The Jeffersonian

Halloween is best known as the time to grab some friends and family and head door-to-door for some yummy snacks that could cause more dentist visits than what is necessary. But, when you’re in law school, Halloween is all about getting together with friends to have fun and blow off some steam. The Student Bar Association hosted their annual Halloween Party on October 23, 2016 at SideBar in the beautiful Gaslamp District of San Diego. Anyone and everyone came from far and wide to join some of the law students from Thomas Jefferson in the annual festivities. Superman, Superwoman, Beyonce, Cecil the Lion, Minnie Mouse, Darth Vader, and even Loki made special appearances at the most coveted event happening this October. “I give it two thumbs up,” said Norell Manning, 3L. Flash after flash of light could be seen throughout all of SideBar as photos were being taken between friends, selfies, and even with favorite characters. “The costumes were fantastic this year, especially Beyonce!” Irasema Rocha, 3L. All-in-all, everyone in attendance surely had a great time and those who weren’t able to make it reveled in the glory of the memories stored in each party-goers phone. To say it was a success is an understatement.

It is with the greatest honor and deepest sadness that I have the grave responsibility to write what words cannot sufficiently describe, that is the legacy of the brilliant Sam Kossack.  The Thomas Jefferson School of Law community recently lost one of its own, 2015 honor graduate Sam Kossack, who lost an unforgiving battle to depression.  Sam was more than just the amalgamation of numerous awards, coveted externships and academic excellence, but a humble, enlightening, deep and witty thinker that always added value to any conversation.  In short, Sam truly was a remarkable and sincere person.

Sam was destined for greatness as he engaged in meaningful thought both in and outside of the classroom vehemently advocating for social justice, often for the underrepresented.  His yearning to give back was felt through many organizations at TJSL including CLIMB, La Raza, the Veterans Clinic, along with many others.  Sam was passionate about his beliefs and on a daily basis he strived and succeeded in making a positive mark on the world. 

His family that loved him dearly knew of Sam’s struggles and were extremely proud of the man Sam had become.  The unimaginable sadness that a mother must feel cannot be described in any other words but her own: 

“Our beautiful, brilliant, compassionate, funny beyond words, quirky, loving, unique, handsome, son Sam died last night. He had just graduated from law school and had met the love of his Life Evelyn Medina at law school last year. Sam had fought severe depression for years. He felt so tortured and his Dad and I had fought with everything we had to save him from his suffering. This morning at 7am authorities came by the house we all shared for all of Sam's life, and informed us of his death. The world lost a treasure beyond words. We lost a person who was a love of our lives, Sophie lost a brother she treasured and looked up to always, Randy lost a young man he loved like his own, Jim Fisher lost a best friend, many of my closest friends lost a being they cherished like their own and Evelyn lost someone she planned to live her entire life with. Devastated doesn't come close. We were and are so proud of our Son and are not holding back in allowing the truth about his suicide last night to be shared. Holding space for all the love we can receive.”

- Alice Kossack

Whether you came into brief contact with Sam or befriended him throughout his last years, you knew you were in the presence of someone special.  The outpouring of support and compassion from the TJSL student body, faculty and staff joined together on top of the Entrada rooftop where Sam’s parents were consoled with stories of how Sam had touched so many lives. 

The evening dusk sky was just starting to slowly fade as candles of remembrance illuminated the night.  While holding back tears and with a trembling voice of a parent’s grief, Sam’s mother and father graciously shared some intimate words about Sam and the song they chose for Sam’s Shiva that represents the misunderstanding of suicide - Don Mclean’s “Vincent.”  The lyrics of the song speak to the misunderstanding of depression and the tragic end that often ensues. 

“Now I understand What you tried to say to me And how you suffered for your sanity And how you tried to set them free

They would not listen, they did not know how Perhaps they'll listen now

For they could not love you But still your love was true And when no hope was left in sight On that starry, starry night

You took your life, as lovers often do But I could've told you Vincent This world was never meant for One as beautiful as you”

Understandingly, it is difficult to put down into words what Sam meant to his friends.  For some it was still too early to make those remarks as we all grieve in our own ways.  Representing merely a fraction of all the support from his friends, here are just a few of their words of remembrance:

“Sam was passionate about teaching and changing the world.  He was an advocate for others and a student-leader.  He was a role model at Thomas Jefferson not only because of how bright he was but also because of how genuine he was.  The student body admired and respected him – we all wanted to be him – a man who dominated the classroom with such ease and so effortlessly.  His humility is a true testament of his greatness because he never wallowed in his achievements; rather, he served teaching assistant to us all when we needed him most.  He will forever be missed!”

-Evelyn Medina

“You were the soul-baring type. Your wonder and darkness understood mine. I'd like to reminisce forever about the humor, the adventure, and everything else along the way, but I won't. There are enough tears. Goodbye, Sam, until we both reach the morning light. I miss you, Dudeseph.”

-Stephanie Ng

“Sam was just a genuinely caring person. For every La Raza Study Hall we would offer to help incoming 1L students, he was the first to volunteer. Deep inside he had that soul of a teacher, one that just naturally wanted to help. He was a brilliant person. He was an amazing human being. He was not just a friend, but a brother to me.”

-Ricardo Elorza

"Sam was a wonderful friend.  We had a lot of fun in law school.  He was always laughing and could always ease my worries.  He was a compassionate person who cared about people and the world.  He is dearly missed."

-Priscilla Askar

“Sam always lit up a room whenever he walked in and always had such a calming demeanor whenever I engaged in any type of conversation with him. Sam had such a profound and confident light inside of him that shined whenever he spoke. He was always so positive and saw the good in anything we ever discussed. Sam’s passion to help people, particularly deprived people, was inspiring. His passion to want to change the world was the type of characteristic every person should have. Sam’s light will always be present and the memory of him will never be forgotten. Anyone that knew Sam was a fan of Sam. Sam was a great person who left his mark on this planet and is now in a better place and he will never be forgotten. Much love”

-Valen Hermiz

“Sam Kossack has left an indelible imprint on the lives of many. His energy, passion, and commitment to helping others through his position as a learning assistant or through his student organizations was constantly apparent.  I hope Sam's brief presence with us reminds us of the importance of loving and helping others.” 

-Marisol Gonzalez

“He had big plans and was the caliber of person that could make them come true. I envied and admired how smart he was and yet he always stayed so humble. I know his family friends and loved ones are all suffering a painful loss at this time and I give them my heartfelt condolences as I know they are grieving. He had so many friends that are in shock and sadness. Our prayers are with you and your family my friend.”

-Tom Jarboe

“Sam impacted the live of many people. Despite his own struggles he was always willing to help in any way he could. They say that nothing shines brighter than that of a good heart. That is exactly who Sam was - a good-hearted person. Sam will always be remembered through all of those who’s lives he touched. He will be remembered through his organization La Raza Law Students Association because he changed the live of its members just as much as the members changed his life. Rest in peace brother.”

-Leo Fuentes

Mr. and Mrs. Kossack were adamant about being candid with Sam’s suicide and depression. “When will we as a world understand that battling a mental illness is deserving of our deepest care and compassion as any debilitating or life threatening disease?  The time is now.”

Thereafter on the following weekend friends gathered for the San Diego “Out of the Darkness” walk presented by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), which funds research, offers educational programs, and advocates for public policy and support for those affected by suicide.  

Bringing awareness to depression in the law school and legal community is not a new phenomenon however, and unfortunately, it often takes a personable experience to appreciate the gravity of depression and the struggles endured by those going through it. 

TJSL’s Professor Christensen devotes the entire last chapter of her book, “One L of a year - Maximizing Your Success in Law School” to Law School Stress and Depression.  I would highly encourage everyone to take a moment and reread the informative and acutely accurate chapter as it underscores the significance of depressions, its glooming statistics, the signs to look for, and ways to try and treat or manage the illness.

We celebrate Sam’s life by taking the promise and potential Sam encompassed and incorporating his values into our lives to fulfill the goals of social and legal justice by living a humble and meaningful life as Sam did.  The surreal loss is without measure a life-changing event that will forever cause us to be compassionate towards others and reevaluate our outlook on life.

Although you never would have known of Sam’s struggle by talking with him, we all know now how important depression awareness is.  Despite his struggle Sam was always able to uplift, inspire and instill greatness.

One of Sam’s many encouraging Facebook quotes were as follows: “IT'S BAR TIME! Best of luck to my predecessors. You got this. Fury of mind, titanium spirit, fast fingers. You are unbreakable. And more than they will ever recognize. Roar.”

-Sam Kossack

In conjunction with trying to bring awareness to Sam’s struggle and also to honor Sam’s name and legacy, a GoFundMe page has been setup for donations that will go towards a TJLS scholarship honoring Sam.  You can visit the page and pledge support and leave comments at: https://www.gofundme.com/q56426k8

Thank you for taking a moment to remember and celebrate the life of Samuel E. Kossak, J.D., TJSL Class of 2015, Teacher, Brother, Son, Friend. May you be at peace.

Thomas Jefferson has recently undertaken a campaign to reinvigorate the School’s image. In doing so, the School’s administration has hired a public relations firm to assist in fundamental decisions based on their experience. As a student and future alum, I recognize and appreciate the efforts the School is making. From Student Appreciation Days to the press released through The Advisor, I feel the School is fairly and reasonably representing the School as a quality institution of higher education and a pillar in the legal community.

To assure the School’s image is properly represented, the School’s administration has required all student organizations to gain prior approval before using the School’s name in any fashion. Student organizations may not use “Thomas Jefferson School of Law,” “Thomas Jefferson” (in reference to the School), “TJSL,” or anything of the like without using the School’s new, attractive logo.

The consequence of this is that all “approved” student organization logos appear virtually identical. All logos have the new Thomas Jefferson logo with the student organization’s name below; all having the same color and font. The unintended consequence of the School’s requirement is that student organizations are forced to choose between their individual identity or associating themselves with the School.

Last year, Intellectual Property Law Association (“IPLA”) decided informally to adopt a new logo and used it in conjunction with the organization’s existing logo that contained the now-prohibited outline of the building. As a school that is well on its way to establishing itself as being at the forefront of intellectual property, IPLA wanted to include “Thomas Jefferson School of Law” it its official logo. However, to do so, IPLA would have to use the School’s official logo and color scheme.

“When you see navy blue and gold or simply ‘Cal,’ you automatically think ‘U.C. Berkley,’” said Brian Del Vecchio, Chair of Thomas Jefferson’s Moot Court team. “This is not because Cal’s logo is only seen in conjunction with color or in a particular design. But rather that so many outlets have included either the name or color or both on promotional media. It’s a shame that we cannot even include ‘Thomas Jefferson’ or ‘TJSL’ on our shirts because we would really like to promote the School whenever possible.” When asked why he simply didn’t include the School’s official logo, he responded:

“Honestly, the colors and styles clash. The [Moot Court] team has worked hard at establishing the [burgundy] color and slogan [‘Keep Calm and Argue On’] as an integral part of the team. Moot Court has even gone so far as seeking Copyright and Trademark protection over these aspects. The members have expressed that the [School’s] new logo doesn’t fit with the overall look and feel of our shirts. So, we simply omitted it. We would have used the new logo if we could change the colors or perhaps the font to match our shirts but the School wouldn’t allow it.”

As the president of IPLA and to be fair and neutral, I propose a few logos to the members of the organization and asked them to vote on which logo the organization would like to use. The members overwhelming chose an original IPLA logo that necessarily excluded any reference to the School. IPLA recently cohosted a highly successful panel attended by over 110 members of San Diego’s legal community, over half of which were not students or faculty. Thousands of invites were distributed to the legal community and, unfortunately, Thomas Jefferson’s name was noticeably absent.

“The logo enforcement hasn't affected JSU directly,” said Rachel Travis, President of Thomas Jefferson’s Jewish Student Union. “However, I can see how it would. Student organizations don't have a large budget to begin with, so to have to use any of their budget towards creating new banners, T shirts, etc, that had the old logo, could prevent orgs from having the funds to put on events or use their funds in a different manner.”

To be clear, I’m not advocating that the School not take reasonable precautions to ensure the School is properly represented. I simply would like inherent flexibility in a student organization’s discretion to choose how to include the School in their promotional items. After all, simply including “Thomas Jefferson School of Law” in an established student organization logo wouldn’t confuse a person viewing the logo in any way.

A close game between BTPU and SLS. the last 10 mins really set the tone as BTPU took a large lead and even with a last min SLS touchdown, BTPU maintained the lead with a 40-25 win.

TNT made a good attempt as a 1L team against 3-Peat whose been playing together for 3 years, but 3-Peat dominated with a 31-18 victory over TNT.

In an epic battle of Cal Western vs. Thomas Jefferson, Back That Pass Up took on the back-to-back defending champions 3-Peat. Off to an early lead, BTPU scored multiple touchdowns  and got a safety early on. 3-Peat took BTPU by surprise and came back by scoring touchdowns and converting their extra points.

After halftime, the teams stayed neck and neck battling until the end of regulation where it was tied 26-26. In extra time, 3-Peat's Brad Walker scored the winning touchdown in an out route. Final score 32-26, and 3-Peat lives up to its name with three straight IM football championships!

Congratulations!

Hacktivist collective group “Anonymous” has vowed to release contact information for approximately 1,000 people alleged to be members of the Ku Klux Klan (“KKK”) in an effort to shut the group down. This is the same group responsible for the Ashley Madison cyber breach just a few months back.

The group issued a statement promising the identities would be released through a twitter account:

"After closely observing so many of you for so very long, we feel confident that applying transparency to your organizational cells is the right, just, appropriate and only course of action. You are abhorrent. Criminal. You are more than extremists. You are more than a hate group. You operate much more like terrorists and you should be recognized as such. You are terrorists that hide your identities beneath sheets and infiltrate society on every level. The privacy of the Ku Klux Klan no longer exists in cyberspace." -- Operation KKK

On Monday, November 2, 2015 the group followed through and published its first batch of information including an unverified list of 57 phone numbers and 23 emails addresses belonging to unconfirmed KKK members. Members mentioned on the list were several U.S. senators and mayors. One of these “outings” was the mayor of Lexington, Kentucky Jim Gray and Senator Dan Coats, R-Ind., who both claim to not be affiliated with the organization. The full list of members is to be released on November 5, 2015 to coincide with the group’s “Million Mask March”

Former Confederate soldiers founded the KKK after the Civil War as a way of fighting against the reforms imposed by the North during the Reconstruction. The Klan saw a huge resurgence in the 1920s on a wave of anti-immigration, largely fueled by bigotry against Jews, Catholics, and blacks. The Klan gained popularity against in the 1950s and 1960s when it used murder and terror to stop the Civil Rights movement. Since then, the Klan has been severely weakened and now exists as a loose grouping of individual chapters that survive off racial hate.

The idea of abolishing the KKK is something that sounds great and absolutely something I believe most people could get behind and fully support. However, I feel that the release of alleged members is irresponsible and completely unfair. It seems like this release will trigger a new round of witch-hunts and examinations into the lives of people who may be completely innocent of the wrongdoing they will be charged with. Being a confirmed member of the KKK is career suicide for probably any person in the professional world but doubly so for elected officials. For southern representatives, in addition to being wrong, being a member of the KKK would alienate at least ½ of your voting population and constituents. It would completely destroy your credibility and in our day, being labeled a racist is almost as bad as being named a communist was during McCarthyism.

When Anonymous hacked the Ashley Madison website, it was fun and exciting. These were people who, of their own free will, signed up and paid money to a site designed to cheat on their spouses. These people were the scum of the scum. On one hand, I can certainly see how members of the Ashley Madison site could be compared with members of the KKK. However, the idea of potentially ruining people’s lives by throwing unsupported allegations around is so distasteful to me. With the Ashley Madison breach, there were credit cards and email addresses to support the identities of these people. Here it seems like Anonymous got their information by joining the sites themselves. The group has not revealed how they have come across the names they have; only stating that they hacked their sites.

As someone involved with politics, I am on a number of political newsletters and the mailing lists for candidates I would never support simply because my information was given to a cause I do support and was then transferred it to one I do not. To say that I support a specific cause or candidate simply because they have my email address is a completely inaccurate representation of the facts and certainly not credible evidence.

My other issue with this newest data dump is that the group is still hiding behind the safety of the Internet. They are violating people’s privacy while remaining completely private. They are committing these cyber crimes and acting almost as badly as the KKK members themselves. Anonymous wants to create a better society when they could clearly be defaming people and not facing retribution. It seems pretty hypocritical. 

For more information see: - http://ktla.com/2015/11/02/anonymous-hacker-group-says-it-will-reveal-id... - http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/anonymous-reveals-kkk-members-info_5... - http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/11/02/reports-hacktivist-...

On Sunday November 2, Californian’s gained an extra hour of sleep with the ending of Daylight Savings Time (“DST”). As many people appreciated the additional hour of sleep following Halloween weekend, it is however important to note that such a small shift in time can actually have a large impact on our body’s internal clock and health which can have lasting effects on our productivity, something not beneficial considering how close to the end of the semester we are.

DST beings on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November. It was enacted during World War I to decrease energy use but was jokingly advocated by Benjamin Franklin long before that. Back in the 1700s Franklin noticed that people used candles at night and slept past dawn in the mornings. He joked that by shifting time by an hour during the summer people would burn fewer candles and not sleep through the morning sunlight, thereby increasing productivity and saving resources. There is an ongoing debate as to any possible energy saving benefits but we do know that there are well-documented negative impacts to our health and economy as a result of DST.

Transitions associated with the start and end of DST disturb sleep patterns and make people restless at night resulting in increased sleepiness the next day. Even during the “Fall Back” period, individuals may struggle adjusting to going to sleep later after the time changes. This sleepiness leads to a loss of productivity, which affects both the economy and the effectiveness studying for law students.

During the first week of DST, in late winter, there is a spike in heart attacks according to a study in the American Journal of Cardiology. This is directly correlated to an increase of stress related to losing an hour of sleep and having less time to recover overnight. Conversely. the end of DST causes a decrease in heart attacks.

However, not all studies done show a negative impact from DST. One study published in October indicated that children in Europe and Australia received more physical activity during the extended evening daylight hours. Additionally, deadly car crashes decrease during DST because it is more likely to be light out when there are more people on the road (i.e. during morning and afternoon rush hours).

Why is this? The impacts of DST are likely related to our body’s internal clock or circadian rhythm, which regulates when we feel awake and when we feel sleepy as well as our hunger and hormone production schedules. Light dictates how much melatonin our bodies produce, so when its bright out, our bodies make less and when its dark, our body creates more causing us to become more tired and prepare us for bed.

The problems associated with DST are worse in the spring after losing an hour of sleep. The sun rises later, making it more difficult to wake up because our bodies rely on the light to reset its natural clock. As with anytime you lose sleep, the beginning of DST causes decreased in performance, concentration, and memory, as well as fatigue and daytime sleepiness. All these health-related impacts affect the economy as well. An index from Chmura Economics & Analytics, released last year, suggests that the cost could be up to $434 million in the US alone. 

There’s no doubt that DST affects all people from children to adults. I have found that it takes me at least a week to get back on a regular sleep schedule following the time change. For me, DST is like an extended version of jet lag without the benefits of going somewhere cool. As law students, a loss in productivity is something that we cannot afford.

For more information see: - http://www.businessinsider.com/health-effects-of-daylight-saving-time-20... - http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2014/03/06/daylight-saving-time-at-...

The month of November is full of fun days that may also be a great opportunity to score some free food!

• November 3, 2015 –  National Sandwich Day (being celebrated by Subway)
• November 5, 2015 –  National Men Make Dinner Day (hint-hint, nudge-nudge to
• the men out there)
• November 6, 2015 –  National Nachos Day
• November 11, 2015 –  National Sundae Day
• November 12, 2015 –  National Pizza with the Works Except Anchovies Day
• November 14, 2015 –  National Pickle Day; National Spicy Guacamole Day
• November 16, 2015 –  National Fast Food Day
• November 17, 2015 –  National Baklava; National Take a Hike Day
• November 18, 2015 –  Mickey Mouse’s Birthday
• November 19, 2015 –  National Carbonated Beverage with Caffeine Day; The Great American Smokeout
• November 20, 2015 -  National Peanut Butter Fudge Day
• November 21, 2015 -  National Stuffing Day
• November 23, 2015 –  National Cashew Day; National Espresso Day
• November 26, 2015 –  Thanksgiving; National Cake day
• November 27, 2015 – Black Friday; National Native American Heritage Day
• November 28, 2015 –  Small Business Saturday; National French Toast Day
• November 30, 2015 – Cyber Monday; National Mousse Day

October was Breast Cancer Awareness month so to the female students, I would encourage you to do self-examinations once a month. Forty percent of diagnosed breast cancers are detected by women who feel a lump. Please visit http://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/breast-self-exam for information on how to perform a self-examine.