Student appreciates ‘feats of strength and determination’ by classmates, faculty
Mega-blockbuster superhero flicks are taking the world by storm. “Black Panther” recently surpassed a cool billion dollars at the box office (Wakanda Forever!), and “Avengers: Infinity War” is coming out at the end of April (seriously, can’t wait). Society has become amazed with the incredible feats of fictional characters – so much so that the incredible feats of everyday people go unnoticed. We don’t all have to turn big and green, be the God of Thunder, the King of Wakanda, a science experiment or a “genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist” to be a superhero.
In my short time at KU Law, I have come to appreciate the incredible feats of strength and determination by the people around me. I have come to realize that we all have superpowers. They can be having the mental fortitude to endure an eight-hour final; the will power to fight the temptation to take a night off from studying; the resolve to commute up to an hour daily to Green Hall (and be on time!); the resilience to be stretched to your thinnest and still keep it together; or the concentration to go to school while having little kids and a family at home. These are all superpowers in my book, and this is not, by any means, an exhaustive list.
The source of these superpowers that we all possess is the human spirit. It can be used to do incredible things, and using our superpowers is what turns us in to superheroes. Superheroes overcome great adversity and keep fighting, even when the outlook is bleak. In addition to fighting your power-hungry, mischievous adopted brother; taking down a super-secret organization that wants global chaos; or facing off with a mad titan, adversity can be getting up before the birds or being the last one in the library to make sure you complete the assignments and reading. Adversity can be holding a textbook one in hand and a baby in the other. It can be moving hundreds of miles from family to go to school. The human spirit is a powerful tool that can turn a seemingly average person into an Avenger like Black Widow or Iron Man.
I see these feats in the students and faculty around me, and I am as astonished by them as I would be by seeing Spider-Man swing around above me. I consider myself blessed to spend each day with these superheroes and to face the grind of law school with them. They come from every background and have endured much more than me to be where there are. As for me, I’m just a kid from Lenexa.
— Omar Husain is a 1L and KU Law Student Ambassador from Lenexa, Kansas.