South Texas College of Law Annotations (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 39, No. 5, Ed. 1, March, 2007 Page: 2 of 12
12 pages : page 13 x 8.5 in. Digitized from 35 mm. microfilm.View a full description of this newspaper.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
Page 2
March 2007
Letter from SBA President, Brian Rhodes
Welcome back from spring break! I hope
that most of you were able to get out of town
and enjoy your one (well deserved) week of
absolute freedom from the bondages of class
preparation. However, it is time for us to put
our noses back to the proverbial "grindstone"
with finals approaching in less than six weeks.
I would like to begin by congratulating the
new SBA board for the 2007-2008 school year.
It was no surprise to Kelly Gest and I that Marc
Eichenbaum would be the new SBA president.
You can thank us later for picking you to be a
1L representative and beginning your ascent to
the top. Good luck to you and your board next
year. I know that you and your board will do a
great job representing STCL and its student
body.
In late February, the SBA held its annual
spring forum, and I would like to thank all the
faculty, staff, and students who participated.
The topics ranged from keeping the men's
restrooms clean to trying to determine a quicker
way for students who rely on financial aid to
receive their funds sooner. As for preventing
the men's restrooms from constantly
overflowing, there is not much the Dean's of
this school can do because they are not the ones
putting wads of paper towels in the commodes
(which is why they overflow in the first place).
So, here is the solution: Don't put paper towels
in the commodes! As for the rest of the topics,
the spring forum was recorded and you can
view the recording in the instructional
technology services department in room 205.
You will be glad to know that the panel was
immediately responsive and took under
consideration many of the suggestions and
concerns of the students. However, I would
like for all of you to understand that it is not
the aim of the SBA to only pay attention to
student concerns when we have our spring
forum. We are available 24/7, and the reason
that most of us ran for a position is because we
want to be the ones who effectuate change for
the benefit of the student body. But we are not
clairvoyant, and can't read minds. Meaning that
if there is a student concern, please come and
tell us! The only concern that has been brought
to my attention this entire year was that there
were not enough healthy snacks in the vending
machines. The very next week I made sure that
the types of snacks the student wished for were
available. Even in the last couple of weeks at
school, if there is any type of student concern,
please come by the SBA office (Room 400), and
fill out a suggestion/comment form or talk to
a SBA officer.
Also in late February was the first UH-STCL
Bayou Barrister Flag Football Tournament. In
my last letter I predicted that it would be my
team to take the first place trophy home,
unfortunately I was wrong. Though the Master
Debaters took it to the championship game, we
were unable to come away with the win, but I
would like to congratulate the Mid-law Senators
(March Eichenbaum and Lori Blackwell) for a
great day of football. Both of them braved the
morning scattered showers, and for that sacrifice
they were rewarded with a great turn-out and a
sunny afternoon.
As the semester and the school year come
to a close, the SBA has saved the best events
for last. On Wednesday, April 4th, the SBA will
be hosting our faculty and staff/student
organi2ation chili cook-off. I encourage all the
student organization, faculty and/or department
heads to put a team together to compete in this
day of fun that will lead to a morning of hurt
(if you know what I mean!). This will be the
last event of the year so there is no excuse by
anybody not to come. The only thing better
than pizza and beer, is chili and beer, and if
you don't agree then you are just not from Texas.
Lastly, but certainly not least, is the Barrister
Ball which will be held on Saturday, March 24th,
at the Double Tree Hotel in downtown
Houston. This is the one event you hear about
all year long because it is by the far the biggest
and best. The night starts out simply enough
with men wearing ties, and women with their
hair-up, but by the end ties are off, hair is down,
and everyone is on the dance floor. Tickets
will be on sale until Thursday, March 22nd, but
do not wait until the last day to buy them and
they will not be available for purchase at the
door. If you are a 3L, this may be the last time
you have any type of fun until after the Bar, so
take advantage of it. Also, legal eagle awards
will be given out by the Senior Senators, so be
sure to nominate your classmates as you buy
your tickets.
Thank you for taking the time to read what
I have to say, but before I go a couple words of
caution. First, do not wait until mid-April to
begin studying for your finals. This semester is
deceptively short, and many students (including
myself) don't give themselves enough time to
study. Lastly, and again from personal
experience, the parking spots available on Clay,
a block down from the Toyota Center, turn into
handicap parking after 6 on nights where events
are held at the Center. So, do not park there
unless you want a $200 ticket.
Sincerely, Brian Rhodes
If Your Job Search Leaves You Little to be Thankful for,
Donna Gerson wrote an
articled entided, "If your job search
leaves you little to be thankful for,
count your blessings." In the article
she indicated that November is the
cruelest month of the year. The
days grow shorter, exams approach
like a tsunami wave of anxiety, and
the holiday season is upon you. It's
easy to feel overwhelmed,
frustrated, and a bit lost this time
of year. I think there is an argument
to be made that March is the
cruelest and most stressful.
Anxiety, tension, and
disappointment are all emotions
that can hamper your job search.
Too often I see law students who
are so focused on a particular
shortcoming-for example, failure
to make law review or achieve an
A in Torts-that they dwell on this
fact to the exclusion of other
career-building opportunities.
As a group, law students are
among the most ambitious, self-
critical people I have ever
encountered. The drive to achieve
accounts for their astonishing
successes in all sectors of the
Count Your Blessings
professional world, but these
successes sometimes come with a
high price. By focusing unduly on
shortcomings, students deprive
themselves of the opportunity to
explore different career paths and
academic offerings, to become
leaders within the law school
community, and to contribute to
the profession.
So, March might be an
appropriate time to give thanks for
all of your achievements and begin
to chart a course for the coming
year that will help you reach your
individual career goals.
Redefine success. Law school
emphasizes a very quantitative
definition of success: Professors
usually grade their students on a
strict curve; moot court
competitions rank participants in
order of skill; the on-campus
interview process targets specific
students who meet an employer's
profile. Law, in general, is premised
on winning or losing, so it's easy to
become caught up in an either/or
definition of success early in your
career.
Marti Moore, a career counselor
in private practice, notes that when
students are immersed in a specific
subculture, they judge themselves
by that subculture's narrowest
definition of success. Many law
students become slaves to grades
as the sole measure of their success
and, as a result, a barometer of self-
esteem. While your GPA is
important, grades alone don't
translate into long-term career
success.
Continued on pg. 6
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Newspaper.
Frazer, Jason L. South Texas College of Law Annotations (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 39, No. 5, Ed. 1, March, 2007, newspaper, March 2007; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth144581/m1/2/: accessed May 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting South Texas College of Law.