Self-Disipline

1. Food - I love food. I'm good at working out, but it doesn't even really matter because I eat a ton. I am accountable to myself to be healthy. To improve, I can only purchase healthful foods to resist temptations as well as not eat super late at night.
2. My faith - I should pray more and make my faith more of a priority in my life. I attend mass and bible studies, but I need to have a quiet time several days a week. I have many people holding me accountable, such as my friends and mentor.
3. Sleep - I go to bed late and then can't wake up in the morning. This is not good for my health and I am often running late because I can't ever seem to get out of bed. My room mate holds me accountable because I know my constant alarms will wake her up. The more sleep I get, the more productive I will be.
4. Online Shopping - This is a large temptation for me, and  I should save my money more. My parents hold me accountable because they see the bills
5. Being on Time Places - I am a chronically late person. I feel like I'm always rushing, because I have a horrible concept of time. Other people who need me to be somewhere hold me accountable. I need to be more aware of how long it takes me to do things.

Leader in the Field Essay

On October 7 I interviewed Steven P. Metheny, a Commercial, Real Estate, and Business Transaction and Litigation Attorney, in downtown Oklahoma City.  Like many, this is an unfamiliar type of law, so I asked him to further explain his practiced.  Metheny narrowed his job into two broad components: commercial real estate and transactions.  He represents sellers and buyers as well as developers of income producing real estate, such as apartment complexes, warehouses, grocery stores, privately held for profit businesses.  The second component is litigation, which is when he represents his clients in court, stemming from the first component.  Metheny will also defend clients who have been sued, settle contract disputes, and sort eminent domain cases.  Recently he has been working on a large construction Defix case. 

I then took the conversation deeper and asked Metheny how his practice contributes to the betterment of society.  He responded, “It is important to society.  Real estate has always been the foremost evidence of wealth accumulation.  When investors are constructing, buying, selling, it lends itself to the growth of economy.”  Real estate provides places for people to live, shop, communicate, entertain, and so much more.  It also employs construction workers, real estate agents, technicians, architects, and even attorneys like Metheny himself.  Everything is all connected and dependent on each other.

The interview began to take a personal turn when I asked Metheny why he chose Commercial, Real Estate, and Business Transaction and Litigation Law.  He replied that the interest sparked in high school when his grandfather, who was a real estate broker, passed away.  They had a very deep relationship, which gave Metheny a connection to the work he does today.  He also had a close friend and teacher who was in law school.  He became a practicing attorney and had considerable influence of Metheny.  He concluded his answer with, “it was the door that was open.”

As a student looking into law, there are many paths I could choose.  I asked Metheny what other areas of law he recommends.  He stated that, “there are lot of areas of law that can be personally fulfilling allowing attorneys to contribute to people and society.”  Environmental law is a growing area with 70% of lawsuits in the Federal Court pertaining to employment law.  There is a need for lawyers to assist with employment issues and making sure fair wages, hours, and benefits are met.   Paten Law, otherwise known as Intellectual Property Law is another specialty law.  The number of paten products is increasing annually, so IP lawyers are needed.  The proliferation of trademark and trade name litigation across the country has been has also contributed to the need for this profession. 

One of the reason I am hesitant to enter the law field is the incredibly high competition among recent graduates due to the lack of job opportunities.  So I asked Metheny, a very experienced lawyer, if he had any advice for college students who are thinking about entering law.  He advised, “Make sure you are motivated in that direction.  Law has a high attrition rate.  Apply yourself to it and don’t approach it the same as other schooling, because the more you put into it, the more you get out it.”  He also recommended getting experience in law during periods when not in school.  Law school does not teach how to practice law, rather teaches how t apply a set of legal principles.  Lastly, he suggested taking a wide range of classes while in law school and do not make decision too early about a certain practice.  There are many areas of law that a student can go into, so one must keep his or her mind open!

But before I can think about law school, I must worry about being accepted.  I asked Metheny what his best advice was for getting into graduate school.   He said that reference letters and the LSAT are key.  A good LSAT score will make or break the difference between just getting into a school and receiving benefits, such as scholarships, relationships with the faculty, and graduating with honors. 

To conclude the interview session, I tied law into leadership.  Many leaders in our country have law degrees, but I asked Metheny his thoughts on how lawyers lead in everyday life.  Attorneys become spokesmen for people who often cannot speak for themselves.  They have high ethical and moral obligations when it comes to advancing rights and truth to maintain justice within society.  Leaders must have integrity.  “There is no substitute for high integrity among everyone, especially lawyers.  You assume judiciary responsibility for clients and have an obligation to do their very best job.”  I greatly enjoyed talking to Metheny, and our discussion made me excited for the future.  Hopefully I can be an attorney as well someday!

Further Reading: http://www.americanbar.org/groups/legal_education/resources/pre_law.html

Future @ OU

Currently I am involved in my sorority, Pi Beta Phi, CAC's High School Leadership Conference Exec, and several Bible Studies.  I have greatly enjoyed my time so far in these activities, and I would love to continue doing them here at my time at OU.  I would also love to be an SGL for camp crimson, and possibly OU Cousins.  I have heard great things about these programs, and they seem like a good fit for me.  I love to build relationships and encourage others, and both these fit this quality of mine.
I am doing well with my priorities so far, but I know I cannot become to comfortable and satisfied.  I need to keep striving for the next thing to accomplish my goals, such as applying for internships, seeking career guidance, and furthering relationships.

Letter from OU

Dear seniors,
Hello it's Carla Clark! I hope senior year is treating you well.  I can easily say that senior year was the hardest year of my life.  There are so many decisions ahead of you with so many things due, it's all so stressful and overwhelming!
Here is some surface level advice.  Do not wait until the last minute to turn in your college applications.  I was turning mine in on October 31st before the November 1st deadline, and it did not turn out well.  Also, make sure to continue to challenge yourself.  I got out of a ton of classes in college through AP credits from my senior year, and it was well worth it.   Trust me, I had "senioritis" but it pays off.  Do everything in your power to build a relationship with every person in your grade, because in a few months you may never see them again.  And at McGuinness you're surrounded by such awesome people, so take advantage of it!
And on a deeper note, this is something I wish someone would have told me my senior year: it'll be okay! I was stressed all the time making sure my resume was perfect and being the over-achiever I was.  Guess what? NONE OF IT MATTERS NOW! Yes, grades are important, but being the most popular, most athletic, most involved does not really matter in college, so please do not stress to much about it.   Enjoy the experience and some of your last memories with your friends.  I grew so close to my best friends senior year, and it truly is a special time.  Have a great rest of high school!

Sincerely,
Carla Clark

Bystander Behavior

Although I cannot think of a specific time when I have been a bystander, I can remember times when I played high school basketball when we needed leadership and no one would stand up.  There were times when people would be very negative when all our team needed was some morale.  I never interjected and showed encouragement on the team, rather I listened and nodded my head at people's constant complaints about the coaches, practices, teammates, etc.  Looking back, I know if someone would have stepped in and demanded that we all change our attitudes, then the season would have been much smoother, and we all would have been much happier.

I heard from multiple people in several instances that studies show that college students would risk their safety if it means being socially accepted.  Students will sometimes also risk the safety of others if it means being socially accepted as well.  This safety does not always mean physical, rather it could mean someone else's emotional or spiritual safety as well.  This is when we become bystanders.  College students are so worried about fitting in that they rather blend in with the crowd than stick out doing the right thing and potentially lose their social status.  I speak for myself sometimes too.  

Priorities

Before coming to OU, I knew my priorities would be my faith, my grades, and then campus involvement since all these things were most important to me in high school.  Since coming here, grades are still very important to me and my sorority is means much more to me than I ever thought it would.  And at my small high school, I already knew knew who I wanted to be friends with and who I liked to stay away from.  But being in college, there are so many new people to meet, so relationships/socialization has become a larger priority in my life than I thought it would have.  I have also joined two Bible studies, so faith is still important to me, not as much as I thought it would.  Campus involvement is also a priority, but much more difficult to attain than I thought it would, which is disappointing.  

My three goals for the semester are to make a 4.0, join an organization that I love to be apart of, and be satisfied with the new relationships I have made.  To attain my campus involvement goal, before I turn in the application, I am going to consult with someone who has been apart of the program, and I am going to seek advice from him or her as to how best receive the position.  

Influences

Growing up, there have been many influences in my life, but I am just going to touch on the ones that have had the biggest impact on my life.  It is safe to start with my family.  I am a 50/50 combination of my mom and my dad who have had very large influences on how I think, socialize, and view life.  I take after my mom in that I am very positive and love people, while my dad is very intellectual.  I approach life logically, and I hope to be a lawyer like him one day.  My four siblings have also greatly shaped me.  I am the epitome of a middle child who is easy going and close with all my siblings in different ways.  
My faith has also greatly influenced me through various organizations such as Kanakuk or the Catholic Church.  And other Christians have encouraged me along this journey, allowing me to develop the world view, relationship with Christ, and wisdom I have today.  Such people include Bekah Blume, Mariah Ballweber, Adele Edmonds, and Rachel Mustain.  
And of course I have my best friends in the entire world who have shaped who I am as a person.  My three best friends from grade school, Mallory Grossman, Skylar Singer, and Natalie Elliott, have been some of my longest friends who I know will never leave my side.  They have taught me to be confident in who I am, and I can easily say that without them I would be a completely different person.  In high school my friends Katie Doan, Sydney Foster, and Mary Kate Morrissey also helped me come out of my shell even more.  They love me for who I truly am, and that is why they have influenced me so much.
Since college, I have made many new friends, but it's hard to say who has had a considerable influence on me, considering I have only been here for a month.  Most of my friends have been made in my sorority, and I have found so much joy through that.  And this joy affects how I act and treat others, thus creating an influence.