Pepperdine’s Student Law Bar Association returned this year with their annual Valentine’s Day talent show on the front lawn of the Caruso School of Law. SBA handed out free pizza to attendees and had a booth to pick up Valentine’s Day grams for those who had ordered them prior to the event. The first place prize was $200, second place was $150, third place was $100 and the crowd’s favorite was $50.
Planning the Talent Show
SBA President Mason Folse said, in her first year in law school, the talent show was not originally on Valentine’s Day, but someone in SBA came up with the idea of the talent show being combined with candy grams and making it an event.
“It has become one of the favorite events of the year,” Folse said.
Folse said it is a cool experience to see fellow students sharing skills they may have been developing their entire lives.
“It just shows how robust the backgrounds and the lives of the students are,” Folse said. “It’s really cool every year to see someone that you sat across from in class and don’t know super well.”
The talent show had a variety of acts, including singers, poetry, comedy and more. The show was judged by Al Sturgeon, associate dean for Student Life & Spiritual Development; Stephen White, assistant professor of legal research and writing; Steven M. Shultz, assistant professor of law; professor of law Ahmed Taha and April Torres, a member of the Bon Appétit staff in the School of Law Café.
“One of the great things about the law school is this really vibrant, magnetic, cohesive student body,” White said. “So, it’s just really cool seeing them all care about each other and support each other and cheer each other on.”
Ashley Pae, Section C representative, said SBA hosts many events throughout the year to make law school more exciting.
“It’s a super fun experience to put on something to take a little break from our studies,” Pae said.
Winning Performers of the Talent Show
There were nine performers in total at the talent show, but only four won a cash prize.
Emily Fukuda, law student and singer-songwriter, started the show as the first contestant. She sang an original song she wrote with her friend Yuri Kil titled “Easy.”
When introducing the song, Fukuda said her friend wanted to write a song that was upbeat but very sad lyrically. Fukuda won second place with this performance.
Fukuda said the experience of singing in the talent show was meaningful to her because she is a queer person of color at Pepperdine.
“I thought it was really cool to be able to share a narrative that is underrepresented at a talent show,” Fukuda said.
Fukuda was filled with emotion performing in front of her classmates and being able to express herself.
“I haven’t performed an original song in front of people in six years, so I was really nervous,” Fukuda said.
Fukuda said that she was honored to win second place at the talent show because her music is personal to her.
The fourth act in the show was first-place winner Aren Ekizian. He sang “This Charming Man” by The Smiths while playing the guitar.
Ekizian said he was hesitant to be in the talent show since he is used to singing backing vocals in his band, No Surprises.
“I played guitar for a long time, but I very rarely sing,” Ekizian said. “I’ve never done anything like that where it is just me.”
Ekizian said, although he felt he had little time to prepare for the event, he took the opportunity.
“I kind of wanted to do it because I wanted to try something I knew was going to be difficult,” Ekizian said.
Ekizian said winning first place was unexpected and brought a variety of emotions.
“I was surprised, and it was also very validating because I don’t have a lot of self-confidence,” Ekizian said.
The eighth act was crowd’s-favorite winner Kash Stepanian, who sang Bill Withers’ “Ain’t No Sunshine.”
He started his act by asking the audience if they had talent. Stepanian continued his act by making law jokes and encouraging the audience to participate in his singing.
The ninth act of the show was Frank Vazquez, new event coordinator at the law school and third-place winner. Vazquez performed a worship song called “Gratitude” by Brandon Lake. Vazquez said he picked this song because he was a worship pastor prior to his position at the law school.
Vazquez said he was not originally in the line up to perform because it was his first day on the job, but he never passes up an open-mic opportunity.
Vazquez helped run the sound and the set-up when switching between acts.
“I am looking forward to the next one because, if we know that this is coming, we could really do it even bigger,” Vazquez said.
Positive Impact of the Talent Show on Students
Many law students were in attendance at the talent show, sitting with groups of friends and eating pizza.
Attendee and law school student Aria Aghalarpour said this was his third year attending the talent show and believes this is a great event.
Aghalarpour said the talent show lets students bond, be happy and sit outside in the sun together.
“As stressful as law school could be, it kind of takes our mind away from it and helps everyone just come together and enjoy each other’s company,” Aghalarpour said.
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Contact Viviana Diaz via email: viviana.diaz@pepperdine.edu
