Orientation Day 2: The Marathon

The second day of orientation was epic. The 1Ls shuffled in at 8am, and left for the bar across the street around 5.

One of the most important things that happened today was the introduction to legal writing. Look at all those gleaming packets of knowledge:

Snazzy.

While the 1Ls were in hours (and hours) of sessions, I worked on less glamorous projects like stacking chairs:

I actually like the “grunt work” aspect of orientation because it helps me burn off the ridiculous amounts of food that I inhale. The law school is littered with free food, none of it healthy.

After orientation, many of the orientation leaders joined the 1Ls for the law council mixer at a nearby bar. I stayed until around 8pm, because I was busy talking to students from other sections and my car was inaccessible for almost an hour.

The bulk of the 1Ls sat on the bar patio, which is right off the street. I am in the middle of explaining the value of the criminal law horn book to a new 1L when sirens went off. Two fire trucks swoop up towards the bar. Cop cars follow.

The cops and firefighters jump out of their cars. The cops then block the road, and tape off the parking ramp exit with crime scene tape! How the hell am I supposed to go home?

Then things get confusing. The emergency crew goes into a stairwell by the bar, puts more police tape up, and tears it down.

The cops then move to the side of the bar and stand around looking annoyed. It made no sense.

Then a van labeled “DETOX” shows up. There are rumors that a meth lab was discovered. But no one knew what was going on, or particularly cared. The cops looked extremely bored so we assumed it wasn’t that serious.

The cops eventually tore the tape off of the parking garage and I went home, right before dark, around 8pm. The view:

I get home. The dogs are unamused. I get to clean Harley’s kennel. Ick.

I throw laundry in the wash and take the dogs on a long walk. I come back home to find the power out in the basement. The hallway is pitch black including the laundry room, although my apartment (the garden level) has power.

I call the maintenance guy, he doesn’t pick up, so I fish my clothes out of the washer, wring them out, and position them awkwardly in the bath tub. This is my glamorous life. On the bright side, the bathroom smells amazing now. Good thing I bought fancy detergent.

Two hours later, around 11:30, the emergency maintenance guy calls back and says, “Just flip the whatsit switch on and off.”

I’m standing in the dark laundry room. None of the switches are labeled, and I do not want to turn random tenant’s power, water, or whatever on-and-off in the middle of the night. The maintenance guy is irritated and finally says “FINE I’LL COME ALL THE WAY OVER THERE TO FLIP A SWITCH!”

Thank you. That’s all I ask. I don’t mind owning my incompetence.