Orientation Day 1

As with any new matriculation, there is the requisite 'Orientation'. As many of you already know me, and my tastes in people and events, forcing a group of 350 people together and telling them how to socialize is about as fun and exciting as a rope-less jumprope. It is however, required that we show up. Hoo-ray.

On that note, this morning at 8:30 there were 400 or so people packed into the dining room area on the 6th floor of the Law school building. This being Washington DC, and the tuition costing 38000/year, there was air conditioning in the building. Luck was not a lady this morning, instead it was that monster that you wake up next to with buck teeth and hair that's matted and nappy from spilt long island ice teas. The a/c was broken... only in the dining room. Little is the fun that sitting in a room of 400+ people dripping sweat is; the sad relief being that everybody is dripping. Needless to say, hearing the dean speak was an honor unmatched by the 30 following faculty members. Thankfully bananas and blueberry muffins were supplied.

Part 2 (which was actually part 3, but I skipped the financial advice meeting as it was filled with gems exploring the difference in projected average salaries and probable average salaries, given the current state of the economy; and beauties such as stop paying for cable, just get rid of it).

Part 2, The First Year: Students' Perspectives (or some equally inane title)

This was a glorious hour or so made up of the majority of students within my doctrinal section. This is the first exposure I've had in seeing these kids gather together without the dilution of the other 4 sections. After the 2Ls and the one 3L gave their individual spiels on professors and classes they've had in the past (none of which were to be my professors this term) there was an open ended 'q and a' section. The benefit of which was clear, some students just have difficulty understanding what their peers are telling them. A prime example, lesson number 3, don't fret about finals yet, much less the classes that are in the 2L and 3L line-up. Good point. Thankfully there were a few students who didn't really know what they meant. Naturally, these are the brave souls that insist on asking the brave questions. "Does Professor X have a hard final?" "What does it take to get a clerkship when I finish school?" "Do you need to have strong grades to get externships?" Thanks. Yes, we're all concerned about this. Yes, we want to know. No, this isn't the time to ask. Well, at least one bright girl managed to make everyone at ease with her brilliance: "What exactly is the policy on working? Because I saw..."

"You can't work your first year." Lady 2L

"I saw that there is 10 hours allowed. There's an exception and we're allowed 10 hours."

"No, it's written in the ABA and WCL, 1Ls are not allowed to work." Dude 2L

"Oh, well, I saw that there was..."

Bla. Bla. We get it. You don't. Stop asking. Well, at least the room was air conditioned.

Part 3 Getting to know your Professors (or rather, my professors)

Let's see. Prof 5. Cool enough gentleman. Early 50's. Seems to appreciate the change that all 1Ls go through when they reach that certain time in life. Understands that most 1Ls won't be able to understand most of what they're reading.

Prof 2. Italian lady. Maybe not Italian. Nah, she's Italian. Super nice, went over her class and the expectations therein. Not too much to note other than an accent that might be difficult to get over when I'm particularly frustrated.

Prof 4. I didn't pay much attention to her, she's heading our section's legal rhetoric course and we'll be spending about 2 hours with her tomorrow. She really didn't have much to say, other than she'll see everyone tomorrow, where she'll talk about the class.

Prof 5. Very nice guy. Early 40's. Down with modern technology, and apparently has a child in middle school. He seems like he'd be really light, especially when the work load is going to be so heavy.

My point in this is simple, they were nice people and they gave decent descriptions of their courses, except of course Prof 4 who assured everyone in the section that tomorrow would be her day. Thankfully my matriculamates were on the ball again. "Q and A" with the professors. Excellent. "Will you be recording your lectures and making them available as podcasts?" (All right, a decent question.) "I've heard that some professors ban laptops, how do you [four] feel about that?"(Sweet, some redemption after all, maybe I can get down with these people.)

"Prof 4, can you give us a better idea of what to expect from Legal Rhetoric?"

"Well, I'll be going into that more tomorrow..."

"I was hoping that you could tell us just a little more of what to expect though, like the other professors have done?" (Thanks Stewart.)

At least this soul has done some of us a favor, as 15-20 of us are glancing around hoping to find whom would make a good study group. The other 70 are also looking, but they're a little more tactful.

Orientation Day 1 : Complete.

As a brief side note, i tried doing the homework for my Contracts class. I managed to read the words on the page. I managed to turn the pages. I even managed to finish the 9 pages within an hour. I don't know what I read.

As another brief side note, I forgot about this until typing out this blog. Over the weekend I saw a family about to go into the art museum. They were sitting down to try and rest and relax, but it was hot out. The mother says to the family, let's just go inside, (groans), there's a/c." In a flash the middle son popped up off his part of the oversized stoop in front of the museum and was inside. All that was left was Dad, muttering, "Wow son, two letters of the alphabet, a and c, got you goin'. Fastest I ever seen you run. Shoot, shoulda called you a/c." This brought a smile to my face.