Week One, Part 8 - The Student Bar

After class I head back to the 1L bulletin board. I check to make sure there are no posted assignments in my other classes. It’s the academic equivalent of beating the tall grass for snakes. All clear.

I walk through the student lounge. In the center of the room is a recessed floor. Above it, hanging from the ceiling, are pennants from at least a hundred universities. Cornell, Florida State, Cedarville, Georgetown, St. John’s. A plaque on the wall explains that the banners are from undergraduate institutions represented at NDLS.

To my right is the office of the Student Bar Association. A person is eating his lunch at a metal desk shoved up against the cinder-block wall. On either side of him are file cabinets, dented and rusty.

“How can I help you?” he asks. His name tag says “Chris Spataro, SBA.” He’s tall and friendly with a quick smile.

“The pennants are great,” I say. “Does the Student Bar order them or is that something I do?”

“Well, we’ve already collected about every school in the country,” Chris says. "Probably got yours too.”

“No, I’m sure you don’t have mine.”

“Try me.”

“Pillsbury Baptist Bible College in Owatonna, Minnesota.”

“You’re right!” he says. “Don’t have that one. But get it, and we’ll put it up!”

“Right next to Cornell?” I ask.

“Wherever you want it, guy.”

“Okay, it’ll be on your desk in a week.”

“Anything else I can get for ya?” Chris talks with an east coast accent that makes me laugh.

I shake my head.

“How ‘bout a law school t-shirt? Only twelve bucks.”

“Okay,” I say. “ I’ll take one for me and another for my wife.”

“Wanna sign up for Law League Football? You look like a QB.”

I laugh. “No, thanks. I doubt I’ll have time.”

He shakes his head like I’m spoiling the party. “Well, be sure to stop by our tailgate next Saturday.” He points to a black and white notice on a nearby pillar.

TAILGATER OF THE CENTURY
The 3L of Victory, The Agony of Defeat
Notre Dame v. Northwestern
Saturday, September 2, 1995

At the bottom it reads: “Karaoke at 8:00 a.m. Elvis Contest at 8:30 a.m. All classes invited. Your $5 contribution covers the cost of subs, sodas, and brats. BYOB.”

“We’ll have to see,” I say. “I’m already behind on my reading.”

Chris waves his arm like he’s backhanding a mosquito. “Don’t worry! You’ve got plenty of time before finals.”

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