All posts filed under: Student Commentary

Singing for the Pope

Preaching to the Choir: Reflections on Singing for the Pope

Published by

The recent Papal visit presented Philadelphians with unprecedented opportunities. Some of us attended as legal observers, volunteered as greeters, or participated in the Festival Families and the Papal Mass on Sunday. I was honored when, after a rigorous audition process, I was selected to sing in the choir for Sunday Mass on the Parkway. I did not say yes right away; after all, I am in Law School, and I had to study. However, I ultimately realized that this was a once in a lifetime opportunity and I had to make it happen. The 500 member choir consisted of people of every background: professional musicians, amateurs, senior citizens, religious, lay people, conservatives, liberals, and everything in between. We were all there for a common purpose. “I had sung this piece so many times before but I had never actually felt the words like I did on the Parkway surrounded by a million people.” Rehearsals, which took place every Monday from July through September, were grueling.  Once the semester started, I would go to class all day, grab …

Football

Win the Day: How I Found Law School Success Through Chip Kelly

Published by

I begin this blog post with the following caveat; I am a die-hard Philadelphia Eagles fan. The recent success of Temple Football coupled with Chip Kelly’s first offseason as General Manager has football on the minds of a lot of Philadelphians and Temple Law students. Chip Kelly has brought energy to the Philadelphia Eagles that has revitalized the franchise, fan base, and city. On a more personal level, Coach Kelly helped me turn around my 1L year after a tough first semester. Law students are always looking ahead. We know that finals are always lurking around the corner, even in the middle of September. Without fail, a student in the first day of class will raise his or her hand and ask, “Can you tell us anything about the final?” We spend our free time planning out the semester and anticipating final grades. We wonder how those grades will stack up next to our classmates, and where our success will lead us. We worry about when to send applications out to interview for jobs we …

Temple Law Student at Orientation

Surviving Orientation as a 1L

Published by

As I looked around, I saw that some of my peers were from vastly different backgrounds. Despite our different backgrounds and resumes, one thing seemed to connect nearly all of us; uneasiness. Although every student in the building possessed a stellar academic background, none of us were exactly sure what to make of one another, our new faculty, or the workload that was soon to be in front of us.