope to have impacted theirs. Our learning together has helped me develop into the person I am today. Camp Minikani has taught me many life skills. I have learned to trust, to respect, to receive, to give back, to love, and of course, how to do laundry.
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<p>Oh, God Thesaurus, thank you for the plethora of illuminating adjectives and adverbs!</p>