Alexandra’s Guide to the Galaxy defines socks as tubular pieces of cloth, sold in sets of two, commonly made of cellulose and water. Their main purpose is to absorb sweat, but my sock drawer holds specimens that rise above the typical calling. On a calm day, they remind me of interesting, even questionable, life decisions, and one particular pair even acts as my antidote to existential crises. With “Don’t Panic” stitched in bright red letters on the soles ...

e at home in all lands and all ages; When I first stepped onboard Hong Kong’s Mass Transit Railway at the age of eight, the doors made a terrifying beep and I was surrounded by the smell of stinky tofu - not the most welcoming environment. However, I gradually started to see the train as a means of exploration rather than a mechanical monster. I created my own methods of enjoying each trip, from sneakily peeking over people’s...

I am a lover of social sciences, an avid consumer of Ken Burns’ documentaries, an environmental sciences nerd, and a self-proclaimed expert on the evolution of waffles. My passions are eclectic and, in my experience, the world itself is interdisciplinary; I have always struggled to narrow my intellectual path or academic identity to one field. Claremont McKenna, through its Environment, Economics, and Politics program, will allow me to explore and discover the connections between my passions. What will I become...

This summer, I went on an unofficial tour of NYU with my friend Rutger. Though Rutger is an aerospace engineer with no filmmaking experience, he used cross-registration between the Tandon School of Engineering and the Tisch School of Arts to explore his passions and made a short film about extreme sports. A month later I decided to do the same, trudging through the mud, camera in hand filming a documentary on Missoula’s unique wastewater treatment center. Rather than a...

I have always been a history aficionado, an avid consumer of Ken Burns’ documentaries, and a self-appointed expert on the evolution of waffles. I never thought I would become a “science geek”. However, a yellow snorkel sitting on my bedroom shelf proves otherwise. My snorkel has never seen the ocean. This memento was a gift from my mom after I finished my first non-fiction book, Eugenie Clark’s ​Lady and the Sharks​. I had just started third grade in Hong...