My father named me Kokko Sinapi, a derivation of the Greek word for mustard seed, reflecting my diminutive physical stature and his hopes that I would grow into full maturity as a massive tree of knowledge and mountain-moving faith. I am the oldest son of six children (and counting) and the grateful beneficiary of my parents’ Taiwanese-immigrant heritage. As a first-generation ABC (American Born Chinese), the foundational ideas of American identity and self-government have always presented a special interest to me. I inherited, for better and for worse, a love for intellectual inquiry, debate (often expressed in the form of an argumentative stubbornness), and American history and politics from my father. My mother proudly home-schooled my siblings and me, and patiently cultivated my love for violin playing and the discipline necessary for its study. Perhaps my most defining characteristic is my love for the practice, performance, and teaching of string music. Lest anyone accuse me of conforming to the Asian stereotype, I am a miserable failure in all things mathematical.

I first heard about Hillsdale from my homeschool reviewer whose son attended Hillsdale. Initially, the prospect of attending a small school in a tiny, rural town situated in the frozen wasteland that is Michigan did not appeal to my suburban, East Coast mentality. I wanted to go to a big school in a warm, metropolitan area, and I applied to Hillsdale as an afterthought. But by God’s providence, and at my father’s urging, I visited Hillsdale in the spring of my senior year. What I experienced during my short stay completely shattered my assumptions about Hillsdale. Here, I tasted a true liberal arts education for the first time -- and I was hooked. The quality of both the professors and students left a deep impression on me. I saw students who genuinely cared about their fellow students and professors who infused their students with an insatiable passion for intellectual inquiry. Perhaps the biggest factor in my decision to attend Hillsdale was the unparalleled excellence of the Music Department, considering the relatively small size of the school. Hillsdale offered me a unique opportunity to wholeheartedly pursue both my love for music and my interest in American history and politics, something that is impossible to do at most other colleges.

The only thing that could compel me to brave the ice and snow of a Michigan winter is the company of good people with whom to pass the cold days, preferably in front of a warm fire! Whether I’m grabbing a bite to eat at Grewcock Student Union, studying late at night in Lane, hanging out in Niedfeldt dormitory, or practicing in Howard, I’m constantly surrounded by fellow students who are serious about their pursuit of knowledge, who challenge me toward excellence, and who practice the art of true friendship. My professors are all wonderful people, and well-versed in their subjects; however, I appreciate most the contagious enthusiasm that they bring to the classroom and the personal interest they take in both my intellectual development and personal well-being. Virtus tentamine gaudet, strength rejoices in challenge; at Hillsdale, the overwhelming support of my friends and professors ensures that there is never a want of strength to overcome any challenge.

I am planning to pursue graduate studies in either law or music education. I will admit, there is a rather large disparity between the two disciplines (most notably in the starting salaries of each’s respective fields), but I think the world could use a couple more violin-playing lawyers, or historically-informed violin teachers.

Music plays a large part in my Hillsdale experience, and the Music Department offers a wealth of musical opportunities for students. One of my most memorable experiences is the opportunity I received to perform Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto with the orchestra in our March 2011 Concert, an exhilarating experience that I will never forget. I also play in a string quartet with three other wonderful, quirky, and fun-loving Hillsdale students, people who I consider my closest friends. Some of my most unique experiences here at Hillsdale have come during our rehearsals and performances. One in particular is especially unique: we were playing at a reception in the Kirby Center when Dr. Arnn walked directly up to us. Understandably nervous under the watchful eyes of the president of the College, we all tensed up and focused especially hard on our music. That’s when Dr. Arnn began to poke me in the ribs, while I was playing. Needless to say, I messed up shortly after, as the other members of my quartet tried their best to continue playing while laughing.

I will never forget Dr. Sundahl’s Freshman English class. In one of our small group discussion sessions, Dr. Sundahl was explaining the rise of the study of psychology and different philosophies describing how the mind perceived and reacted to things. He was making a point about the fact that there are certain circumstances that produce a instinctual reaction in humans when he suddenly turned to me, the unfortunate fellow sitting in the hot seat right next to him around the conference table, and said loudly for the whole class to hear, “Kokko, your fly is down.” I resisted the urge to look down, and thinking fast, I shot back, “I’m a home-schooler, I’m too sheltered to feel embarrassed.” While the rest of the class burst out in laughter, I quickly checked, ultimately proving his point.

To be frank, I was quite ambivalent about Hillsdale’s core curriculum at first. I viewed those classes as another check in a list of requirements I had to fulfill before I could begin taking the classes that I was really interested in. How wonderfully wrong I was. Hillsdale’s core curriculum truly impacted the rest of my college career in significant ways and helped me define my time here. It shaped my understanding of Western Civilization, ethics, and liberal arts while providing me with the tools and skills necessary to read, analyze, interpret and write about the great literature, political treatises, and histories of Western Civilization. Most importantly, Hillsdale’s core curriculum truly expanded my perspective; in my core classes, I discovered new loves and rekindled old ones.

schou@hillsdale.edu