Board Thread:Season 21 - Salvation/@comment-24086799-20141205060625/@comment-24776269-20141205073716

' Zane, your problem is that you lack an agenda of your own. Your task is to describe to me what it is you work for in life, what you care about, and who you care about. This is your opportunity to redeem yourself for all the social interactions you never had. Be creative, use this response however you like. Show the jury your conviction and caring; show them how strong a person you can be. '

Perry, thank you so much for the opportunity.

I think I better start from the very beginning, because that's always the best place to start.

Ted, Matthew, Perry, Mikey, Tyler, Trace, Eden, TJ, Mitchell, Jino. My name is Zane, it's a pleasure to meet you. I really love playing Survivor ORGs and watching the show. You might remember seeing me on Sardinia a couple seasons ago. I played hard and drew a purple rock, and here I am ready for Salvation. I'd love to know more about you, but first let me tell you some more about myself.

I attend university in Tulsa, a small city in the Midwest. I'm majoring in Vocal Performance because music is my greatest passion in life. I sing to relax, I sing to worship, I sing to celebrate, I sing to grieve, I sing to empower, I sing to entertain, I sing to inspire, I sing to live. I'll sing anything, anytime, anywhere. Music is a universal medium through which we share experiences and emotions with other people, and it's so important to me that I want to spend my life sharing my talent with anyone who will listen. I am a member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, a music fraternity which works toward the final harmony of man, with man, seeking the best in others for the good of all. We volunteer to perform for nursing homes, orphanages, women's shelters, and hospitals because music has the power to heal the deepest of wounds and comfort the loneliest of souls.

I've experienced the healing power of music firsthand. My grandfather unexpectedly passed away when I was in middle school. I sang in church and got involved with a non-profit choir organization devoted to helping people in order to cope with that loss. One of my friends from elementary school died racing his car down the highway. I grieved by listening to his favorite band. My private high school threatened to expel me right before my senior year when they learned I was gay. To have a place you love and support treat you like that really cuts deep. It hurts in ways hard to imagine. To have people you thought were your friends and mentors talk about your "sinful evil lifestyle choice" in the third person to your face makes you feel less than human. I was told not to talk about myself for a year until I graduated. How did I handle it? I poured myself into my music. I listened, created, and shared music whenever I could. Eventually, I was able to graduate from that dreadful place and make music an official ambition. To heal others with music is what I work for and care about. Showing others that you can live a happy, fulfilled life pursuing your passion despite the many obstacles that come from being a part of humanity is what I try to emulate in all my endeavors.

Who do I care about? I think this is the most important question you asked me. The short answer is that I try my hardest to care about everyone I come in contact with. Obviously I'm still only human, so I make mistakes, hold grudges, snap, disagree, and complain sometimes. But I try every day to overcome those flaws and treat others with respect, dignity, and honesty. I try to play Survivor that way too, as consistently as one can play this game in that way. I genuinely care about other people's problems and concerns. I am very good at listening; if you ever have anything you want to talk about, I'm always available to be a counsel, a silent observer, or a shoulder to cry on, either in person or over the vast expanse of the Internet. I care about my parents, my two little sisters, my beloved dog, my friends, my coworkers, my boyfriend, my "gurl" friends, and anyone who needs a song, a word, or a hug. I don't think of myself as someone special. If I'm considered a good friend to you, that's more than enough satisfaction for me.

All of that sounded ridiculously cheesy when I was typing it all out, but it's all true, so I'm not gonna apologize for being honest. My game strategy in Survivor is a lot like my strategy in real life, and it can be summed up best by (what else) the lyrics to the chorus of a song I cherish: I am no prince'I am no saint'And if that's what you believe you need'You're wrong, you don't need much'You need someone to fall back on