Emily's Response In Still Alice

I asked Emily if she felt she was intellectually curious and was pleased that her response included providing an example of a discussion that she was part of, outside of a classroom format (where in-depth verbal analysis might otherwise be a requirement for a high course grade). Emily seemed self-motivated to engage in the exchange of ideas both inside and outside of the classroom. Emily recounted a rap session with her friends when the group dissected the movie “Still Alice.” In the movie, a 50-year old Columbia University linguistics professor slowly fell silent as a result of her battle with Alzheimer’s disease. Since Emily wants one day to be a physician, this conversation topic may have held particular interest for her. Emily contended that she sees herself as IC since she delves very deeply into subjects that compel her, and especially enjoys sparking intellections conversations with her peers. When I asked her what motivates her, Emily’s answer initially seemed predictable. She responded that she wants “to excel academically” and wants to “make her mother proud of her.” What made this comment more substantive was her reason WHY. Emily was adopted from China when she was 18 months old, to a single Caucasian mother who lives in …show more content…
Her response to my inquiry was again unique in my experience, as compared to the responses of many other candidates with whom I have discussed our Honor Code. She felt that the HC honor code was special as it serves to instill trust not only between the teachers and students, but also between the students themselves. Emily is also the only applicant in about 15 years of interviewing students, to ask me my personal experiences living within the framework of Haverford’s HC. She seemed sincerely intrigued by my recounting the personal challenges I encountered with the HC asking pointed questions about the