<p>i desperately need some feedback on these these to make sure they will suffice so i can submit them tonight before midnight and I can PM my statement of purpose</p>
<p>Issue of Importance:
My junior year of high school began just as every year prior: the same lunch table, the same social circles, the same unbearable shriek howling from the tardy bell, and of course the presence of new faces meandering the hallways exhibiting mannerisms making it evident that they were the new kids. This year, one of these new kids stood out more than any of the others. He preferred answering to the name of Cal and seemed to speak with more animation than the other guys in our school and had a strange way of saying certain words, his hair had fancy highlights and was pushed into an expensive designer hair style, and the boy had shiny diamond earrings like the girls wore. Soon, people began asking questions – questions they were not prepared for the answers to. Being from a larger city, Cal had become comfortable with identifying as a homosexual male and lacked the knowledge that in our small town, no person would ever admit to such an act. Almost instantly, the cruel pranks and name calling became an everyday experience for him.
For months he appeared unscathed by the constant bullying, but his face began to bare the pain he struggled to keep hidden from everyone. Perhaps I was more aware of his struggle, having witnessed my oldest brother endure the same treatment for being gay many years before. Understanding that often people can evade the cruelty of being bullied by simply having someone to talk to, I made a decision that would affect the rest of my high school experience. I began standing up to my friends when the bullying started, desperately trying to encourage them to be more accepting of different lifestyles. After a few altercations necessitating me to intervene and defend Cal, I notice a smile returning to his face and realized I had made a new friend.
The situation was in no way easy for either of us, but I believed it had become tolerable for Cal. Having such a strong personal attachment to what he was experiencing, I had no affliction towards my new social standing of outcast. In fact, I genuinely enjoyed hanging out with Cal, he always knew how to have a good time. The morning of April 17, 2012 would prove to be one of the most difficult days of my life. Once first period commenced, I noticed Cal was not present for class and disregarded his absence to him having likely fell victim of the flu terrorizing the hallways of our small school. No sooner than I hit send on the text message inquiring about his absence did I hear the deep voice of the school Principal call out my name from the classroom entry way. Unaware to what I could possibly be in need of disciplinary action for, I gathered my belongings and followed the silent man into his office.<br>
The emotional distress Cal endured from the constant bullying became more than he believed himself capable of enduring. Our fellow class members had taken such joy in their cruelty, the 16 year old smiling character I knew as my best friend, believed he could only find peace by leaving this life and all of its hurt behind. Initially, I found myself consumed with anger and felt let down by him giving up, but soon came to terms with absence. Teenage bullying is 100% preventable and no person should ever be made to feel as though their only escape is to take their own life. Cal opened my eyes to how much more I am capable of doing to promote tolerance and equality, and to permanently put an end to bullying. That summer following his passing, I began donating my time every night on weekends to a GLBT Teenage suicide hotline and helped a number of young people who had found themselves the victims of bullying believe that it will get better and that giving up is not the answer. Cal may never know the extent to which his influenced my life, allowing me to further influence the lives or people scattered across this country. </p>