<p>Safe thing to write about? I hadn’t thought of it being a major disciplinary action actually – since I had no charges or whatever, they simply wanted to question me regarding speech I had made online. It was actually not a rather huge deal, but I remember it vividly for the political views I made clear to the officers there, as well as getting the warning that according to a speech made by the prime minister, some areas of discussion were just too sensitive for my birth country’s “delicate racial harmony” and should be “out of bounds” (i.e. reasons for censorship). Furthermore, my birth country has a certain reputation for being authoritarian and lacking in political liberties.</p>
<p>Go for it! Unique experiences interest readers.</p>
<p>I didn’t even hint at it anywhere in my application – which was what I was thinking about – I hope I wouldn’t have to explain in it in a “serious disciplinary action” box, would I?</p>
<p>Make sure the essay reveals you, not just the incident.</p>
<p>I sort of plan to use it as a vehicle for “snapshotting” me at that time, then discussing I have evolved since then. It’s an optional essay for UPenn’s “submit page 217 of your 300 page autobiography” question. If I’ve used my main common app essay to describe how being a cross-migrant has shaped me (I was an extrovert at heart, but migrating made me an introvert in practice), then I can just use this essay as a vehicle to show various miscellaneous sides, right? </p>
<p>A big argument I had with the officers was the nature of personal responsibility for one’s speech, and the role of the law in regulating that speech, and whether I should really be prohibited from writing about certain things because the topic might become too hot for some people’s sensitivities.</p>
<p>Okay. I just finished it. I manipulated the page margins too, to make it fit on one page – it’s just over a 1000 words (!)</p>
<p>I read somewhere else that you could do that, but can someone read it to see how it flows? Thanks.</p>
<p>Okay I’ve cut it down to 700, and I think it’ll work for the Penn supplement. Anyone?</p>