Dear Future Roommate

By Jessica Lee

Submitted for Harvard College application supplemental essay.

Dear Future Roommate,

When I was ten, I attended sleepaway camp for the first time.  On the third day, I duct-taped a line down the center of the dorm room to separate my side from my roommate, Caitlin’s.  Anyone who peered into our room saw two extremes of the spectrum: Caitlin with her socks drying on the air conditioner, and me with my notebooks stacked neatly on my desk for the next day.  This is not to say that we disliked each other.  In fact, despite our competing “strategies” for organization, Caitlin and I were the best of friends.  We both loved soccer, math, and wreaking havoc on our fellow hallmates.  The only difference was that I liked knowing my toothbrush was not on the ground under a pile of dirty clothes.

The main takeaway from this story is that duct tape is amazing.  I carry it everywhere.  In the car, to school, on vacations, and most importantly, to sleepaway camp in 2014.  And I’ve never regretted walking around with a thick roll of black tape in my bag.  It conveniently helped Caitlin and me organize our room, it brought joy during an otherwise boring afternoon with my friends when we discovered we could use it to fold ninja stars, and it saved me that time I had to wire together a makeshift adapter for my car off the side of a highway.  It is simple yet versatile, and were I given thirty seconds to grab items out of my house before it burned down, I would calmly reach for the spare roll that sits atop my bookshelf, in full confidence that I would then be okay.

Duct tape is the kind of friend I strive to be.  By that I mean I will be there to save you when your car breaks down.  Or to fold ninja stars and cheer you up when you’re having a not-so-good day.  I am loyal, and even when it feels like you are alone, I’ll always be here, ready to help in the ways that I can.  Like my sticky analogue, I can be malleable but firm.  And in what is perhaps the most identifying quality of duct tape, I’m adaptable to any situation thrown at me, making use of a wide range of skills developed over the years.  I can solder a circuit board smaller than a penny.  I can scale a rope suspended 30 feet in the air.  I can also solve a Rubik’s cube in under 20 seconds, juggle just about any three objects, and even win a spontaneous handstand competition.  But above all, I’m reliable, both as a roommate and as a friend.  I’ll drive an hour just to say happy birthday to you in person.  I’ll secretly switch numbers with you in Yankee Swap so that you can get the gift you want.  I’ll even order you a pizza from halfway across the country when you mention on the phone that you’re hungry.  All these things I will do for you, for the sake of being like duct tape.

I hope I have convinced you to put your trust in this item.  It is strong under stress, tough even in the worst weather, and very excited to meet you on moving-in day.  And when we do, know that I’ll smile, introduce myself, and present a housewarming gift to you: a brand new roll of duct tape.