Tag: LEAP Ambassadors

Barristers, Bailiffs, and Ballots

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.

Students Take Mock LSAT as part of their Law-School Timeline

Law School Timeline: Start Early, Finish Strong

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.

A Final Taste of New Orleans: PCAS/ACAS Day Four

Our final morning in New Orleans was spent exploring the things that local businesses had to offer, which was a wonderful end to our trip. After several busy days of attending conference sessions, exploring the city, and learning about the history and culture of New Orleans, it was nice to have a slower morning before leaving the city. Rather than rushing from one activity to another, we were able to take our time, enjoy breakfast together, and do some last-minute shopping before beginning the drive home.

Breakfast and Shopping

Written by Allie Plunk

For breakfast, we stopped by Café du Monde, which is well known for its beignets. Since Café du Monde is such a recognizable part of New Orleans, getting the opportunity to actually eat there felt like an important part of our final morning in the city. The line was much shorter than anticipated, so we were very quickly able to order and enjoy our beignets and cups of both hot and iced café au lait, a type of coffee served with milk.

The beignets were definitely worth the stop. Covered in powdered sugar, they were sweet, warm, and messy in the best possible way. There was something especially fitting about ending our time in New Orleans with a food that is so closely associated with the city. After spending the past few days learning about New Orleans through its history, literature, architecture, and culture, we were able to experience one of the city’s most recognizable foods for ourselves.

Following breakfast, we browsed through the French Market, where many of the shops are run by local businesses. The market gave us one final opportunity to experience the creativity and individuality of New Orleans before leaving. Instead of purchasing souvenirs from large chain stores, we were able to look through items made or sold by local artists and businesses. There was a little bit of everything, from artwork and photographs to jewelry, decorations, and other handmade goods.

I bought a deliciously scented lavender soap and two perfumes, while the other LEAP students bought various items such as photographs, illustrations, and jewelry. It was fun seeing what everyone chose because our purchases were all so different. In a way, the things we decided to take home became small reminders of our individual experiences in New Orleans.

Once we had shopped to our hearts’ content, we headed straight for Baton Rouge for a tour of the state capitol. Although it was difficult to leave New Orleans after everything we had experienced there, the Capitol gave us one more opportunity to learn about Louisiana before our trip came to an end.

Louisiana State Capitol

Written by Isis Hollis

A staple in every LEAP trip is visiting state capitols! The style, features, and experience are different for each building, but the Louisiana State Capitol proved to be filled with some of the most dramatic history.

Before getting into the history, there was the architecture carefully put together under Huey Long, who later served as both Senator and Governor. The building is 34 stories high, making it one of only a few skyscraper capitols in the United States. With 26 different types of stone, mostly marble, the Art Deco style is prominent throughout the building, with long columns and intricate designs. Bronze can be seen across many different surfaces on the inside, including the doors, floors, and walls.

The Capitol’s design immediately made it stand out from the other state capitols we have visited. Rather than the traditional appearance that many people associate with government buildings, the Louisiana State Capitol has a much more imposing and modern appearance. The height of the building alone makes it difficult to miss, and once inside, the amount of detail throughout the building makes it clear that the architecture was meant to communicate a sense of importance and power.

A mural painted by Jules Garron depicts the abundance of the earth surrounding Louisiana and fills the south and north walls of the main entrance. On either side of the elevators, large white marble cups with champagne-like bubbles serve as a token of friendship from the French. These details added another connection between the building and Louisiana’s larger cultural history, especially considering the strong French influence that can still be seen throughout the state.

As mentioned, the history of the Louisiana Capitol is filled with drama unlike many others. Huey Long, former Senator and Governor, was assassinated in what used to be the executive hallway of the building. On September 8, 1935, Governor Long was shot by Carl Weiss. The marble in the floor, columns, and walls surrounding the hall still contains the original bullet holes from the incident.

Seeing the location where such an important event happened made the history feel much more real. It is one thing to learn about a historical event in a textbook, but standing in the same place where it occurred gives the story an entirely different weight. The Capitol was not simply a beautiful building that we were touring; it was also a place where major events in Louisiana’s political history had actually taken place.

There is also, in the Senate chamber, what is known as the “pencil in the ceiling,” which is actually a shard of wood. The wood got there from a bombing that occurred in 1970. Ironically, the bombers, who placed the TNT near the box in the chamber, were from Texas. This was another example of how the Capitol seemed to have a story hidden around every corner. Even small details, such as a piece of wood stuck in the ceiling, could be connected to a much larger part of the state’s history.

We also learned about the unfortunate history surrounding Louisiana politics, as the state has consistently dealt with political corruption. Governor Long was nicknamed the “Kingfish,” and his controversial political career even inspired a movie about his corruption. Learning about these events provided an interesting contrast to the cultural experiences we had throughout the rest of our trip. New Orleans is often celebrated for its music, food, architecture, festivals, and unique cultural identity, but the history behind the state is much more complicated.

Despite this complicated history, Louisiana has kept its rich culture intact, creating a beautiful atmosphere that was further emphasized by the Capitol. The building itself seemed to represent many of the contradictions we encountered throughout our trip: beauty alongside violence, tradition alongside modernity, and celebration alongside a complicated past. Visiting the Capitol gave us one final opportunity to see how history continues to shape the places we visit.

Conclusion

After leaving Baton Rouge, our trip was officially coming to an end. What began with our arrival in New Orleans had taken us through conference presentations, discussions about literature and culture, historic sites, local businesses, food, and experiences that we could not have gotten from a classroom alone. Our final morning was therefore a fitting conclusion. We were able to enjoy the local culture one last time, take home a few pieces of New Orleans with us, and end our trip by learning more about the history of Louisiana.

Although we were leaving the city, the experiences from the trip gave us plenty to bring home with us. From the conversations we had at the conference to the places we visited and the things we learned along the way, the trip showed us how much can be learned when we step outside of the classroom and experience these subjects firsthand. New Orleans was more than just the location of our conference. It became another part of our education, and it was a memorable way to end our LEAP experience.

Presentations, Popular Culture, and Pavlova: PCAS/ACAS Day One

Presenting at PCAS

Written by Allie Plunk

Our first day in New Orleans began late, but with plenty of excitement! I was going to present my paper, Modernism in Billy Collins‘ Poem “Forgetfulness,” at the PCAS/ACAS conference.

As soon as we arrived at the Conference Hotel, I checked in and found the room in which I would present. While waiting for my session to start, fellow presenter Richard Vela introduced himself. He was very friendly and said he was excited to present. A former professor at the University of North Carolina–Pembroke, he was sharing his research on Hispanic poet Julia Alvarez. Though we were supposed to have a third presenter, it ultimately ended up being just the two of us.

Professor Vela acted as Chair for the room, introducing our topics as well as the overall theme of the session: “Poetry and Postmodernisms.” His presentation was first, and his insight into Julia Alvarez was intriguing! I had never read any of her work, but his presentation was well thought out and ended up tying neatly into mine, as we both addressed Postmodern poets and the intersection of memory and identity.

Though there were some technical difficulties that resulted in me being unable to display my slides, I did my best to read my paper as interactively as possible. The lack of slides definitely threw me off, but I was delighted to hear afterward that no one could tell I was bothered!

Following my presentation, we had a brief Q&A, during which we were able to discuss some key features that might not have made their way into our presentations, such as more of the key factors of postmodernism and how they likely affected Alvarez’s work, and the presence of mythology in Collins’ poem.

Overall, it was an incredibly impactful experience, and I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to present at my very first academic conference. It was a wonderful opportunity to share my research, meet another scholar, and experience what presenting at an academic conference is actually like. I hope it will be the first of many.

(Professor’s Note: Allie did a wonderful job. Following the session, an attendee came up to me and said, “She has a great future!”)

Exploring Southern Culture at PCAS/ACAS

Written by Ruthie Passmore

After the first session, we moved on to a session discussing Southern Gothic, a theme much covered during this conference. This particular session covered folklore, masculinity, and southern decline, led by Chair Grace Becker, and included presentations by Lauren Butte and Kerbie Addis. All three speakers explored how the region’s anxieties refuse to stay buried, shifting from the monstrous myths of local cryptids to the slow violence of environmental and psychological decay.

Grace Becker opened the floor by interpreting William Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury. She gave a depiction of how the novel captures misogyny and toxic masculinity through Jason’s actions in the story, focusing on the femininity and repressed sexuality seen in characters like Caddy and Quentin. I found it interesting to see how these ideas could be explored through the relationships between the characters and the expectations placed on them.

Lauren Butte then began talking about the “Alabama White Thang,” explicating the folklore in a way that was very comprehensible. She explained that sightings began in the early 1900s, with the most recent being August 2026. Being described as anywhere from seven to eight feet tall, white, cat-like, and elusive, the “White Thang” certainly sounded like an intriguing beast. Her presentation showed how folklore can continue to exist and evolve even as the culture surrounding it changes.

Kerbie Addis proceeded to give a brief analysis of literature, cinema, and digital media, exploring Jesmyn Ward’s acclaimed novel Salvage the Bones, the movie Beasts of Southern Wild, and the video game Norco. She focused on the environmental aspects in the Southern Gothic and how this is transcribed across different media platforms. I especially liked seeing how the same concerns can be expressed through different forms of storytelling, rather than being limited to traditional literature.

Shifting to the last session of our day, we got to hear about Vampire Literatures as Decolonizing Practice from three professors from Louisiana State University of New Orleans. The chair and one of the presenters was Lisa Verner, along with colleagues Robin Werner and Elizabeth Lewis, who deconstructed three different texts in an analysis of minority representation in vampire literature.

Robin Werner started by discussing Certain Dark Things by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, and I liked how she focused on the idea of identity in the book. Elizabeth Lewis then talked about The Black Vampyre and shared how her students reacted to it. Lisa Verner wrapped things up by looking at Indigenous literature through Stephen Graham Jones’s The Buffalo Hunter Hunter.

Ultimately, the speakers all shared a common goal: presenting their research, asking for feedback, and ensuring that the books they teach leave a lasting impression on their students. Even though the presentations covered very different subjects, each one demonstrated how literature and other forms of storytelling can be used to examine larger cultural anxieties and give readers new ways of understanding them.

Creole Delights at Arnaud’s

Written by Robin Houghton

Feeling pretty hungry after a busy day at the conference, we visited Arnaud’s, which specializes in Louisiana Creole cuisine. We started boldly with Oysters Arnaud, a collection of baked Oysters: Bienville, Kathryn, Ohan, Rockefeller, and Suzette, as well as Escargots en Casserole—baked snails with a flaky pastry top. The escargot’s earthy taste received mixed reviews; however, the oysters were agreed to be one of the best dishes of the night.

To experience Creole cuisine in its brevity, we chose a wide variety of entrees: a fittingly-shaped Crabmeat Karen, flavorful Chicken and Andouille Gumbo, and a delicious bowl of Turtle Soup. We all loved Arnaud’s savory Crab Cakes, as well as the Shrimp Creole. We even had the opportunity to try Frog Legs Provençale!

For dessert, we had the Chantilly Pavlova, Baked Alaska, and a New Orleans staple: Bananas Foster. The latter two desserts — which were served flamed — were a highlight of our meal. Arnaud’s was a wonderful introduction to Louisiana Creole, and we left full and happy, a satisfying conclusion to our day.

Conclusion

Our first day at PCAS/ACAS was a busy one, but it was also an incredibly rewarding experience. From presenting our own research to listening to scholars discuss poetry, Southern Gothic literature, folklore, and decolonization, we were able to see just how many different perspectives can come together at an academic conference. Beyond the presentations themselves, getting to experience New Orleans added another layer to the day. Between the conference sessions and our exploration of New Orleans, our first day at PCAS/ACAS was a great beginning to what would become an unforgettable conference experience.