Dis-orientation

Just got back from the opening night of orientation. After we signed in, there were the usual opening remarks from the bosses: Douglas E. Ray, Dean of the College of Law, James E. Tierney, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Professor of Law, and Heather Karns, Director of Law Career Services. There was plenty of advice that I will probably forget by the end of the week.

Afterwards they had a reception for all the incoming students in the lounge area. After 20 awkward minutes of standing around trying to find someone to talk to, I struck up a conversation with Aji, a 30-year-old guy from Arkansas who is in the part-time program. He will be taking classes during the day and working second shift. His wife, who is from Toledo, teaches seventh grade in the Toledo Public Schools and is expecting their first child in a month. He has two bachelors degrees, one from Arkansas-Pine Bluff and one from UT, and wants to go into Constitutional law.

We were joined by Josh, who is in the transitional program like me. I didn't get his age but he seems to be in the same general range as Aji and me. Josh is originally from Toledo, graduated from Evansville, and worked in New York for six years. He lost his job there when the company he worked for went belly-up one month after 9/11. He has done work with children since then and wants to do child advocacy law.

I also got to meet Anita, who is a part-timer like Aji. I forget where she said she was from. (Bad John!) Then, just as we were all getting ready to leave, we were joined by Mark, his wife, and their two-year-old son Joseph (I think).

I'm glad I got to meet some "old folks." I was a little concerned after that first 20 minutes that all the new students were in the 22-25 age group. Not that there is anything wrong with people in that agae group. But they don't look at the world through the same sets of eyes that we thirty-somethings do. (Point of clarification should she ever read this: I did not ask Anita her age. By including her in this group I am not saying she looked like she was older than 30. I am just saying that maturity-wise, she was clearly not in that 22-25 group.)

Anyway, there was an additional reception at a local watering hole called the "House of Ale" immediately after the one at the school. I didn't go, nor did anyone else from our little group. I have a case I am supposed to read before tomorrow's session. So I suppose I'd better get busy on that.