<p>I applied EA, so I guess here’s my essay…</p>
<p>Option 6: Where’s Waldo?</p>
<p>So where is Waldo, really? Children, teenagers, and adults alike struggle to answer this question, staring endlessly at illustrations of packed beaches, crowded towns, and congested malls. I admit: I, too, belong in this group. While my eyes light up at the approach of a fresh challenge, they tire after a few minutes, tear up after about five, and burn with frustration at the seemingly infinite number of figures obstructing the discovery of Waldo. Thus, I decided to take a new approach. I gave my fatigued eyes a break and sought not the solution to my problem but the cause of my frustration.
The search for Waldo is difficult not because he is camouflaged in a corner, but because, on that very same beach, there are dozens of possible Waldos, tricking our eyes and taking advantage of our tendency to stereotype.
Anyone who knows of this Waldo in question can describe him to you: red and white striped hat and sweater, blue jeans, black hair, and round glasses. Just as anyone speaking Spanish is Mexican, and people with big noses and dark hair are labeled Jews, this description creates a template we name Waldo. We know how Waldo dresses and how he accessorizes, but thats all. If we identify Waldo solely by his clothes, hair color, and eyewear, arent there millions of Waldos out there, roaming the world in their striped sweaters?
And thus, the challenge begins. Within the pictures, red and white sweaters, hats, and round glasses are thrown about on various people. A blonde woman might be wearing a Waldo-esque sweater, and for a second, our minds perceive her to be Waldo. Another dark-haired man could be wearing a hat similar to Waldos, and we believe we have completed the challenge until we see his yellow shirt. In our frustration, we might deceive ourselves and take the easy way out, convincing ourselves that another man wearing Waldos clothes had simply forgotten to put on his glasses that morning. However, we use the mans sweater as an identifier of Waldo, just as some see my eyes and automatically assume I am Chinese (which, although is correct, remains a stereotypical assumption). Our brains utilize faulty reasoning to make these conclusions and give our minds a simple way to identify and classify others: Chinese people have slanted eyes; Victoria has slanted eyes; therefore, she is Chinese. Likewise, we attempt to find Waldo in this manner: Waldo wears a red and white striped sweater; this man is wearing a red and white striped sweater; therefore, this man is Waldo. But he isnt.
Now that I have presented this problem in our methods of finding Waldo, a solution is presumed to follow. However, a solution is unnecessary. Stereotyping is an impulse that we cannot control: it is an instinctual function of our brain an attempt at creating order through categorization. The only method of minimizing judgment is the repression of such assumptions, and as we do so, we begin breaking down the barrier that inhibits our discovery of Waldo. Fortunately, our determination and resilience in our search for Waldo suggests progression past these initial stereotypes as we continue our attempt at finding a man who encompasses not one, but all the qualities of Waldo. As we dismiss each phony Waldo, we are one step closer to finding the real one. The longer the search, the more likely we are to find him. Thus, we repress our assumptions, and our search continues.
To answer your question: I have no idea where Waldo could be. Every now and then, I see someone on the street sporting a Waldo sweater or donning black, round glasses, but in the end, I am still searching. Maybe I will spot Waldo on a hike through Big Bend National Park, or, hopefully, I will run into him at the University of Chicago. Either way, I will find him Waldo cannot hide forever.</p>