We All We Got, We All We Need by Lucy Witchell

It was 10:17pm when the clock hit 0:00, and my friend’s apartment along with the rest of the city of Philadelphia erupted in screams: The Eagles just won the Super Bowl for the first time. EVER. Before I knew it, 10 of us were sprinting towards Broad Street and all the way down to City Hall, which I will say is not the easiest when you’re stuffed full of snacks and are not wearing sneakers. That being said, we ran all the way there, as the overwhelmingly joyous energy emanating from the crowd pushed us to reach probably the largest celebration we will have ever been part of. “Fly Eagles Fly” and “E-A-G-L-E-S” chants loudly spread through a crowd of people from all walks of life, but a man holding a sign with the popular Eagles mantra “we all we got, we all we need” is what made me realize that this win was about so much more than football.

Never winning a Super Bowl (until now) has long classified The Eagles as the underdog, or, more bluntly stated, as the team people didn’t expect much from. Though despite never having won, support for this team never wavered from the people of Philadelphia. This may seem odd given once again, this team had NEVER won, but having reflected on my experience in Philadelphia thus far made me realize this magnitude of support is anything but surprising.

Philadelphia is a community in the truest definition of the word. Philadelphians care about each other. They support each other. But most importantly, Philadelphians don’t give up on those who don’t seem to have a chance; they instead give those people a shot so they can aspire to be something more. I realize I may be biased given my arguably extreme exposure to services available to the people of Philadelphia, but I truly believe that if you are in this city for long enough, you will feel like you’re part of it. I’ve seen this directly throughout my service term especially with my Health Center #3 colleagues, as they truly go above and beyond to ensure the best care and experience for every single patient. Whether that’s guiding them around the health center or taking a minute to listen to them and express genuine interest in their life, it is a priority to ensure our patients feel like they belong.

I probably should have prefaced this whole thing with the fact that I have never considered myself a professional football fan, but cheering for The Eagles on their road to victory didn’t just feel like jumping on the bandwagon. Instead, it felt like supporting the unity of Philadelphia and a story overdue for a happy ending. So Fly Eagles Fly, and thank you for both representing what it means to have a community that never gives up and for making me proud to be part of it.