Student Life

Thoughts from a Double Eagle: We Are BC

/ Ryan Murphy / Leave a comment
2Ls (from left) Maria Colella, Ashley Gambone, and Margaret Capp ran the Red Bandanna Run with me on October 24th.

2Ls (from left) Maria Colella, Ryan Murphy, Ashley Gambone, and Margaret Capp, pictured with BC mascot Baldwin, ran the Red Bandanna Run on October 24th.

As I introduced myself to classmates, professors and administrators during orientation and throughout the first few weeks of 1L year, many of them asked where I attended college, or why I chose BC Law. I told them that I went to Boston College, and had such a great experience that I thought it would have been crazy, if given the chance to come back to BC, to go to law school anywhere else. I couldn’t even picture it. Their response was, more times than not, “oh, so you’re a double eagle!”

I had heard the phrase “double eagle” tossed around in college from time to time. For those of you who haven’t, members of the BC community affectionately call people with two BC degrees (including diplomas from BC High) “double eagles.” Similarly, the more exclusive “triple eagle” title signifies three BC degrees.

Being from New York, and not knowing many BC alumni, the term “double eagle” never seemed like more than a catchphrase used in the community. But as I get closer to attaining my second degree, it has become much more than that for me.

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Yes, We Go to School Sponsored Social Events: Halloween Party

/ Maria Colella / Leave a comment

Last year Halloween party was at Game On. I remember it as yet another fun night, similar to Boat Cruise, spent dancing and bonding with 1L friends. Halloween Party generally marks the transition from I’m just trying to keep up with my reading to I should start making my outlines. This LSA social event is thus very important. It is what you will look back on fondly when you’re day dreaming in the library in December and wondering if you have had any fun this year. Because of Halloween Party, you can answer your question with a resounding yes!

Another reason Halloween is an important BC law event: it signifies an important friendship milestone. Friends who are comfortable enough to dress up in crazy costumes and dance together, stay together. (Even once your costume changes from scary witch to scary, sleep deprived law student!) This year’s Halloween Party at Wild Rover was another successful event for the LSA special events committee, complete with the Peanuts, Lobsters, The Weeknd, A male Sandy & female Danny, Peter Pan, Ruth Bader Ginspurrg, Burt Macklin and Janet Snakehole (Parks & Rec), Bob’s Burgers, Gotham villains, Donald Trump and many more!

Everyone did such an amazing job with their costumes and instagram photos, the Social Media Committee had a difficult task in choosing the winners!

1L Winner: The Royal Tenenbaums

https://www.instagram.com/p/9e_OWqhw57/
Read on to see who won 1st and 2nd place!

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On Campus: A Dialogue on Gun Rights & Gun Control (Audio)

/ Sajid Shahriar / Leave a comment

As a 3L at BC Law, I am always impressed with our student body’s desire to engage each other on tough and important issues of law and society. Whether we are discussing matters of constitutional law, diversity and inclusion, corporate governance, criminal justice, health care, civil rights, or any number of issues, our student groups love to spark extracurricular debate and discussion.

One such group is the American Constitution Society, an organization dedicated to developing progressive leaders in the legal field. Yesterday, the BC Law chapter of the ACS hosted an event entitled “ACS: A Dialogue About Gun Control & Gun Rights” featuring Michael Ball ’18 and myself. This was a highly-structured dialogue that was intended to be educational, productive, and intellectually honest. Gun rights and gun policy are a sensitive issue, and our goal as a progressive student group was to make sure that we enter that policy sphere with as much education on the subject as possible.

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It’s Raining Mens Rea! Week 4: Singing in the Rain & Walk-Up Music Breakdown

/ Rob Rossi / Leave a comment

What is the worst thing about law school softball? The fickle weather. Sometimes, while we’re playing outside, it rains. Maybe one day scientists will figure out how to control rainfall, and lawyers will have to argue that controlling rainfall is totally legal, but until then, rain will continue to figuratively dampen our spirits and literally dampen everything else on occasional Saturdays throughout the season.

Thankfully, a certain team has a name and a theme song tailor-made for persevering through such stormy conditions. Both came in handy this past Saturday, as It’s Raining Mens Rea easily dispensed with its opposition on a cold, wet morning, and in doing so earned itself a most satisfying victory dance to that most appropriate theme song at the end of the game.

The winning effort and its accompanying soundtrack highlighted the importance of developing and maintaining a positive attitude in the face of a tough situation. Is this a metaphor for law school or the practice of law? Maybe. But more importantly, it’s a great reason to analyze the X-factor of a great law school (softball) experience, the individual walk-up music each batter chooses to play as s/he approaches the plate for an at-bat. A breakdown of some choice cuts from the members of the Mens Rea roster follow the break, along of course with your weekly standings update.  Continue reading →

Transferring to BC Law: “Getting to Legal Eagle”

/ Marx P. Calderon / 1 Comment

Don’t be afraid, the grass really is greener. Being the new kid is never easy. It’s especially difficult when you walk into a new law school where everyone has already developed relationships that come along with surviving the grind of 1L.

As soon as I set foot in BC Law, I was embraced by a student body that genuinely wanted me to be here. Within my first week I was assigned a 3L “mentor” (Greg Steiner ’15) to show me the ropes and answer any question I had about the school. The best word of advice from Greg was to join a softball team. He placed me on a team with his friends called “Oliver Wendell Homies.” That was my opportunity to mingle with the 3L’s and get to know the social environment at BC better. IT WAS A BLAST. Like peanut butter and jelly, who doesn’t love softball and beer?

Softball

“Oliver Wendell Homies”

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Yes, We Go to School Sponsored Social Events: Boat Cruise

/ Maria Colella / Leave a comment

When I was researching where to go to law school, many online resources referred to Boston College Law School as the “Disney World of Law Schools.” What does that mean? I remember thinking. In general, BC Law was known (in the cyber world at least) for having students who are nice to each other. I figured, if it’s the Disney World of Law Schools, maybe it will be kind of… fun?

To my elation, the analogy is apt. BC Law is fun. One of my favorite parts of BC from the beginning has been that the School, usually through the Law Students Association, throws social events. And, more importantly, people actually go to them.

1L: Boat Cruise 2014

I was having a conversation with a fellow 2L last week. “I was talking to some of the 1Ls and they asked, what’s the big deal with this Boat Cruise? Do people actually go to that? And I said: Yes! Everyone goes.” The line for tickets on the last day was at least 50 people long.

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It’s Raining Mens Rea! Week 3: Back on Track & Bonus 1L Team Name Rankings

/ Rob Rossi / 1 Comment

Don’t call it a comeback! This past Saturday, the bent-but-not-broken It’s Raining Mens Rea reversed its losing ways with an emphatic 10-3 victory over 2L stalwarts Lawyers, Guns, Money.

We don’t want to get too ahead of ourselves. But the win definitely called to mind a football game from October 5, 2014 that proved reports of the demise of a certain athletic powerhouse to be quite premature.  Details and a bonus breakdown of the newly unveiled 1L team names follow the break. Continue reading →

On Campus: Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan at BC Law

/ Elizabeth Blass / Leave a comment

If you’re familiar with the West Wing — which, if you’re not, what are you doing with your life — you’ll know what I mean when I say that “the Supremes” are a big deal in the world of law school. As any law student will tell you, you spend a great deal of time during your three years reading, talking and learning about what the Justices of the Supreme Court have decided and why.

Last week, the students at BC Law got to skip the casebook and learn straight from one of the sources herself: Justice Elena Kagan, the newest judge appointed to the bench. Justice Kagan answered questions from law school Dean Vincent Rougeau, as well as from students in the audience, and spoke about a wide variety of topics, including the importance of legal writing and being a woman on the bench.

As a Supreme Court fangirl, I gotta tell you — it was pretty freaking cool. Check out BC Law magazine’s article on the Q&A here, and a few photos of the event below!

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It’s Raining Mens Rea! Week 1: The BC Law Softball League Returns

/ Rob Rossi / 2 Comments

Being a lawyer is my second dream job. My first was succeeding Ted Williams, Carl Yastrzemski, Jim Rice, and Manny Ramirez in the long line of legendary Red Sox left fielders.

I’ve accepted the fact that I’ll never stand in the shadow of the Green Monster while raking in millions of dollars. But the BC Law Softball League helps me work towards my current dream job while coming as close as I possibly can to experiencing the original.

In this post, I’ll provide some background info about the way the league is organized and run. Then I’ll explain my team’s quest for redemption after a heartbreaking finish last year. Finally, I’ll include the results of this weekend’s games along with the standings, which I will try my best to update weekly until a new softball champion is crowned. Continue reading →