For some people, history is a dusty book, a dull classroom lecture, or a boring documentary on cable TV. But for Ashton Banta, a 2011 graduate of Red Bank High School, it’s a stimulant for the mind. The past intrigues her, piques her interest, and gives birth to ideas that sometimes take the form of words on a page.
Banta has a way with these words, too. An editorial she wrote for the “Red Bank Blue and White,” the school’s newspaper, won a state journalism award. Sewanee: The University of the South gave her its Book Award for Excellence in Writing for an English paper she wrote. And the Chattanooga Bar Association recently recognized Banta’s talents by choosing her essay, “The Legacy of John Adams: From Boston to Guantanamo,” as the winning entry in its 2011 Law Day contest. Banta opens the latter with a quote from Adam’s journal, in which the man who would go on to become the second U.S. president expresses pride in having successfully defended the British soldiers who’d killed civilians in the Boston Massacre. She then establishes her position, writing that although Adams’ decision to represent the men was unpopular with his fellow patriots, he set “a precedent for what would become the courts of the United States.”
Banta then links the verdict in the trial to 2004, when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against the administration of President Bush and said prisoners held in Guantanamo Bay, a U.S. prison in Cuba for suspected terrorists, had the right to defense and a trial.
“Representing the British soldiers in the 1770 Boston Massacre trial was one of Adams’ most underappreciated accomplishments; he took a firm stand for the law and the rights held by all people. The men and woman working to help the prisoners in Guantanamo doubtlessly recognize that they are following in the footsteps of one of the world’s most respected lawyers. While it might be difficult for the general public to recognize how important a fair legal system is when facing potentially dangerous defendants, John Adams’ legacy will hopefully continue to overpower prejudice and encourage council for all,” Banta writes in her conclusion.
Banta’s essay also won the Tennessee State Bar contest. Given Banta’s interest in history, and her ability to put together a well-reasoned argument, it comes as no surprise when she says she intends to become an attorney. Or at least that’s the current plan.
“I change my mind about what I want to do every couple of months. But I believe I’d like being a lawyer,” she says. Banta has set her sights on becoming a district attorney. Although it might seem premature for a rising college freshman to have a specific job in mind, Banta’s mother, Stacey Bryant, says her daughter has been thinking about her looming career since elementary school.
“She’s been ready for college since second grade. She’s researched where she wants to go and what she wants to study,” Bryant says. Starting this fall, Banta will be attending the University of Alabama’s Honors College. With her high GPA and 32 on the ACT, Banta was able to secure the school’s Presidential Scholarship, which will cover her out-of-state tuition for four years. Banta says she’s looking forward to beginning her studies.
“The University of Alabama is one of the top 30 public schools in the U.S., and it has an awesome honors program, so I can’t wait [to get started].”
To prepare for law school, Banta plans to major in – no shocker here – history.
“I researched the best pre-law majors, and everyone says to not study pre-law, because if you end up wanting to do something else, you can’t. Instead, everyone recommends you improve your writing and research skills, and history is one of the best majors for those things,” Banta says.
Plus, Banta loves studying the past. An avid reader, she devours history books, and enjoys historical fiction. She cites “The Pillars of the Earth” by Ken Follett as a recent favorite. “It’s an amazing book. It’s this thick,” she says, holding her fingers a few inches apart. “I like how it took place over a long period of time, and how the really terrible guy got what he deserved.” Banta more than loves history; she also respects it. She centered the editorial for which she won the state newspaper award on her thoughts about a history book that contained an incorrect fact. Or, in Banta’s words, “a really, really incorrect fact.”
“[The author] said tons of African American soldiers had fought for the Confederacy during the Civil War, but she was wrong. Most of those soldiers joined the war at the end, and had only basic duties. Very few of them fought in battles.
“No one recognized [the author] was wrong. That upset me because I like history. I believe a person who writes a history textbook should know a lot about it,” Banta says.
While Banta takes history and her studies seriously, there’s more than enough room in her life for fun. She says she enjoys going to movies with her friends, shopping, and hanging out at the pool. She also likes to compose humorous pieces, as she did when she wrote a sarcastic treatise about a school that wanted to limit the amount of ketchup its students were allowed to use.
Banta stayed busy throughout her high school years. She attended three different schools as her family moved from state to state before settling down in Chattanooga. Plus, in addition to serving as the “Blue and White’s” business manager, Banta was vice president of the national honors society, served on the student council, and was secretary of the JROTC sponsors. Although Banta has an impressive list of accomplishments to her credit, she knows high school is behind her, and has set her sights on what’s next. Odds are, history will repeat itself, and Banta will make her parents, and Chattanooga, proud.