Full Staff Opinion

We went to Saturday’s L.I.F.T. performance (well, okay, some of us did), and it was absolutely electrifying. We decided to highlight in a full staff opinion because it was that cool. L.I.F.T. and the Philadelphia Alumni Writers House hosted Neil Hilborn, an absolute god of spoken word poetry. He was absolutely great. We mean, damn. Have you guys seen Neil Hilborn? You may recognize him from his gone-viral spoken word piece, “O.C.D.,” in which he talks about love, mental illness, and will probably break your heart.

But to be honest, the coolest part for our editors was definitely getting to see the students of L.I.F.T. perform. As great as it was to see a real pro at work, we were impressed by all the talent from our own student body. Performer after performer took the stage, took the mic, and just killed it. Really, it was wonderful to see.

So, the Reporter wants to register its awe and its support. We as a staff are clearly in the business of showcasing and promoting (or, at least, in trying to showcase and promote) student voice and discourse on this campus. To see it done on Saturday, and in such a big way, was special. Moreover, it was encouraging: there are other students here who care about big issues! Other students who want to find a way to be heard! You’re out there!

And, at the risk of besting our own heights of self-promotion, if you’d ever like to share your voices with a different forum, we hope you’ll think of us. This paper and this campus arguably need to hear from us all, yes, but L.I.F.T. makes us remember how badly some members of our campus deserve to be heard.