From gamer to debater: Orion Cleaver

From+gamer+to+debater%3A+Orion+Cleaver

As a freshman, Orion Cleaver played video games hour after hour on weekends. As a senior, he has dedicated entire weekends to Debate and studying, a self-described “try-hard in school.” He is headed to the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor in the fall.

To trace his metamorphosis, we must start at the beginning.

In his years at West Sylvan Middle School, Cleaver admits he was “awful at academics.”

“All I did with my life was play Call of Duty, no homework or anything,” he says. “I didn’t really care about school.”

He brought those poor habits with him to Lincoln. That all changed one fall day in 2012, when his friend Colin Phipps asked him to join Speech and Debate to be his partner.

“I said, ‘Sounds like fun.’ I didn’t think it was going to be a big deal,” Cleaver says.

Phipps’ brother had been outstanding in debate, and the younger Phipps wanted to try it out, but “as a new freshman, I didn’t want to try it out alone,” he says.

Though Phipps observed that for his friend, “social stuff and video games would take priority over school,” he still thought Cleaver could be a good fit for debate.

“He was naturally smart and had a strong ability to think on feet and sound commanding,” Phillips says.

Over the next four years, Cleaver was “absolutely transformed,” Phipps says, not only becoming a formidable debater, but also picking up his other classes.

But Cleaver believes the transformation occurred not because of the actual debating. “Debate forced me to be around people who are really smart and way more academic than I was. That forced me to try harder in school and in my studies,” he says.

Debate also gave him tools that helped him in school. “It helped me understand the world,” Cleaver says, “be a critical thinker and not take things at face value.”

Speech and Debate Coach Jenny Owen didn’t notice any particular abilities in Cleaver’s first two years.

“He was not having a lot of success in his events,” Owen says. She noticed a change after he won a national championship with the Constitution Team in 2014. She remembers what he told her after a particularly unsuccessful tournament: “‘I want to not suck.’”

She sat down with him and they crafted a plan to improve his skills. “He took time over winter break to get more skilled; it was a self-made thing,” she says. “His determination to transform himself was so impressive.”

Cleaver’s success in debate soared. He won his first tournament in Parliamentary debate just after that break, and reached the finals at several others before becoming an octofinalist at the state competition as a junior.

Though they were no longer debate partners, Phipps was especially impressed with Cleaver’s mid-year transformation into a “formidable debater.” “He would watch videos and take notes on online rounds. Because he worked harder than any debater I have ever seen, he skyrocketed past pretty much everyone,” he says. “As he paid more attention to debate, he paid more attention to academics.”

Cleaver also established himself as a team leader as a junior. He ensured that all members were registered to access online debate resources and also ran the team’s holiday gift exchange.

In debate, tournaments occur about every other weekend, but team members choose how many to compete at. Cleaver chose to attend many. He impressed coach Owen with his “consistent presence, commitment and good work ethic.” While he does have a “laid-back approach, he understands teamwork and is very kind,” she says. “He was always completely committed to the team and I’m going to miss the feeling of someone with that team ethic.”

The most-telling story, Owen says, was last year, when he gave up his spot in his chosen debate form at the national qualifying tournament to help another debater get much-needed experience in her event while her partner was busy.

That teammate earned second in state later that year.

Back in the classroom, teachers noticed Cleaver’s academic transformation. IB Anthropology teacher Julie O’Neill had a desk in Cleaver’s freshman Modern World History class. Her impression of him: quiet, but “when he did say things, they were erudite.”

The student she taught anthro to for two years was different, “genuinely and earnestly inquisitive,” O’Neill says, who “takes joy in his academics. It’s great as a teacher to see.”

Cleaver has continued his success in debate as a senior. He picked up Duo, a performance-oriented event, in addition to debate. He and partner Noah Hoffman, a fellow senior, finaled in every tournament they attended and earned two first places. In debate, he advanced to the quarterfinals at state.

The sheer number of tournaments Cleaver attended over his four years helped earn him a selection for North Oregon Worlds Debate Team, a nationwide competition in Salt Lake City later this month.

Cleaver was also a founding member of the Ethics Bowl team, which went to nationals this year, spoke at TedX Youth Portland, tutored students in science and math, and worked at his family’s food cart in Southeast.

O’Neill believes that extracurriculars are a perfect way to spur a transformation like Cleaver’s, especially at a school with all the resources of Lincoln. “Extracurriculars offer rich, in-depth experiences that I wish we had throughout the school day,” she says.

Debate offered an opportunity that tapped into Cleaver’s competitive spirit, bringing it out in the classroom as well. “A very big part of debate is that it’s not just about joining a club for social reasons, it’s about winning,” says Phipps. “Both of us fed off of awards and shiny things. If you want to stay on top, you have to work. He put the work in, and that work paid off.”

Cleaver advises freshmen to get involved. “I know that’s generic, but if you just put your foot in the door, then it’ll help you in the long run in ways you don’t expect.”

Still, he has not completely given up old habits. “I just picked up Runescape,” he laughs, referring to a popular online fantasy game.

“Over the years I’ve learned how to balance my hobbies with my academics and extracurriculars. I’ve always played video games, but now I play them smarter.”