Life at UST Law

Adrienne G., rising 3L

Just in case you thought law students were boring… well, we’re not! In the past, the St. Thomas student body has showcased its talents to the public at large at the end of the spring semester. “Talent,” of course, is a relative term, especially for people who spend 90% of their time in self-imposed imprisonment in a law library. Luckily for us, Tommies are amazing even by normal standards… or at least entertaining. This year, to accommodate the wide variety of our (occasionally unorthodox) talents, we hosted the First Annual Free Speech Variety Show at Whiskey Junction. The opening act was, appropriately, our own dear “Star-Spangled Banner,” belched completely as it’s never been belched before! Yep. The whole thing. Along with the occasional stand-up comic and some swing dancing, most of the acts were musical in nature, featuring bagpipes, acoustic guitar, piano, vocals, “Afternoon Delight,” a viola solo performed on one leg, and St. Thomas’s own alternative rock band, Revenge of the Schnurrds.

This year’s program also featured a contest with winners in each of the talent categories, voted in by their adoring fans. Mikel McLaughlin took the Physical/Embarrassing/Individual group with his sassy stand-up/roast routine, and Tisidra Jones and Elysa Banwell carried the Musical category with their gorgeous piano/vocal duet, including a breathtaking Adele cover.

The stars of the show, however were, literally, sizzlin’. The dance group Sizzle was Mary Beth Boyce, Aubrie Ekman, Loryn Meloy, Kerri Kovalesky, Natolie Hotchhausen, Brittany Peters and Stephanie Wiersma. Performing an incredible neon-90s choreographed routine to the likes of Brittany Spears, the Spice Girls and N’Sync, the girls danced home with the $150 gift card Grand Prize, along with well-earned bragging rights until next year.

A few special shout-outs: to Matthew Limoges, the evening’s emcee; our dedicated planners, producers and the ladies that made all the magic happen, Carolyn Latimer and Ashley Bennet; and finally to Aidan Dunne and his lovely swing dance partner, the only act from the whole show of whom I was unable to snap a satisfactory photo, because the room was super dark and they were moving pretty fast. You guys are great!