I wrote this application essay

This has taken a while, and it's still not done. I know I've been over thinking things at every step, so I'm just going to post it and think a little less.

I'm tired of shrugging. I'm tired of furtively glancing in another direction as I muster another halfhearted justification for the past four years of my life. "What did you major in?" followed invariably by "And what are you going to do with a degree in philosophy?" I'm tired of the way I've grown accustomed to thinking of philosophy: as a diversion or a pastime. I've been asked so many times why I took the classes I did that I'd almost forgotten how I felt while I sat in them, and more than once I've doubted that philosophy has served me better than a degree in engineering or computer science. In trying to justify my decision to others, I've inevitably adopted their system of values concerning the goals of education. This essay, therefore, isn't so much an appeal for entry as it is an attempt to figure out what I actually think about the path I took. 

The thing is, when I was surrounded by philosophy majors and professors, there wasn't room to doubt the importance of philosophy. In much the same way a physicist must look at the world and think theirs is the pursuit of the fundamental aspects of the universe, philosophy majors run rampant with their conviction that reason and pure thought are the pinnacle of education. This belief is fostered (even actively encouraged) by our teachers, who never hesitate to point out that at one point all the branches of science were once considered topics of philosophy. Though I never quite became fully absorbed, my haughtiness was at an all-time high when I was sure the field I had chosen was the epitome of next-level thinking. Even the names of the classes I took flaunted their superiority. I wasn't taking physics; I was taking metaphysics. And what other field can lay claim to a class called Truth, Belief, and Reason?

With graduation and the subsequent dissipation of the sheltering college environment, education's pedestal cracked. The flurry of questions became accompanied by varying degrees of skepticism. My job washing dishes seemed all too typical of a recent graduate with a liberal arts degree. " But what more could a philosophy major want? Mindless work gives you 
plenty of time to think." The lab I worked was focused on altering the genetic composition of corn and soybeans to make them resistant to herbicides, and having succeeded, they were in need of a process for determining where their altered gene had established itself in the corn genome. My boss knew I was a fairly intelligent person, and rather than hire a new worker (a grad student to whom he would have to explain every aspect of the lab), he gave me a shot at it. I am now listed as an inventor on a patent application we have every expectation of receiving soon.

Sure, philosophy didn't teach me very many specific career skills; I wasn't going to be piloting an airplane or calculating the stresses for a building. But I had learned how to learn. I learned how to think critically, evaluate efficiently, and assimilate information to the point where I felt comfortable in a new research environment and  could begin contributing without knowing much more than the goals of the experiment. Understanding not only how to do research, but the value and enjoyment contained in the learning process are the most important things I've found relevant from my undergraduate experience.

This doesn't make answering the questions easier. People aren't looking for an answer that sounds as holistic as, "my philosophy degree made me happy to think and eager to learn." Under job-related skills, "thinker" will never carry as much clout as a specialized degree in the field. So I'll cross bridge-builder off my list, since it doesn't appeal to me anyway. But what, then, is a good fit? What do I say when the next person asks me how my degree is working out, all the while smugly picturing me flipping burgers or toiling at some other stereotypically demeaning job (like washing dishes)? I'd like to tell them I'm still at it, that I'm still learning, still immersed in the educational environment I love, and on my way to a job where my penchant for research and my proclivity for writing will serve me well. And I'd like to say it while looking them in the eye, back straight, and proud of my degree.

Thank you for your consideration,
Ryan Pesch

My weekend

Yet another autobiographical post. I guess that's what a lot of blogs are, but I feel like I should be doing more. Anyway, on to my weekend.

I traveled to Colorado to play handball this weekend with my parents in tow. My dad drove the entire way to Fort Collins and the entire way back, which was pretty amazing of him. It's not like I didn't offer to drive or anything, but the truck isn't my favorite vehicle, and some of the weather did get rather interesting. We left Thursday afternoon, stayed in Kearney, Nebraska where they were expecting 11-15 inches of snow the next day, and hoped for the best for the remainder of the trip. We woke up to no snow on the ground and nothing really evident, and made it almost the rest of the way without incident. A couple of hours from Fort Collins things got slippery and white, but we obviously prevailed. Along the way we stopped at a couple of outdoor gear places, where I had the pleasure of sitting and trying to scold my parents over their selections in clothing. The price was right on a bunch of stuff, though, and I think their receipt said they saved over $400 or something. Plus that weekend there was an additional 20% off purchases of $100 or more, compounding the good deals.

We made it to Fort Collins and drove straight to La Luz, a Mexican restaurant we were recommended for our first trip four years ago and have stopped at every time since (sometimes multiple times per visit). I got a fish and potato burrito, and my parents got fish tacos, all of which were delicious. We shopped around downtown until my mom was kicked out of a couple of different establishments (her enthusiasm borders on the maniacal occasionally), but we found some cool stuff during the process. There was a cooking store that had a variety of kitchen gadgets and whatnot where we bought cups and narrowly avoided acquiring the most colorful plates ever. Our criteria for cups is strict, and stems from the fact that we don't use a dishwasher, making it necessary for our hands to fit inside without too much pain. This is actually a more challenging criteria to meet than you might think. I don't know if our hands are unusually awkward or if cups just aren't designed conveniently any more, but it was good to find them either way. At one point my mother was so excited about the possibilities she bordered on giddiness, and when she drew a random lady's attention, I loudly said this is why we couldn't take her out in public, which drew a smile from the onlooker, but really, it was just fun to see her enjoying the cool stuff.

We wandered around for a while at a garden-y store, which was unexpectedly a more subdued experience. We found a book, but didn't buy anything. On our way back the car I remembered a cool jewelery store and we stopped in. The guy who came over to help us was pretty awesome. It was obvious he was incredibly enthusiastic about his profession, and it seemed he could talk forever. Some of the rings he had crafted were really interesting. They were multi-layered with folded metals which results in this:






















Needless to say, my mom was fascinated. Woodgrain sorts of things interest her, as, apparently, do opals, which he showed her next. I think she was almost to the point of buying something before she remembered she doesn't wear jewelery. If we ever go back, though, the guy said they took scrap metal as raw material and would accept some in trade for the labor, so there's the possibility of something working out eventually. Of course, with the one-year communication delay, it's possible things might get bogged down a bit.

From there we went to the club where the tournament was being held even though it was a bit early. That was a good thing, though, since I was able to enter another division and play a half hour after our arrival. So I was in the A division and the open division. I won A's, but lost in the first round of open, confirming my suspicion I am somewhere between the two. So I guess I just need to get a bit better. I was actually surprised with how many shots the open players hit that I felt weren't of amazing quality, but I guess the fact is that they are always on the run, and if they are ever allowed to set their feet and take the shot they want, the result is a point for them. So maybe the trick isn't developing the hard shots, but getting your opponent to hit you easy ones by keeping them off balance. It's a lot less fun, but probably more practical.

I won my A matches pretty easily. Highlights included my opponent calling a hinder when I passed him on the complete opposite side of the court when he hadn't yet returned a passing shot when he was on the correct side. This wasn't terrible on its own, but it was immediately followed by another very questionable call. The combination of the two made the score 8-6 in my favor. I went on to win 21-6. Interestingly, I lost my first game of A's, but got my head in the right place, got warmed up and in the rhythm of things, and wound up winning the next two 21-2, 11-0. The finals could have been closer, but my opponent started off a bit slow and never really got into things. There were some actual highlights in this one, including a between the legs shot I hit left-handed that just barely made it to the front wall and almost rolled out. It was fun to win, but now that I can't enter the A's any more, I'm in an awkward position if I travel to tournaments, since it's unlikely I'll get many matches in the open divisions.

My dad played in his first singles tournament, which was pretty good, but one of his two opponents didn't show up, so while that meant he was in the finals, it also meant he had paid his entry fee and driven quite a way for not a lot of playing. Luckily we found him another match for fun, and he made a fair account of himself in the finals, hitting some pretty good shots once he got going. All in all, the trip was a success. We spent some good quality time with friends during meals and between matches, enjoyed our shopping, and the travel went as smoothly as we could hope after hearing the forecast. The only real (or imagined) downside is that I still don't know who won the super bowl. I guess I'll go watch a highlight reel now.

Thanks for reading.