Comeback Year At the end of the 2016 season, the
World Series (Cavaretta 3). As the week
LSU Tigers baseball team lost in walk off
went on, players were forced to view
fashion to the Coastal Carolina University
baseball as a priority and understand the
Chanticleers one game away from the
work that would be required to reach the
College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska.
CWS this year. Moreover, LSU players like
Led by star shortstop Dansby Swanson, the
Dansby Swanson put in tremendous
Tigers made a vow to not just come back to
amounts of work in the offseason.
the Super Regional Championship but to
Specifically, much of the starting lineup
finish the job and punch their ticket to
engaged in voluntary offseason training.
Omaha. A perennial powerhouse, LSU
Players like Swanson consistently credited
expects to make it to Omaha on a yearly
this desire to work hard to an internal desire
basis. As such, the constant devotion to the
to succeed, a trait many claim will translate
process and relentless attention to details
to more than just baseball and help each
allowed the LSU Tigers baseball team to
player succeed at any job later in life.
battle back from their heartbreaking end to
Specifically in law, Jemma Smith of
the 2016 season to earn their way to
Prospects explains that lawyers have
greatness the next year.
incredible requirements for having to
The Tiger’s success came primarily
research consistently in order to prepare a
as a result of the willingness of the team to
case (Smith 1). Leigh Abramson of the
commit to achieve greatness. Alissa
Atlantic confirms that despite working
Cavaretta, a writer for LSU Athletics,
almost 70 hours a week, Lawyers only get
reports that during the fall before the season
paid for around 40 (Abramson). Thus,
this year LSU baseball engaged in an
despite many saying that college sports do
“Omaha Challenge” with the entire team.
not translate to real life skills, the hard work
This challenge included the entire team and
and dedication to excellence creates a high
was a week long conditioning boot camp
work ethic that helps generate long term
with the goal of establishing the team’s
success.
singular focus of reaching the College
In addition to commitment to
goal of “begging for attention”, the true
excellence, the Tigers also dedicated
intent of this action remained to inspire the
themselves to achieving their goal. Players
players who had experienced a devastating
like Swanson kept reminders of their loss to
loss to succeed (TC 1). As such, the LSU
Coastal Carolina as screen savers on their
baseball team had tremendous success in
phone to inspire them to continue to work
2017 due to their incredible dedication to
hard for the entire year. This form of
success and internal motivation. The lessons
motivation began to catch the notice of the
learned by LSU from the 2016 and 2017
national media as LSU began to advance
seasons have the ability to translate to any
through the national tournament. While
walk of life or type of work as a way to
some called this “a hardo move” with the
learn how to succeed as a person and group.
The Best Injury I’ve Ever Had POP! I could barely hear the sound
beginning of every debate, a coin flip
of my knee give out during a basketball
decides which side of an argument each
open gym, but at the same time the pop was
team defends. As a result, I had to quickly
all I heard. After limping out of the gym, we
learn to remain objective when faced with
went to the hospital where an MRI
an issue. My newly found objectivity gave
confirmed that I had torn my ACL.
me a unique insight into the world. Even
Unfortunately, my injury required surgery
seemingly simple issues forced me to accept
with a six month recovery time. I felt
that the issue is more than just a simple yes
hopeless, thinking “What am I going to do if
or no answer. I have learned to embrace
I can’t play sports?”
every viewpoint, and angle on an issue,
At the suggestion of my friends and classmates, I joined Public Forum Debate,a
while still maintaining a hunt for objective truth within a topic.
two person event where we argue a different
As juniors, Chris and I qualified to
current issue every month. My intent was to
both the state and national championships.
find something to do until I was cleared for
We came into the national qualifying
athletics again. Instead I found my passion.
tournament hoping that our preparation and
Debate has surrounded me with the most
hard work would lead to success. In order to
intellectually stimulating people I have ever
qualify for Nationals, Chris and I had to beat
met. Despite the fact that my partner, Chris,
out the number one team in the country. We
and I had been classmates since
did, winning our first five rounds and
kindergarten, I only got to know him as a
qualified into the national championship in
result of Debate. Together, we learned to
Birmingham, Alabama. I am excited to
take a topic, research it objectively and
continue my debate journey throughout my
understand it in depth.
senior year. I can not wait to take the next
During my first year, I began to see
step and find new passions in college.
the world through a new lens. Because we
Through my ACL tear, I learned that when
debate real issues in Public Forum, personal
one door closes a better one can open... the
beliefs are often challenged. At the
key is giving yourself a push
Interview
I interviewed Richard Haber for my capstone project. Mr. Haber is a practicing attorney at Haber Polk and Kabat Law Firm in Cleveland, Ohio. In the courtroom, Mr. Haber has achieved numerous accolades. Best Lawyers in America has ranked him among the top practicing attorneys in the nation 3 out of the last 5 years and his civil cases have been heard as high as the Supreme Court. Mr. Haber demonstrates excellence both inside and outside of the courtroom as he continues to share his legal expertise with the Chagrin Falls Public Forum Debate Team. Pursuant to my definition of success, Mr. Haber has achieved amazing heights in the courtroom and has also given back to the community in a way that allows others to perform at a elite level at their events. As a member of the Public Forum team myself, I truly believe that Mr. Haber embodies every facet of the definition of success and remains ever willing to share that success with others, a trait Sally Kane of the Balance claims that Mr. Haber shares with many attorney’s as she finds that the purpose of lawyers nationwide is to share their expertise with others.
With all of the time you spend on perfecting your case and courtroom presentation, how do you find the time to give back to the community as a coach in such a time-intensive event? Well it was because of my daughter’s involvement in public forum that got me roped in at the beginning. When Victoria signed up and began to really get invested in debate and working as a coach. As the years went on, I first realized that this is something I’m pretty good and doing, but more importantly I realized that the kids I was helping were learning skills critical to success in my profession and professional skills as a whole. The ability to effectively
communicate ideas, understand the Constitution, and critically think about ideas or opinions from both sides are skills imperative to professional success. Obviously you’ve had tremendous success in the courtroom during trial. Do you credit any that success to any specific part of your preparation or any specialty you have as a lawyer? I think more important than anything else in the courtroom, coming across as both understandable by the average listener as well as well read and Constitutionally correct is the “key” to success if that makes sense. At the end of the day, the jury and the majority of those hearing the case are not legal experts and will be lost by a tsunami of “legalese” by both the plaintiff and defense. As such, it becomes my responsibility to provide as much understandable context as I can, moving past merely citing the legal code and expecting the rest of the courtroom to follow. Instead I realize it must be my responsibility to make those connections for the jury and judges themselves. Success Comes in All Shapes and Sizes Despite being an avid reader, my
grown for one simple
favorite work is the TV
reason: a constant drive for
documentary,Treehouse Masters.
innovation. By building with
Architect Peter Nelson has turned
new architectural concepts,
treehouse design into a multi
discovering new ways to
million dollar business. In addition
use the environment around
to the entertainment of the building of
him, and growing his market to a
the treehouse, Nelson’s show is my
national audience, Nelson has taken his
favorite for a much larger reason. Peter
passion and created an amazing
Nelson’s hard work, dedication, and
enterprise. As a result, my favorite show
constant innovation in the field of
is Treehouse Masters due to Peter
treehouse building. While his love of
Nelson’s ability to make a career out of
trees caused Nelson to start his
his passion through hard work.
business, Nelson Treehouses has Inferno in Real Life
I remember reading Dan Brown’s
squeeze onto the subway because it was too
novel Inferno on the 24th floor of a block
full at three in the afternoon really opened
apartment in Beijing, China. I was visiting
my eyes to the issue. I remember reading
my former chinese teacher, Yaxing Guan,
Dan Brown’s assessment that large
with my grandmother. Mrs. Guan had stayed
populations would make food a scarcity, and
with our family for two years as an
then walking through a Chinese “farmer’s
exchange with the Chinese Government.
market”. Coming from the midwest, my idea
While visiting her, we stayed in her
of a farmer’s market was very different from
apartment complex in the second ring of
what I saw. Instead of mounds of fresh
Beijing with identical buildings on both
produce, vendors were selling old, dried up
sides. During the visit, I was reading the
vegetables because there were just so many
book Inferno by Dan Brown. In the novel,
people who needed food. Reading Inferno
Robert Langdon attempts to stop an act of
while in Beijing challenged me in a way that
terrorism with the goal of curbing global
no other book had before. Inferno
overpopulation. Beijing is home to 22
challenged the way that I viewed the world.
million people, and while reading a book
No longer could I view a global event as just
about overpopulation I noticed every single
something that happened in some far away
one of them. Just the fact that Brown used
place. I realized that these issues actually
real data and real sustainability predictions
affect real people. The impact of reading a
in his book was enough to get me thinking
book like Inferno while in China forced me
about the topic. But actually having to
to confront overpopulation head-on and this all happened as a result of a single book.
Works Cited Abramson, Leigh McMullan. “Making One of the Most Brutal Jobs a Little Less Brutal.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 10 Sept. 2015, www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/09/work-life-balance-law/404530/. Cavaretta, Alissa. “Gold Wins Baseball Series.” LSUsports.net, LSU Athletics, 5 Nov. 2016, www.lsusports.net/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=27865&SPID=2173&DB_OEM_ID=5200 &ATCLID=211275490. Haber. “Richard Haber.” Haber Polk Kabat, haberpolk.com/attorneys/richard-haber/. Kane, Sally. “Here Is a List of the Top 10 Reasons You Should Become a Lawyer.” The Balance Careers, 19 Feb. 2018, www.thebalancecareers.com/top-reasons-to-become-a-lawyer-2164599. Maria. “Pinecone on an Old Book - HD Wallpaper.” SuperiorWallpapers.com, 2 Nov. 2017, www.superiorwallpapers.com/miscellaneous/pinecone-on-an-old-book-hd-wallpaper. “Pete Nelson of Treehouse Masters.” Ab-Header, www.york365.com/event/pete-nelson-of-treehouse-masters/. Powers, Matt. “What Is Dansby Swanson's Value?” Fake Teams, Fake Teams, 25 Feb. 2016, www.faketeams.com/2016/2/25/11111760/2016-fantasy-baseball-prospects-what-is-dans by-swansons-value. Sloan, Karen. “Lessons From Long-Shot SCOTUS Clerks: Work Hard, Stand Out, Stay Grounded.” Texas Lawyer, 12 Dec. 2017, www.law.com/texaslawyer/sites/almstaff/2017/12/12/lessons-from-long-shot-scotus-cler ks-work-hard-stand-out-stay-grounded/?slreturn=20180319183624.
Smith, Jemma. “7 Skills for a Successful Law Career.” Prospects.ac.uk, Prospects, Mar. 2018, www.prospects.ac.uk/jobs-and-work-experience/job-sectors/law-sector/7-skills-for-a-suc cessful-law-career. TC. “IS LSU GUYS’ IPHONE BACKGROUND MOTIVATING OR CRY FOR ATTENTION?” Foulpolesports.com, Foul Pole Sports, 11 June 2017, www.foulpolesports.com/2017/06/is-lsu-guys-iphone-background-motivating-or-cry-forattention/.
When I was 4, my grandmother gave
do so. In 6th grade I gave a report on my
me a 45 minute lecture on pinecones. I was
favorite book. My book was a 400 page
out playing in the backyard with my brother
detailed work of nonfiction titled ​The
and I asked why there were so many in the
Mental Floss History of the United States​.
trees. This is not uncharacteristic of my
During my book report, I took 60 minutes,
grandmother. A teacher for 20 years, she
and presented 32 Powerpoint slides to teach
loves to give lessons on anything she can...
my class the history of the North American
to anyone she can. Little did I know it at the
continent from the Olmecs all the way
time, but that lesson and the many others
through the 2008 election. The student was
like it created a major part of who I am and
now the master!
how I learn. Through the seemingly never-ending
Eventually, in my sophomore year of high school, I found Speech and Debate.
lectures and lessons on topics ranging from
Joining Debate allowed me to fully explore
pinecones to the history of Russian Tzars,
a variety of topics in as much depth as
my grandmother instilled in me the value of
possible for an entire month. In Public
thorough knowledge on a topic. I have
Forum Debate, the topics rotate monthly
learned that in-depth analysis provides not
and as a result many debaters lack deeper
only interesting knowledge on a topic, but
understanding, rushing to create arguments.
also creates a level of understanding and
For those debaters, Debate is less about the
appreciation that those who study the same
art of arguing and analyzing a topic from
topic with less emphasis simply can not
every angle possible, but more about
possess. As a result, my grandmother’s
building up their resumes. In contrast, my
lessons taught me that the best thing I can do
desire for thorough knowledge drives me to
with topics I am interested in is to
analyze every topic I debate as deeply as I
understand them as deeply as possible,
can, and look for understanding rather than
regardless of the amount of work needed to
simply searching for surface level statistics.