Every year, the LEAP Ambassadors look forward to participating in the annual Scare on the Square, hosted by the City of Huntsville’s Main Street Program. This year was no exception! This year’s event was especially exciting because the festivities took place on Halloween itself.
After last year’s event was unfortunately canceled due to inclement weather, the community was especially eager to bring the tradition back. Families and children gathered in downtown Huntsville to enjoy an afternoon filled with games, activities, and, of course, plenty of candy!
As part of our annual tradition, LEAP Ambassadors volunteered with the Main Street Program, helping operate booths and capture photos throughout the event. We also took the opportunity to dress up for Halloween, although our costumes were no match for the creativity and attention to detail displayed by some of the children and families in attendance!
Several local businesses joined in on the fun, including Mortar and Pestle, Tamal, Facemaker, Volume Music, and Rosales & Bush Injury Law Firm. Their participation helped make the event even more special, demonstrating the continued support of Huntsville’s local businesses and their commitment to creating memorable experiences for the community.
Amanda Sewell, the Main Street Manager, shared that this year’s Scare on the Square was the biggest event she has ever hosted. With overwhelmingly positive feedback from attendees, it is clear that the community was just as excited to bring this tradition back as we were. She looks forward to welcoming everyone again next year!
Scare on the Square is a wonderful example of what makes Huntsville such a special community. Events like these bring local businesses, organizations, families, and students together, providing children with a safe and enjoyable way to celebrate Halloween while creating memories that will last long after the decorations come down. We are grateful to have another year of this tradition under our belts and look forward to participating again next October!
Day Two of the American Moot Court Association’s South Texas Regional Tournament in Fort Worth offered SHSU’s moot court students a valuable opportunity to learn from some of the nation’s top competitors, become more familiar with Texas A&M University’s School of Law, and help out as needed.
Although none of SHSU’s teams remained in the competition, the students stayed for the day to support the tournament. The day featured four rounds: the Sweet Sixteen, quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals.
The bracket for the day looked like this:
1 / 16: UC Berkely (Tran and Vel) against U of Incarnate Word (Boubel and Shah)
2/15: Cal State–Long Beach (Sanzobrin and Khodjakhonova) against UT Arlington (Osei and Masood)
3/14: UT Dallas (Das and Tsa) against TCU (Morvant and Addison)
4/13: Baylor (Barrow and Alzarez) against UT Dallas (Elsadi and Baldazo)
5/12: TCU (Cantrill and Bene) against Howard Payne University (Horton and Herrera)
6/11: Baylor (Smith and Molinaro) against Howard Payne University (Sandlin and Mathis)
7/10: Baylor (Beck and Homberg) against TCU (Caldwell and Grau)
8/9: UNT (Rhoades and Ethridge) against UT Arlington (Nixon v. Thatraju)
In a couple of the rounds, a person dressed as a witch -this being Halloween- served as a judge.
After each round, members of the American Moot Court Association’s Board and staff from Texas A&M School of Law announced the winners and directed teams to their rooms for the next round.
We noticed that when teams lost, they tended to leave. We opted to stay, out of respect for the winners, and to assist as we could. Accordingly, we served as bailiffs throughout the day, helping keep the proceedings running smoothly. Every student served as a bailiff for at least one round, and most served for two. They also remained available to assist as coaches and in other capacities as needed.
Ryan Snow had the distinction of serving as bailiff for the championship round, held in Texas A&M’s courtroom. The final featured two outstanding teams: Aaron Tran and Nayan Vel of the University of California, Berkeley, and Anna Kate Beck and Maya Homberg of Baylor University.
The championship round featured a panel of five judges, many of whom brought extensive courtroom experience from both sides of the bench. Their collective experience provided a formidable audience for the finalists as they presented their arguments.
The final proved to be a closely contested affair.
After a hard-fought round, Baylor (Beck and Homberg) emerged victorious by a narrow margin, winning three ballots to two.
The top four competitors were gracious following the round. They even posed for a selfie together, and they also posed for photographers–which meant us, as the tournament didn’t have a designated photographer.
Despite the fact that all of SHSU’s competitors would have liked to have been competing on Saturday, it was a rewarding day.
The finalists were excellent, providing lessons for future competitions, and the judges’ questions were, for the most part, insightful and skilled.
Reata
After a full day of moot court, the SHSU group headed to Reata in downtown Fort Worth for dinner, where the restaurant’s distinctive Southwestern cuisine provided a fitting end to the day- and to the Fort Worth “vibe.” The group began with a starter sampler featuring an adventurous assortment of flavors, including polenta, quail, lamb fries, elk sausage, and tortillas.
The variety offered something a little different from the usual dinner fare and gave everyone a chance to sample several specialties.
The entrees were equally varied, ranging from fish and grilled chicken to chicken-fried steak, chile rellenos, Brussels sprouts, and polenta.
Everything was well received, but the chile rellenos proved to be a particular standout. Of course, no dinner would be complete without dessert, and Reata delivered on that front, too. The bread pudding crème brûlée and baked apple fritter served with ice cream were the evening’s clear favorites.
After a day of competition, service, and learning, the excellent meal provided a welcome opportunity for everyone to relax and enjoy one another’s company.
The LEAP Center’s two moot court teams traveled to Fort Worth to compete in the American Moot Court Association’s (AMCA) South Texas Regional Tournament, hosted by Texas A&M University School of Law. But before turning their attention to legal arguments and courtroom advocacy, the students began the day with a little civic engagement.
Students accompanied Katie Wilson, who hails from the Fort Worth area, to a Tarrant County polling site so Katie could fulfill her civic duty. With voting out of the way, the group headed to Hogan Alley for coffee before settling into the business of the day. The students then turned to last-minute preparation, with each finding a different way to manage the inevitable pre-tournament stress.
The teams also enjoyed a visit from family. Professor Mike Yawn had the opportunity to meet Katie Wilson’s parents, while Katie’s and Ryan’s families stopped by to offer encouragement. Both families stayed to watch some of the afternoon’s competition, providing a welcome reminder of the support behind the students.
LEAP fielded two teams: Katie and Allie, and Ryan and Victoria. After checking in between 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m., the competitors attended an orientation at 1:30, where AMCA and Texas A&M Law officials welcomed participants and (very briefly) reviewed tournament procedures.
The competition began at 2:15 p.m., with three preliminary rounds scheduled throughout the afternoon. Round Two began at 3:30, followed by the final round of the day at 4:45.
Each round featured three judges, who evaluated individual speakers in four categories: (1) knowledge of the case, (2) responses to questions, (3) forensic skill and demeanor, and (4) logic and clarity of argument. These individual scores would ultimately help determine the tournament’s top speakers.
Team success, however, depended on a separate ballot system. Each judge awarded a ballot to the team whose combined performance was stronger. With three judges per round, each team could win anywhere from zero to three ballots. Those victories would determine which teams advanced to Saturday’s Sweet Sixteen and the subsequent rounds.
By the end of Friday’s competition, both LEAP teams had completed three rounds of oral arguments. The competition was tougher–in fact, it was tougher than the scrimmage. Part of this was that many talented teams signed up for this Tournament, and part of it was the luck of the draw. Allie and Katie, for example, were randomly assigned to compete against two of the top three teams in the tournament.
All this made for stormy weather when it came to results, which were not released until all rounds concluded, with attorneys Lewis Ringel and Martin Beeson (both are also AMCA Board Members) handling the announcements. While the teams’ won-loss record was not impressed, we were very pleased to learn that Katie Wilson won a top Orator award!
Overall, it was a disappointing day in terms of results, but a productive day in terms of experiential learning. Students performed their civic duty, competed with top talent from universities across the country, explored TAMU Law’s buildings and programs, and enjoyed seeing a Bearkat win an award!
On October 21, 2026, the SHSU Pre-Law Society welcomed Walker County District Attorney Will Durham to campus for a discussion on law, public service, and the realities of a legal career. Students had the opportunity to hear directly from the county’s chief prosecutor about his experiences in the legal profession, the challenges of pursuing justice, and the lessons he has learned throughout his career. For anyone considering law school or a future in public service, it was an insightful and engaging evening.
One of the aspects of Durham’s presentation that resonated most with me was his career journey. He earned a business degree from the University of Texas before attending St. Mary’s University School of Law, then began his career as a prosecutor. After spending time practicing personal injury law, he eventually returned to public service and later became Walker County District Attorney. Hearing about the different paths his career took was reassuring. For me personally, I’ve often felt pressure to have the future mapped out straight, but Durham’s story showed me that meaningful careers can often be shaped by unexpected opportunities and experiences. When he was asked about his switches between the government and private sector, he noted that the government side “kept calling him back, and it was a call he couldn’t refuse”.
Durham also shared his perspectives on some of the most difficult areas of criminal law. He spoke about juvenile justice and the challenge of balancing accountability with the belief that young people can learn from their mistakes and change. He emphasized that sometimes children can show no signs of rehabilitation, and for the safety of the community, they must be put away, as demonstrated by multiple cases he personally worked on. At the same time, he emphasized his office’s commitment to aggressively prosecuting child sex offenders and protecting victims, at every step of the process. One case he shared highlighted that sometimes the pursuit of justice means saving victims from the stress and turmoil of trial procedure, and the lengths his team goes for the process to be as smooth and as pain-free as possible.
The most impactful moment of the evening came when Durham discussed prosecutorial ethics. He reminded students that “the duty of a prosecutor is not to convict, but to administer justice.” That statement has stayed with me since the meeting. In a profession often portrayed as being about winning cases, Durham emphasized that the true responsibility of a prosecutor is to seek justice fairly and ethically. His words offered a powerful reminder that law is ultimately a profession built on service, integrity, and accountability. When asked about community outreach, he also emphasized the importance of educating and assisting everyday citizens as well in matters of the law, so that way everyone gets the knowledge and know-how to better protect themselves and loved ones. He hosts weekly education sessions, as well as other events aimed at increasing neighbors’ knowledge of the law.
The meeting concluded with Pre-Law Society elections. While most of the positions were decided by acclamation (they were unopposed), we did have a race for President. Both Tania Ramirez and Allie Plunk selflessly stepped up to serve as President, and following brief speeches and a close contest, Tania Ramirez was named President. The officers for the next academic year are:
President: Tania Ramirez
Vice President Marketing: Olivia McCaughan
Vice President Finance: Nataly Elizondo
Vice President Membership: Ruthie Passmore
Historian (Blogs): Gabe Kranz-Danet
Historian (Photos): Isis Hollis
Secretary: Isabella Melvin
Looking ahead, the Pre-Law Society has an exciting lineup of events, including:
Nov 10: Former FBI Agent Christopher Combs (first law-enforcement agent on the scene at the Pentagon on 9-11) (6:00-7:45pm): https://forms.gle/smJwwpqGz5hbCvtL6
On November 18, we’ll have our final official PLS visit, featuring a visit from the Texas Special Prosecution Unit. As always, be on the lookout for more information @shsuleap and @prelawsocietyshsu on Instagram for the latest!
Remembering the Alamo: A Lasting Letter in Walker County
“I am besieged…” Nearly 190 years after William Barret Travis penned those words from the Alamo, his urgent appeal has a permanent place at the Walker County Courthouse. On October 17, community members gathered in Huntsville to dedicate a marker displaying one of the most famous letters in Texas history.
Written on February 24, 1836, Travis’s letter called for reinforcements as Mexican forces surrounded the Alamo. His declaration, “I shall never surrender or retreat,” and closing pledge, “Victory or Death,” still echo in political campaigns and history books. Today, the Alamo Letter Society seeks to place the 203-pound bronze plaque at all 254 Texas county courthouses, bringing this chapter of Texas history into communities across the state. Working with a local committee chaired by Ken Tarpey, the organization was able to place this marker in Walker County, the 59th such “letter” installed.
The Walker County ceremony began at 10:00 a.m., with Mac Woodward serving as a lead logistician. Texas State Representative Trey Wharton and Walker County Judge Colt Christian spoke, as did a descendant of Davy Crockett, providing a family connection to the history being commemorated. The Sons and Daughters of the Texas Revolution also helped organize the event.
LEAP students played a small role in the event. Students Jacob Wessels, Brianne Barclay, and Ryan Snow, along with former LEAP Ambassador Victoria Cardenas, assisted. Arriving at 9am, they handed out programs to the attendees, help put out flags, and otherwise made themselves useful. More important, they had the chance to participate in the occasion, learn more about their elected officials, and see a small slice of history.
Following the ceremony’s conclusion at 11:00 a.m., attendees continued the gathering with a reception and lunch at the Gibbs-Powell House—an appropriate setting for a morning devoted to preserving the past.
Many thanks to Mac Woodward for including LEAP students in this event.
“You’re the Reese-on we are here!” That was the message accompanying some sweet prizes when students from the Center for Law, Engagement, and Politics (LEAP) visited the Walker County Senior Center on October 7. Armed with Reese’s and ready to call Bingo, our volunteers enjoyed another opportunity to spend time with the Center’s seniors, and watch SHSU’s Music Therapy program do good for the community.
Bingo provided a familiar way to bring everyone together. Our students called the numbers, while players followed along in hopes of completing a winning card. With candy available as prizes, there was an especially sweet incentive to listen closely! The Reese’s also gave us a playful way to share a sincere message: the people we visit are the reason we keep coming back.
The visit included music as well. Kyle, from Sam Houston State University’s Music Therapy program, led a sing-along, adding another enjoyable activity to the day. We appreciated the opportunity to listen and see another SHSU program contributing to the Senior Center.
We also brought photos we had taken over the last year–photos reflecting many happy moments.
These proved to be a hit, with congregants combing through the photos of themselves or those they care about.
Of course, we also did our usual coterie of games, which again proved fun.
These visits offer a chance to help, but they also offer something just as valuable: time to connect with people beyond campus. Calling Bingo, sharing a laugh over a candy pun, and enjoying music together are simple activities that make volunteering rewarding.
We are grateful to the Walker County Senior Center for welcoming us and to Kyle for sharing his musical talents. October 7 was another fun day helping—and another reminder that a little time, attention, and chocolate can go a long way!
It’s not easy to get more than 100 students to attend school on a Saturday for a three-hour test. But as part of their preparation for law school, 105 pre-law students took a practice LSAT, professionally administered and scored.
Preparing for law school begins long before submitting an application. For undergraduates planning to enter law school immediately after graduation, a four-year plan can make the process more manageable—and help prevent senior-year surprises!
Freshman Year: Establish Your Starting Point. Focus on strong grades, develop good study habits, and take courses that strengthen reading, writing, and analytical skills. If possible, take the Mock LSAT offered by the Center for Law, Engagement, and Politics (LEAP). An early practice test provides a baseline and introduces the exam while there is plenty of time to improve.
Sophomore Year: Get Connected. Join the Pre-Law Society by your sophomore year. Attend meetings, meet legal professionals, explore law schools, and learn from students navigating the application process. Build relationships with professors who may eventually write recommendation letters. Begin to research law schools and identify a target LSAT score.
Junior Year: Measure Your Progress. Aim to score consistently within 5–10 points of that target on timed practice tests by junior year. If a larger gap remains, adjust your preparation now. Continue protecting your GPA while developing a realistic school list.
Summer Before Senior Year: Prepare Intensively. Take a comprehensive LSAT preparation course and treat studying as a serious commitment. Complete timed practice exams, review mistakes carefully, and register for the August LSAT before its registration deadline. Begin drafting your personal statement and requesting recommendation letters.
August of Senior Year: Take the LSAT. Plan to take the official exam in August, entering senior year with a major application component completed. Monitor score-release dates and consider whether another attempt would strengthen your applications.
By November 1: Submit Your Applications. Set November 1 as your goal for submitting complete, polished applications, including transcripts, recommendations, and required essays. This deadline will help you be eligible for early admissions, and it will also allow you to apply when all the scholarship money is still available (fifty percent of scholarship money is allocated by January 1).
Check each school’s requirements and deadlines individually.
Start early, stay consistent, and give yourself options–which begins with taking a Mock LSAT.
It’s not easy having a part-time job, taking a full-time class schedule, volunteering in the community, and presenting research at a conference, but that’s what some LEAP Ambassadors and LEAP friends this this past weekend. While there, the students made the most of things, exploring NOLA’s culinary arts, cultural offerings, art, and, of course, participating in the Popular Culture Association (South) annual conference. Below, we provide an overview of some of our favorite things about the trip.
Restaurants and Food
In terms of food, the clear winner was Saffron NOLA, which a “recommended restaurant by the Michelin Guide, and which is managed by Chef Vilkhu, who has twice been nominated for a James Beard Award.
In second place was Arnaud’s, a James Beard “Classic,” where the students tried an amazing assortment of food, including escargot, various types of oysters, and frog legs.
As Robin noted, it was difficult to select the “best” restaurant when all the restaurants were good. They emphasized that the other restaurants (Cafe Reconcile and Heard Dat) were all very good, but they didn’t quite rise, on this trip, to Arnaud’s or Saffron’s level.
Cultural/Historical Attractions
With an itinerary that included visiting the St. Louis Cathedral, Jackson Square, the French Market, the World War II Museum, the Garden District, the New Orleans Museum of Art, and the Louisiana State Capitol. Students enjoyed the latter very much, but it was under construction, preventing the students from visiting the “sky deck”–which may have cost it a spot on our “best of” list.
The favorite for most of the students was the massive World War II Museum, where the students spent three-plus hours–and still ran out of time! They spent most of their time in the Pacific Theatre, which they hadn’t learned as much about in school. But they enjoyed the entire museum, and they left with new information and greater appreciation for what college-age individuals were doing from 1941-1945.
One thing that stood out to the students was that they could alternate between the Museum’s massive scale and a small artifact that told a human story, allowing time for reflection and perspective.
The New Orleans Museum of Art was also a favorite, even without the Sculpture Garden (which we weren’t able to see). Students enjoyed seeing the decorative arts section, learning more about Degas (who lived in NOLA)…
…and seeing the blue-chip artists such as Monet, O’Keeffe, Pollock, Picasso, and Gilbert Stuart’s George Washington.
While these are pretty standard artists for large collections, the museum was sufficiently small to really engage with the art, and for some of the students, it was their first time to see such artists.
Perhaps the most interesting piece was Will Ryman’s replica in Gold of Abraham Lincoln’s Log Cabin.
It was made gold to reflect America’s quest for riches, while being literally constituted by many of the things that have formed America’s largest industries: spark plugs, railroad spikes, pharmaceuticals, iPhones, gasoline caps, and phone cords. On the ground–the foundation–were manacles and chains.
Conference
LEAP students’ favorite session at the PCAS/ACAS conference was “Reflecting Society,” which explored how films illuminate social issues. Daniel S. Traber examined Trainspotting, connecting its portrayal of drug addiction to broader dependencies, including gambling and consumerism. Kathleen Hardesty discussed negative depictions of social workers in children’s films, suggesting that more positive portrayals could reduce stigmas surrounding adoption and social services. Professor Mike Yawn concluded with an analysis of free will in The Manchurian Candidate, drawing parallels to the Oresteia trilogy and its tensions between family loyalty and moral responsibility. Together, the presentations offered students a thought-provoking conclusion to their conference experience.
Miscellaneous
Apart from the formal parts of the conference, the students greatly enjoyed beignets at “Cafe du Monde” and doing some French Quarter shopping, although the architecture of NOLA also stood out to the students.
But it was also just the diversity of the experiences that was impressive. The “Sno Bliz,” from a company founded in 1934, was amazing…
And we had a chance to see perhaps the world’s largest pot of paella, which looked delicious.
Yet we also had a chance to walk where Homer Plessy caught his train in 1896 in what proved to be a futile attempt to overturn segregation.
And learn about Huey Long, a populist whose corruption didn’t keep him from winning a majority of votes in every election in which he competed.
Conclusion
Most important, the students had a wonderful opportunity to expand their cultural horizons: they explored a new place (or for those returning, explored it with new eyes), tried new foods, enjoyed seeing different types of architecture, presented (or attended) at their first-ever professional academic conference, and visited new museums. It was a good time, punctuated by numerous opportunities to learn, appreciate the LEAP Center and SHSU, and enjoy the many amenities that unique cities across the United States have to offer.
