No Moore Law School: A Swan Song
The ancient Greeks used the term “swan song” to refer to a final effort or performance. In Greek mythology, swans were considered sacred and dedicated to the god Apollo. Swans, believed to be silent due to a lack of musical abilities, would supposedly sing a beautiful song upon death in anticipation of being reunited with Apollo. Whether death, retirement, or the closing of a performance, the so-called swan song represents the end.
This article represents my swan song to the University of Virginia School of Law. For three years, I have had the immense pleasure to write for our distinguished readership on a variety of topics. I wrote about UVA Law graduate John Kirby, namesake of the Nintendo video game character Kirby. I trashed the Oscar-winning film The Substance. I wrote countless ANGs and secretly quoted numerous professors. I even accidentally called up Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Four different Law Weekly Editors-in-Chief let me write about whatever I wanted and turn in my articles minutes hours days late. But in less than a month, it will be time for me to graduate and begin the next chapter of my life.
My fellow 3Ls and I have mixed feelings on leaving. For three years, we have built our lives here. I can finally navigate around Charlottesville without Google Maps, I don’t call Grounds “campus” anymore, and hey, I even know what a wahoo is. At the same time, I cannot wait to return to the working world and begin the next chapter of my life. We all came to law school to build another stepping stone for our careers. The point of law school is to graduate and then practice law. If I wanted to remain a student forever, I would have stayed in graduate school.
But while I am ready to move on and begin the next stage of my life, there are still things at UVA Law that I will miss.
I’ll miss Professor Frampton playing his guitar on the last day of class. I’ll miss Professor Cohen referencing the musical Hamilton in Professional Responsibility. I’ll miss the two weeks Professor Ross spent in our 1L Con Law class trying to figure out who was sending his quotes to Law Weekly.[1] I’ll miss Professor Geis cold-calling me in his distinctive voice. Mr. Moore. Mr. Moore, let’s discuss the Statute of Frauds. As I chuckled to myself thinking, God I feel sorry for whoever Mr. Moore is, but better him than me because I’m way too hung over today before slowly realizing Oh damn, I’M Mr. Moore. I’ll miss Professor Mahoney cold-calling me the day I returned to school after my grandmother passed away. She lobbed softball after softball at me, just quick and easy questions to get my feet back under me. An act of kindness in an otherwise stressful law school year.
I’ll miss chatting with Ms. Napier as I raid the Snacktivities office. I’ll miss bidding at the PILA live auction. I’ll miss swinging by the free food table after lunchtime. I’ll miss taking home an entire Domino’s medium pepperoni pizza every Monday after our Law Weekly meetings. I’ll miss Mandy in ScoCo, who truly brightens my day. I’ll miss my 1L section K-JDs teaching a thirty-year-old-me what a BeReal is. I’ll miss the gentle ease with which I walk the halls of UVA Law. And yes, dear reader, I’ll even miss you too.
Goodbye everyone, I’ll remember you all fondly.
[1] It was me.
