Gryphon Spotlight Homepage

BRONXVILLE, N.Y.—In the sport of volleyball, one position stands out as the team's on-court decision maker: the setter. Amidst the chaos of a half-dozen teammates scrambling about a space the size of an average college dorm room, the setter must judge the opponent's defense and coordinate her team's control of a ball that reaches speeds over 50 mph.

For Sarah Lawrence College, that critical player is senior Brooklynn Moore (Oakland, Calif., Santa Catalina). While other players rack up accolades for scoring offensive points—dramatically known as "kills"—Moore performs the humble role of putting her teammates in those scoring situations. Her passes serve as the core of the squad's success, and to be sure, over 80 percent of the team's offensive points have been scored by Moore's direction.

Off the court, Moore's coursework places just as much of an emphasis on effective decision making as she studies economics and law. Her areas of interest range from politics and foreign relations to domestic business and international trade law.

Like most Sarah Lawrence students, Moore found that her academic interests evolved during her time at the College. Though she was initially drawn to studying areas like sub-Saharan Africa, a year studying in England changed her perspective.

"While in Oxford, I was an American abroad," Moore recalls. "I was the first and only line of defense against political and economic criticism towards the U.S. I became increasingly more in tune with American politics and economics than before, and I realized that going forward, my interests lie in domestic policy."

Back in the States, Moore says that law became her focus because it influences society in numerous ways. In particular, law enforces responsibility for one's decisions.

"The one thing I've come to believe in, and firmly vow to fight for, is accountability," she explains. Too much happens in this world because people are not held accountable for their actions."

On the court, Moore keeps herself and her team accountable by controlling and modifying the team's attack patterns to compensate for changing opponents and circumstances.

The parallels between Moore's coursework and athletic performance are subtle but strong. In particular, her enthusiasm for accountability has forced her to manage her time effectively, even on a campus where working late into the evenings is common.

"I know that most evenings I will spend three or four hours at the gym, and I have to work around that. Playing volleyball forces me to be productive during the daylight hours and to make sure that I get enough sleep."

Moore also understands that her time as a member of the Gryphons' volleyball team has impacted the way she views the world.

"As the setter, I'm the team's decision maker in the same way that people make policy calls." Moore also notes, "playing on the team has made me more disciplined, and both volleyball and public policy are about maintaining a sense of order."

Entering her final weekend as an intercollegiate volleyball player, Moore is looking forward to pursuing a career in law or criminal investigation and aspires to work for the FBI or Department of Justice. She has become most passionate about the offenses and lack of accountability for some business executives and professionals.

"A quote I have come to live by is 'lex non distinguitur nos non distinguere debemus' or 'the law does not distinguish and so we ought not distinguish.' Economic crimes—white collar crimes—have a surprising impact not only internationally but here at home as well."

Moore will wrap up her collegiate playing career this weekend as the Gryphons are set for the Hudson Valley Women's Athletic Conference (HVWAC) Volleyball Championship. No. 2 seed Sarah Lawrence faces No. 7 Medgar Evers College at home on Saturday at 6 p.m. The winner advances the HVWAC semifinals and final on Sunday at Culinary Insitute of America.