Nicole Moore Sanborn

College applications … for many high school seniors, these two words bring forth a shudder.  The dreaded college essay is perhaps more menacing to some.  This article seeks to provide a nice overview of the college essay.  For many colleges, the application consists of providing basic information about yourself as well as the activities you have done in high school, whether it is sports, music, dance, a job, or anything else one may do.  There is usually a section where you get to brag about all of the honors you have received or all of the clubs you have either participated in or led.  Then … there is the dreaded section: the essay.  Some colleges even provide select students with fee waivers and the prospect of not having to write a college essay.  College essays usually provide a variety of prompts the student may choose from.  An approximate word count is also provided.  For all of the schools I applied to or wrote essays for, the word count was either 250 or 500 words.  I have heard some guidance counselors say other schools require a 1,000-word essay.  While writing 250, 500, or even 1,000 words in an essay may seem daunting, it is not as many words as one would think.

I intended to apply to four schools for early admission and one for regular admission.  I only ended up applying to three schools.  After sending in three applications, before the essays for the fourth one were exactly the way I desired, I received my acceptance letter to the college of my dreams (which, yes, I will be attending beginning August of 2013): Auburn University.  After receiving my acceptance, I knew I did not need to send any more applications in, because I knew where I needed to be was Auburn University.  Now that you, the readers, have some background, let’s take a look at some of my college essays.

Auburn University did not require any formal essays.  Instead, the applicants were provided with a small number of short answer questions.  The application for Auburn was the easiest one.  The other schools I applied to utilized the Common Application.  For those unfamiliar, the Common Application is one (long and very detailed) application many colleges choose to use for their applicants.  To find out whether a college you are interested in utilizes this application, either check the Common Application website (just Google it) or go to the particular college’s Web site.  The one downside to the Common Application is it is long and incredibly detailed.  However, the upside is once the base Common Application is done, it is done for however many of the schools you are applying to that use it.  Each particular college has a short supplement, sometimes requiring additional essays.  The Common Application provides six essay prompts, from which the applicant chooses.  The essay is to be approximately 250-500 words.  The questions are as follows:

1. Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you.
2. Discuss some issue of personal, local, national, or international concern and its importance to you.
3. Indicate a person who has had a significant influence on you, and describe that influence.
4. Describe a character in fiction, a historical figure, or a creative work (as in art, music, science, etc.) that has had an influence on you, and explain that influence.
5. A range of academic interests, personal perspectives, and life experiences adds much to the educational mix.  Given your personal background, describe an experience that illustrates what you would bring to the diversity in a college community, or an encounter that demonstrated the importance of diversity to you.
6. Topic of your choice.

I chose the first essay prompt.  To me, that was the easiest option, and I knew I could write the best essay possible if I chose that one.  Here is my answer:

“A significant experience in my life was the major leg surgery I underwent at age nine.  I was born with a leg condition in which my bones were inverted.  If left in their condition, at age 15 I would contract serious knee pain and by age 21 I would have difficulty walking.  When I was nine years old, I had corrective surgery.  Although my condition was known as soon as I began walking, I did not have the surgery until age nine because the surgery required my bones to have some growth.  The surgeons sawed both of my femurs and my right tibia in half, rotated them outward, and put plates and screws in to enable bone repair.  Originally, the surgeons were also supposed to cut my left tibia.  However, the condition of my left leg was better than my right.  I was also supposed to have casts that covered the entirety of both of my legs.  I only had one, knee-high cast on my right leg.  After the surgery, I sat in a wheelchair with my legs extended at a 90-degree angle for six weeks, used crutches for a few more weeks, and underwent physical therapy.  One year after the first surgery, the surgeons removed the plates and screws, and I attended physical therapy, as well as being aided by a wheelchair and crutches once again.  Following the second surgery, my legs were not extended at a 90-degree angle in the wheelchair but instead were placed in the normal sitting position.

“My surgeries impacted me physically and emotionally.  Before the surgery, my condition rendered me unable to place my feet in the first position for ballet, unable to run quickly, and ensured difficulty walking.  Because of the surgery, I am able to take ballet and play sports.  I run cross-country and play soccer, and took three years of ballet lessons in my previous years of high school.  I was also able to obtain a varsity letter in soccer.  Emotionally, the surgery taught me how to love and have compassion for those with disabilities.  My surgery aided in the development of sympathy, empathy, and compassion in my life.  I have sympathy for those with leg and bone problems, because I know how they feel to an extent.  Most importantly, I have empathy.  Since I have spent time in a wheelchair, I know what it is like to require one, and now have empathy for those who require wheelchairs.  One of my closest friends underwent ankle surgery recently.  Because of my surgery, I knew what it was like to be rendered unable to walk.  This aided me in comforting her and supporting her through surgery and recovery.  During my surgery and recovery, much love was shown to me.  Because I felt love and support, I want to love and support others.  Without the surgeries I went through, my life would be completely different.  The surgeries impacted me in many important ways, and I am so glad that I went through them.”

I am proud to say the essay above is exactly 500 words (yes, I spent a great deal of time making it exactly 500 words; I wanted it to be just right).

Now, onto the supplements.  The three schools I applied to were Auburn University, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and The University of Miami (the one in Miami, Florida, NOT the one in Ohio).  The University of Miami required no additional essays.

UNC-Chapel Hill did, however.  UNC required one additional essay to be approximately 500 words.  Yes, I tailored this one to exactly 500 words as well.  UNC provided six different prompts.  In my opinion, some of the UNC prompts were the most quirky, unusual, and fun.

1. You just put a message in a bottle and threw the bottle out to sea.  What is the message?
2. If you could design and teach your own course, what topic would you cover?  What texts, assignments, projects, field trips, or other resources would you use in teaching this course?
3. What is your comfort food and why?
4. You just made the front page of the New York Times for doing something important that no one before you has ever thought to do.  What did you do and why did you do it?
5. Carolina encourages students and faculty to solve problems.  What problem are you trying to solve, and why is it important to you?
6. Tell us about a time when you changed your mind about something that mattered to you.  What led to that change?

I chose the third prompt.  For me, these questions were more difficult to find an answer to.  So, I wrote about something very near and dear to my heart: food.

“My comfort food is the prized food of Italy: spaghetti.  Spaghetti directs me back to childhood memories.  I always ask my father what he puts in his sauce, but he smiles and tells me it is a secret.  When I come home from school and smell the sweet scent of spaghetti sauce cooking in the big pot on the stove, it brings a smile to my face.  Whenever my father makes spaghetti, he makes it well.  My father created his own secret decadent recipe for the sauce, and crafts it to perfection.  His sauce is so delicious; rendering the typical supplement of cheese unnecessary.  Filled with decadent and juicy flavor, the sauce brings back many sweet memories.  I love observing the pot filled with the secret sauce and looking up through the window.  Above the stove lies a picture window, revealing the beautiful trees, grass, and bamboo which I call my home.  Memories of spaghetti on the stove remind me of my childhood days when I would spend hours running around outside with the neighbors.  Memories of my childhood days bring happiness and joy.

“My father always works hard on his spaghetti; when he makes it, it is an expression of his deep love for his family.  Every time I look at the spaghetti pot, I look up and out the window, and memories of my old swing set flood my mind.  Looking out at the picture window brings memories of the swing set and the love he poured out on me as he would push me on the swing for hours on end, never growing tired.  As the scent of spaghetti permeates the air, a smile comes across my face.  Spaghetti reminds me of days of old.  Spaghetti opens the door to my hopes and dreams.  Spaghetti takes me to a different land.  When you taste my father’s spaghetti, it will remind you of culture and far off lands.

“Spaghetti is a symbol of the diversity of food cultures I was introduced to at a young age.  Whenever I tried something I thought I did not like, my parents would tell me that I did like it and that I needed to finish it.  After finishing my food, I would grow to like it and to appreciate culture and diversity, especially regarding food.  My father’s spaghetti sauce brings me back to the diversity of flavors that made my childhood sweet.  In short, spaghetti is not only a reminder of my father’s love, but a reminder of diversity, culture, far off lands, and days of old.  Reminiscing of days of old brings a smile upon my face.  In my house, spaghetti is more than just a food.  It is a representative of my family’s way of life and of my childhood.  Food represents my childhood and all of the lovely experiences that I have had over the years.  Spaghetti is more than just a comfort food, but a constant reminder of the love that is so strong in my household.”

Yes, I have more essays to share with you.  Although I only applied to the three schools aforementioned, I intended to apply to University of Virginia and Virginia Tech as well.  I did not intend to apply to Tech early because their early application option was binding, meaning you are declaring that, upon acceptance, you will for sure attend said university.  I wrote my UVA essays and was almost done tailoring them, when I received my acceptance to Auburn University.  After my acceptance, I knew where I wanted to be and knew I did not want or need to apply anywhere else.  My thought process was this: “I could apply to UVA.  I may get in.  However, since I already know I am going to Auburn, I have no need to.  What if I get accepted when I don’t intend to attend, whereas another student really wants to attend but is waitlisted because of me?”  While I did not think this would happen and was not being prideful, I honestly did not want to finish fine-tuning these essays.

UVA’s application required two, 250-word essays.  The first essay is contingent upon which department you are planning on entering.  I plan to go into Business, which, for UVA, meant I had to do the essay required for people entering the College of Arts and Sciences.  The question is as follows: What work of art, music, science, mathematics, or literature has surprised, unsettled, or challenged you, and in what way?

“Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky challenged and surprised me.  At first glance, my expectations were such that about half of the book would lead up to the crime and the other half deal with the punishment.  My expectations seemed to make a logical conclusion.  However, Raskolnikov committed the crime in the first part of the work, and the rest revealed his punishment.  Raskolnikov is not sent to the prison until the final pages.  His primary punishment became the emotional and mental turmoil he placed upon himself as a result of committing the crime.  Dostoyevsky explored the human psyche through his character.  The nature of Raskolnikov’s punishment surprised and intrigued me.  I find it quite intriguing when authors look beyond what is seen and explore the human mind.  Dostoyevsky explored in detail self-loathing and inner turmoil, and it surprised me the length he successfully accomplished this.  Dostoyevsky’s approach challenged me to look beyond the surface when talking to other people and to observe their emotions and feelings.  Crime and Punishment also challenged me to not make expectations of what a work of literature will be before reading it.  Although I do not ‘judge a book by its cover,’ I do form expectations on how the author will develop the plot before I read the work.  Dostoyevsky challenges the readers’ perception of the nature of punishment in regards to murder.  Rather than showing Raskolnikov as a bloodthirsty psychopath, Raskolnikov primarily punishes himself for his dastardly deed.  This challenges and surprises the reader to look beyond their perceptions of natural punishment.  This is how the work challenged me.”

Admittedly, this essay is actually 266 words (Microsoft Word gives you a word count at the bottom!).  I never finished fine-tuning it.  For the second essay, the applicant chose from four of the following prompts:

1. What is your favorite word and why?
2. Describe the world you come from and how that world shaped who you are.
3. Discuss your favorite place to get lost.  (This question was written by U. Va. students who live in one of the residential colleges, Brown College at Monroe Hill.)
4. Discuss something you secretly like but pretend not to, or vice versa.

This essay is 249 words … darn, one word short.  Oh well, now I do not need to finish it.

“Blitzkrieg is my favorite word.  The Germanic tone of the word as it rolls off the tongue excites me, and the spelling is exotic.  Not only does it bring back fond childhood memories, but it is an enjoyable word to utter.  Blitzkrieg was a spelling word I had in the sixth grade.  Every time I hear the word it brings back memories of my friends and me trying to pronounce it correctly and coming up with definitions of what we thought it meant.  I fondly remember us helping each other learn how to spell it.  We took delight in the definition because we were eager to learn its application.  Once we learned its definition, our interest was piqued even more.  We were so eager to learn the history behind the word and what battles it was successfully used in.  Blitzkrieg brings me back to days of old with my friends when we were so carefree and young.  Mastering what seemed to be such a big word at a young age left us with hopes and dreams that we could do anything.  Blitzkrieg also reminds me of my father.  He is a historian and lecturer on history, particularly war history.  Since blitzkrieg is a battle word, it reminds me of my loving father and his passion for history and art that was passed on to me.  The word reminds me of all of his lessons to me on history and how the world works, and brings a smile to my face.”

When a college e-mails me and tells me they will not require me to write an essay, I am not as thrilled as other students are about it.  Writing is something I enjoy (most of the time) and is one of my strengths (or so I’ve been told).  If I hated writing essays, I wouldn’t have taken this class.  When a college exempts me from writing an essay, I see it not as a blessing but a missed opportunity.  I would rather write the essay to prove my writing ability.  I hope this article has given some insight into the world of the “dreaded” college essay.  I hope this article did not bore you.  I also hope this gave the younger readers who aren’t yet at the stage of college essay writing hope the questions can sometimes be fun, and the essays truly aren’t that bad.  I hope you have enjoyed reading my essays.  Until next time, friends….

Note: All essay prompts were copied and pasted from http://www.commonapp.org.

Nicole Moore Sanborn

Dance has been common to the world for the entire history of mankind.  Song and dance are mentioned in the Bible as well.  Merriam-Webster’s definition of dance is “to move the body and feet in rhythm, ordinarily to music.”  Many different forms of dance are in existence.  Since there are so many forms, I will only list a few.  One of the most well-known forms of dance is ballet, which will be elaborated upon later in this article.  Other forms include aerial, African, Afro-Caribbean, Azerbaijani, Brazilian, belly-dancing, break dancing, hip-hop, contemporary, lyrical, tap, jazz, improvisation, folk, western, ballroom, and modern.  Other cultural styles include various forms of Chinese and Japanese dance, African and Native American dance (particular to various tribes and regions), as well as Latin American dances.  Many of the aforementioned ballroom dances are Latin American styles.

Perhaps the most well-known form of dance is ballet.  Ballet is considered the basic building-block of most other styles of dance.  Ballet is defined as “a classical style of expressive dancing based on precise conventional steps with gestures and movements of grace and fluidity,” and “a theatrical representation of a story or theme performed to music by ballet dancers.”  Before the 16^th century, ballet emerged as a distinctive form or style of dance in Italy.  The first ballet as we think of it today (combining movement, music, a set, and special effects) was presented in France in 1581.  This ballet, presented at Catherine de Medici’s court was organized by the violinist Balthasar de Beaujoyeux and was entitled Le Ballet comique de la Reine (“Ballet”).  This translates as “the comic ballet of the queen” (Google).  Beaujoyeaux’s ballet was the first ballet de cour, the ancestor of modern ballet.  Major development of ballet in France did not begin until the 17^th century.  In about 1610, simple entrees were extended and joined together to form scenes (called divertissements), which eventually culminated into a grand ballet.  Louis XIV was a major contributor to the development of ballet in France.  He founded the Royal Ballet Academy in 1661, the Royal Music Academy in 1669 (which later became the Paris Opera), and the first National Ballet School in 1672.  In modern times, the majority of ballet dancers are girls, but, at the schools Louis XIV founded (at the beginning of their existence), all parts were performed by male dancers, where boys in wigs and masks took on female roles.  The Triumph of Love was the first ballet using trained women, performed in 1681.  In 1708 in France, the first ballet was commissioned for public performance.  Until then, all ballets were performed as court spectacles (“Ballet”).

After this, ballet developed as a separate art form, while the court ballet kept its historic traditions.  As choreographic notation came into being, mythological themes were explored.  Movements in ballet became more elevated and less horizontal with the increased influence of the Italian school of ballet.  The five classic positions of the feet were established at this time by Pierre Beauchamps.  These five classic positions form the base for the dancer’s stance and movement.  The costumes were also developed further to allow freedom of movement.  Originally, the costumes were cumbersome with decoration, long skirts, and high heels (for both men and women).  Marie Camargo, a virtuoso dancer, introduced a new style of costume to women by shortening her skirt to mid-calf and wearing tights, as well as what were to be the first ballet slippers (heelless shoes).  Marie Salle, the first female choreographer, Camargo’s rival, was the first dancer to wear a filmy, Grecian-style costume.  This style of costume was made popular two centuries later by Isadora Duncan.  Jean Georges Noverre was a revolutionary 18^th-century developer of ballet.  He wanted ballet to tell a story, aided by music, décor, and dance, and wanted the performer to interpret his role through the dance, as well as through his own body and facial expression.  He simplified the costume and abolished the mask.  Technical innovation in dance movement increased after further modification of the ballet costume, because after the costume was modified, it was easier to move and therefore easier to develop movements.

In 1820 in Milan, Carlo Blasis began to set the technique of ballet as we know it today, with its stress on the turned-out leg.  The turned-out leg allowed (and allows) a variety of movements, extensions, and perspectives to emerge not previously developed.  The production of La Sylpide in 1832 began the Romantic period of ballet.  This period ushered in a new era of choreography emphasizing beauty as well as the virtuosity of the prima ballerina.  In this production, the filmy, calf-length costume, later to become the standard for classical ballet, was worn.  Ballet was consistent with the literature and art of the Romantic Movement, and concerned the conflicts of reality and illusion, flesh and spirit.  Mythological themes were replaced with love stories and fairy tales.  Dancing on the toes came into favor about the same time.  By the end of the 17^th century, the blocked toe (pointe shoe) had appeared, and the tutu came into use.  For those not familiar, the tutu is a very short, buoyant skirt that completely frees the legs, allowing for more movement.  At this time, the male dancer functioned as the partner to support the ballerina, who was the central focus of the dance.

In Russia, it wasn’t until after 1875 that the renaissance in Romantic ballet began.  In 1738, the Russian Imperial School of Ballet was founded.  During the early 1800s, the Imperial Theater housed over 40 ballet productions staged by Charles Didelot, the celebrated Swedish ballet master.  Another instructor, Marius Petipa, rigorously trained his students, indicating in his choreography the direction of intensified Romantic drama the art was to take.  He contributed many of the classic ballets still considered as the greatest expressions of ballet, including some of the more well-known ones like Don Quixote and The Sleeping Beauty.  With Lev Ivanov, Petipa created Swan Lake, probably the most famous ballet of all time.  In 1909, the celebrated Russian Sergei Diaghilev traveled to Paris with his company.  This company dominated the world of dance for 20 years, as it displayed the creative talents of many famous choreographers and dancers of the time.  After Diaghilev’s death in 1929, offshoots were formed, keeping the Diaghilev tradition alive in the 1930s and later merged with another famous company.  To the present day, Russian dancing, especially the Russian ballet, has been maintained at the highest level of excellence.  The two foremost Russian companies, ranked among the finest in the world, are Moscow’s Bolshoi Ballet and the Kirov Ballet (which has been called the St. Petersburg Maryinsky Ballet since 1991).

While Italian and Russian ballets are the dominant styles, British and American ballets are also present.  In England, around 1918, Enrico Checchetti set down his own method of training with Cyril Beaumont.  Cecchetti’s style is still in practice, and he taught many great dancers including Pavlova, Nijinsky, Massine, and Danilova.  The Cecchetti Society was founded in 1922 to preserve and protect Cecchetti’s system and style of dance.  In 1930, the Ballet Club, which is the first permanent ballet school and company in England, was founded by Marie Rambert.  Valois established what is now called the Royal Ballet, once called the Sadler’s Wells Ballet.  This company has drawn international attention to the work of many famous choreographers.  Rudolf Nureyev (whose attention was drawn to the Royal Ballet) was instrumental in changing the traditional supportive role of the male dancer into a far more significant, dynamic, and athletic place in the realm of ballet.  He was both a choreographer and dancer.  Since then, many other contemporary choreographers have given male dancers a more flamboyant showcase, rather than just supporting the ladies and prima ballerinas.

In the United States, the American Ballet company was formed in 1934.  This company established the first major school of ballet in the country and developed the talents of many notable American dancers.  This took place under the direction of George Balanchine as its chief choreographer.  Balanchine enormously influenced the creation and development of an American ballet style as parent company to the New York City Ballet, which was founded in 1948.  The New York City Ballet company is one of the world’s outstanding companies.  The other major American company is the American Ballet Theater (ABT), which was founded in 1939 as an offshoot of Mordkin Ballet.  The ABT and NYC Ballet have earned international reputations of a high order through numerous tours.  Two other American companies of note include the Joffrey Ballet (founded in 1956) and the Dance Theater of Harlem (founded in 1970).  Though there are many active regional ballet companies throughout the United States, including some Christian ballet companies (“Ballet”), the United States does not typically produce the world’s top ballerinas.

On a different note, some believe dance is simply a fun, easy way to express emotion and stay in shape.  However, dance is extremely difficult on the body.  Dancing takes perseverance and dedication, because most of the techniques are difficult to master.  While these techniques are difficult to master and the art takes hours upon hours of dedication to become excellent at it, dance is still worthwhile to take.  Not only does it allow for enjoyment not found in other styles of art or in sports, but it is a good stress reliever.  Although extremely difficult on the body, my experience with dance is it frees your anxieties.  For many, including myself, dance is a stress reliever.  While dancing, your form and technique may be perfect, but if there is no passion, the performance is boring.  Dancing requires some sort of passion.  Dance is a stress reliever because, due to the passion it requires, you can exude all of your energy and emotion through dancing.  Once the techniques are mastered, dancers can allow the music to flow through them.  As the music flows through them, they feel a kind of freedom.

On the dance floor, nothing can touch you.  It’s just you, the music, and the dance floor.  Dance allows a type of expression that cannot be found in other forms of art.  Dance allows for the overflow of emotion in subtle and grand movements.  When dancing, after I’ve finally nailed a combination, my emotion overflows into my movements, and all of my emotions come out.  Personally, I’ve tried a few different styles of dance.  Each style is unique and difficult in its own way, although some basic techniques of ballet carry over into other styles.  Though some discredit ballet and other artistic styles such as gymnastics or ice skating and declare them not to be sports, I disagree.  Though they fit into the category of artistic sports, they are still sports.  My experience with dance has grown me as a person.  It has aided in the development of perseverance, dedication, and passion in my life.  Dance has served as an outlet when I am stressed.  Dance clears my mind.

Dance is an art form very difficult to master, and all of the prima ballerinas and principal company dancers have spent years in training.  Most professional dancers begin at an early age and take dance their whole life so they can become professionals.  The realm of professional dance brings lots of pressure to look perfect and dance perfectly all the time, but those who become professionals love dance so much this doesn’t make them shy away from the art.  As a whole, the art form is one where I can express myself and is the reason I enjoy it so much.

I hope our journey through the development of ballet has left you with an appreciation for the art of dance.  I also hope you will delight yourself in attending a ballet or any type of dance performance (I do not mean strip clubs and pole dancing, however), sometime in your life.  As you observe, consider the dedication and discipline necessary to put on a performance, and therefore appreciate the dancer.  Appreciate the art, the instructors, and the performers.  It will be worth your time and money to observe people who are good at what they do.  Bottom line: I hope this article leaves you with a better understanding and appreciation of dance.  Fellow dancers can agree with me on this: dance is very rewarding, both emotionally and physically.  Dance is a lovely art form, and its various styles have much to offer.

Works Cited

“Ballet.” Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia. Columbia University Press, 2007.  Accessed through http://www.encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/ballet. Web. 8 Oct 2012.

Google Translate, French to English. http://www.google.com/translate. N.p. N.d. Web. 8 Oct 2012.

Merriam-Webster. New World Dictionary of the American Language. Ed. David Guralnik. William Collins and World Publishing Co., Inc.

All other material without a source listed is based on my personal experiences and observations.

Nicole Moore Sanborn

“Citius, Altius, Fortius.”  The Olympic motto translates as “Swifter, Higher, Stronger.”  The famed Olympic Games have a creed to supplement the motto.  The Olympic Creed states, “The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph, but the struggle.  The essential thing is not to have conquered, but to have fought well.”  Many countries embody this Olympic creed.  Some countries bring less than ten athletes to the Olympic Games.  In the 2012 Summer Olympics, 104 of the 205 countries participating brought ten or fewer athletes.  The Summer Olympics features over 35 sports, but many countries only participate in one or two (Olympic).  Why discuss the Olympics?  The Olympics not only feature the best athletes in the world but also bring our world together in a sense of camaraderie.  In 2012, the women of the world took the spotlight.

One major milestone was achieved at this year’s Olympic Games: for the first time, Brunei, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia sent female athletes to the Olympics.  Qatar went one step further.  Not only did Qatar send a woman to the Olympics for the first time, but female sharp-shooter Bahiya al-Hamad carried the flag during the opening ceremony.  For women in the Middle East, this is a milestone that took a while to achieve.  The traditions and beliefs of the Middle East have kept women from participating in the Olympics for years.  The reality that Saudi Arabia sent a woman to the 2012 Games is particularly interesting.  Saudi Arabia bans athletics in most girls’ schools and often prohibits women’s athletic events.  If a woman participates in athletics, she is publicly disgraced (Pillow).

The struggle for women participating in the Olympics has not only been an issue for Middle Eastern countries.  Women as a present force participating in the Olympics in any country did not become a reality until fairly recently.  The Middle Eastern countries held on to their traditions longer than other countries, however.  The Olympics originated in Ancient Greece, where men participated naked in the games.  In the late 19^th century, the Olympics were revived by Pierre Fredy, Baron de Coubertin.  Fredy did not condone the participation of women in the competitions, most likely in observance of the traditions held in Ancient Greece.  The Olympics were brought back in Athens in 1896, without the participation of women.  Four years later, in Paris, however, the International Olympics Committee allowed women to compete.  Female participation in the Olympic Games was small and scarce, and women were only allowed to compete in sports considered “light.”  In 1912, one Olympic official resigned due to the “indecency” of the females participating in the swimming and diving competitions.  The First World War actually opened the door for women to participate in more Olympic sports.  Since the world war required women to be hired for jobs previously limited to men, women gained more civil and employment rights.  Women used this reality to insist upon greater participation in athletics.  This request was made possible in the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics.  Unfortunately, women’s participation in the 1928 games was considered a burden because many fainted in the 800-meter race in track.  The women’s 800-meter was canceled for the next 32 years.  However, in the 1932 Olympic Games held in Los Angeles, women began to prove themselves.  United States of America’s Babe Didrikson won two gold medals, one in javelin and the other in 80-meter hurdles.  She also won the silver for the triple jump.  United States of America’s Dorothy Poynton Hill won two gold and two silver medals in the 1932 and 1936 Games for diving.  The 1948 London Olympic Games brought female sports into the spotlight.  Dutch sprinter Fanny Blanker-Koen won the gold in the 100-, 200-, and 400-meter sprints, as well as in the 80-meter hurdles.  Blanker-Koen was the first woman in history to receive four medals (Alshabrawi).

Political and social developments took place regarding women in the Olympics following the Second World War.  Not only did Blanker-Koen make history, but the Soviet Union sent its first female athletic team to the 1952 Games.  Its members won many gold medals, and Soviet women dominated track, field, and gymnastics competitions for decades.  It wasn’t until 1984 women were allowed to participate in the marathon, and, in that same year, Moroccan sprinter Nawal El Moutawakel won the 400-meter track race, becoming the first Muslim Arab woman to win a medal.  The 1992 Barcelona Olympics allowed women to participate in all games, including Judo.  Women were only allowed to compete in all Olympic sports twenty years ago, the equivalent of only five Summer Olympic Games (Alshabrawi).

A more recent battle the United States of America women have been winning is the battle between the USA and the Jamaicans in track and field, particularly in the sprinting area.  The Jamaicans and Americans usually go head-to-head when it comes to sprinting.  In the 2012 games, the American women prevailed against the Jamaicans, while the American men were once again defeated.  In the 400-meters, the Jamaican women were bumped all the way down to 5^th place.  Sanya Richards-Ross of USA won the gold, DeeDee Trotter of the USA won the bronze, and Britain won the silver.  Bianca Knight, Allyson Felix, Carmelita Jeter, Jeneba Tarmoh, Tianna Madison, and Lauryn Williams of the USA set the Olympic and world record for the 4×100-meter race, beating the Jamaican team by .59 seconds for the gold.  Carmelita Jeter won the silver in the women’s 100-meters, while the Jamaicans won the gold and bronze.  Tianna Madison and Allyson Felix finished 4^th and 5^th, respectively.  Allyson Felix of the USA took the gold in the women’s 200-meters, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce of Jamaica received the silver, and Carmelita Jeter won the bronze, beating Jamaican Veronica Campbell-Brown by .24 seconds.  USA’s women’s 4×400-meter relay won the gold and beat the Jamaicans (who received the bronze) by 4.08 seconds.  Overall, the women of the United States succeeded in prevailing over the Jamaican giants in the sprinting department of the Games (ESPN).

Ah, gymnastics.  The sport the United States of America, China, Romania, and Russia dominate.  This year, Virginia Beach, Virginia’s very own Gabby Douglas received gold in the women’s individual all-around.  The silver and bronze medals were taken away by two Russians, and USA’s Allie Raisman received fourth.  In women’s vault, the gold was taken by a Romanian, while America’s McKayla Maroney took the silver.  A Russian took the bronze.  In women’s beam, Allie Raisman acquired the bronze, while two Chinese women received silver and gold.  America’s “Fab Five,” consisting of Gabby Douglas, Allie Raisman, McKayla Maroney, Kyla Ross, and Jordan Wieber, received the gold medal for the women’s team competition, whereas Russia received the silver and Romania received the bronze.  Allie Raisman got the gold medal for women’s floor exercise, beating out a Romanian (silver) and a Russian (bronze).  The “Fab Five” had an incredible Olympics, beating out the other world powers in gymnastics (ESPN).

This year, the primary foci in the swimming department included whether Phelps would win the most medals of any Olympian in history, whether Lochte would meet expectations, and how phenomenal the women would do, particularly up-and-comers Missy Franklin and Rebecca Soni (ESPN).  Not only did USA’s women dominate gymnastics and track and field, they did some serious damage in the swimming department.  Rebecca Soni received gold in the 200m breaststroke.  Caitlin Leverenz won the bronze in the 200m individual medley.  USA’s team for the 4x200m freestyle relay won the gold.  This team featured 16-year-old Missy Franklin, as well as Dana Vollmer, Allison Schmitt, Alyssa Anderson, Lauren Perdue, and Shannon Vreeland.  Australia and America tend to go head-to-head in swimming, and America pulled out ahead of the Aussies for the gold, leaving Australia the silver.  Allison Schmitt won the silver in the women’s 400m freestyle.  The US team received bronze in the 4x100m freestyle, featuring Franklin and Schmitt, as well as Lia Neal, Amanda Weir, Natalie Coughlin, and Jessica Hardy.  Franklin, Schmitt, Soni, Hardy, and Vollmer, as well as Rachel Bootsma, Claire Donahue, and Breeja Larson, won the gold in the 4x100m medley relay.  Vollmer pulled out with gold in the 100m butterfly, while Franklin won the gold in the 100m backstroke.  Schmitt received gold in the 200m freestyle, and Elizabeth Beisel took away the silver in the 400m individual medley.  Missy Franklin and Elizabeth Beisel won the gold and bronze (respectively) in the 200m backstroke.  Rebecca Soni received silver in the 100m breaststroke.  Katie Ledecky won gold in the 800m freestyle, and Haley Anderson took silver in the 10km freestyle.  As a whole, USA’s women swimmers did a phenomenal job in the 2012 Games.

Volleyball is another US dominated sport at the Olympics.  The US won the silver in women’s indoor, a close second to Brazil.  Perhaps slightly more popular is beach volleyball.  The dynamic duo Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh-Jennings had a goal to not lose one set.  In volleyball, sets make up matches.  Not only did these women defeat their opponents in all of their matches, they also prevailed in every single set but one.  Misty and Kerri took away the gold, as expected.  The battle for gold and silver was interesting.  Two US teams battled in the finals: Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh-Jennings battled Jennifer Kessy and April Ross.  Kessy and Ross received silver.  Brazil prevailed against China for the bronze, after both teams were defeated by the US powerhouses (ESPN).

Watching the men and the women is very different in beach volleyball.  Both teams possess the skills necessary to win; however, it is much more enjoyable to watch the women.  Misty and Kerri show elation, nervousness, sorrow, and camaraderie while playing every set and every match.  When the camera zooms in on their faces during a break, they are encouraging each other and smiling, even if the match isn’t quite going their way.  On the contrary, Philip Dalhausser and Todd Rogers appear either concentrated or bored during their matches.  Encouragement is not obvious between this team, nor is emotion in facial expressions present.  This makes for a less interesting experience for the observer.  The women are filmed and run during prime time television, more-so than the men as well.

At the 2012 Olympic Games, the entire buzz was about the women.  In 2012, the women are embodied the Olympic motto “Citius, Altius, Fortius.”  As the USA women get swifter, rise higher, and grow stronger, the men seem to be fading into the background.  The controversy over the Middle Eastern countries sending their first women to the Olympics forces women to be front and center.  The United States of America placed their focus on the women, possibly in response to this controversy.  Our country’s women certainly rose to the occasion.  The Middle Eastern countries that sent women who did not medal still embodied the Olympic creed of participating and giving the Games one’s all, the most important thing being the struggle.  In 2012, the women of Qatar, Brunei, and Saudi Arabia overcame the massive cultural struggle of not being permitted to participate.  Whether these women will be able to participate in the future is another matter.  However, in 2012, the women certainly rose to the occasion and put on a glorious show for the world.  What will the 2016 Summer Olympics bring?

Works Cited

Alshabrawi, Mutaz. “Women’s Participation in the Olympics…an Ambitious Dream Comes True.” http://www.twocircles.net. N.p. 6 Aug. 2008. Web. 18 Sept. 2012.

Pillow, Andrew. “Muslim Women Participation in 2012 London Olympics is the Start, Not the Goal.” http://www.bleacherreport.com. N.p. 27 July 2012. Web. 18 Sept. 2012.

http://www.espn.go.com/olympics. N.p. N.d. Web. 18 Sept. 2012.

http://www.olympic-2012-london.co.uk. N.p. N.d. Web. 18 Sept. 2012.