Columbia Common App Q

<p>I’m trying to answer this:Please tell us what you found meaningful about one of the above mentioned books, publications or cultural events. </p>

<p>I’m writing about the documentary The Suicide Forest in Japan. I guess it’s considered a cultural event because it discusses the nature of suicide as a way of life for Japanese people. I found it very powerful and moving. But I’m not really sure if that adequately answers the prompt because it’s a documentary. I know that suicide is a sensitive topic for many people and at times inadvisable, but my real point is to discuss the forest as an example of one’s contempt for society and peace with oneself in nature. I won’t go in-depth about suicide or details but would it harm or help me if I talked about this? Thanks :)</p>

<p>I won’t comment on the appropriateness of the topic because I honestly have no idea (also, it’s ultimately up to you to decide). As for whether or not a documentary answers the prompt, I’d say go for it. Honestly, I don’t think they mind if you interpret their prompts a bit broadly - after all, their main goal is to learn about you/how you think and this prompt is just a jumping off point for that. I wrote about a Youtube channel last year, and they seemed okay with it.</p>