What is your name, graduation year & major? Where are you from?
My name is Lindsey Espinosa. I graduated as a Global Studies major in May 2017. I also minored in business, Communication Studies, English, Human Rights & Humanitarian Affairs, and Women's and Gender Studies. I'm originally from Santa Clarita, CA, just outside of Los Angeles.
What made you choose Nebraska?
I had wanted to go to school out of state. Nebraska had great scholarship opportunities, academic programs that interested me, and a campus environment that appealed to me.
How did you find out about the Ethics Center?
I stumbled upon the Ethics Bowl booth at the Big Red Welcome my freshman year, though I wasn't involved with the center for another year or so.
How has the Ethics Center impacted your college career?
The Ethics Center did a lot for me through Ethics Bowl! It's the student organization I spent the most time with through my undergraduate career.
What is the Ethics Bowl?
Ethics Bowl is an academic competition focused on applied ethical philosophy. The parent organization releases cases that deal with real-life issues (legal policies, medical cases, etc.) and teams must form an ethical stance on that case that they can defend against another team stance's in front of a panel of judges. It's similar to a debate, though both teams can agree -- one just needs to have better reasoning!
How long were you a part of the Ethics Bowl, and why did you join?
I started competing the second semester of my sophomore year and stayed until I graduated, so about 2 1/2 years. I joined because I was pre-law at the time and I thought that this would be a great way to practice writing logical arguments and persuasive speaking.
How did the Ethics Bowl help with your degree?
It certainly added dimension to how I approached moral issues that came up in other classes. While most everyone has moral "hunches" about certain topics, Ethics Bowl gave me the tools I needed to explain these hunches (or change my mind about them) and apply them to other areas of academia. Also, due to the unpredictable nature of Ethics Bowl questions in competition and short time limits for speaking, I felt better equipped to make concise arguments and honed my extemporaneous speaking skills. These things are I value greatly in my personal life as well, and I will take with me when I attend law school in the fall.
What is your favorite memory from being a member of the Ethics Bowl?
Competitions were always so fun! Whether we did well or not, it was a great bonding experience to travel to another city and be challenged together. The best was probably when we went to the 2015 National Competition in Costa Mesa, CA and my college friends got to meet my high school friends for the first time.
What did you do during your time at Nebraska that you feel will impact your future career?
In all honesty, other than Ethics Bowl, the thing that changed my trajectory the most was taking Intro to Health Professions with the Explore Center my freshman year. I started school pre-med, but after they made me shadow doctors, I realized that just wasn't the right path for me. It also inspired me to shadow attorneys before I made the leap to applying to law school.
How have you applied what you’ve learned in classes to things you do outside of class?
I think the most obvious application is in how I approach, consume, and criticize media.
What is the most important experience you’ve had at Nebraska you think will lead to a more successful life?
It really comes down to the academics. I chose to study a broad range of academic fields and topics that interested me. While many classes I took didn't have what most would consider an immediate practical application in my life, I found that my mentality and worldview shifted with new knowledge and -- most importantly -- I never burnt out on learning.