It's quiet around here this week, as the students are gone for Spring Break. (We administrators are still here!) We asked 2L Sara Feinstein to fill you in on what our students tend to do with their time off:
"Spring Break at the University of Chicago is perhaps one of the more important milestones – especially for a first year law student. As a second year, it marks the end of winter quarter and gives a brief respite before we return and kick into full gear for the home stretch. Though I enjoyed my winter quarter classes (Constitutional Law 3 with Professor Strauss, Administrative Law with Professor Gersen, Evidence with Professor Buss, and work in the Clinic for Juvenile Justice), a break to catch up with friends, family, and sleep is much welcomed. For 1Ls, this is the break during which they celebrate having completed 2/3 of their first year. At this point, they have completed half of their finals, and more importantly, have established friendships with upperclassmen so that they know who to turn to for the good outlines.
"During spring break, the students at the U of C engage in a number of different non-law activities. However, it should be noted that many of the activities are done with groups of friends from the law school. One group that opted to lay on the beach in Aruba for a week, another few friends jumped on a plane to spend their time exploring Spain, and another group of 16 1Ls have attempted to adversely possess the Dominican Republic (and after property, they can laugh because I’m reaching to make a pun there). Two other groups decided to pursue more school sponsored trips and travel via student groups – one is currently working with Habitat for Humanity and is building homes for Hurricane Katrina victims (see, a few U of C students DO care about others!) and the other group traveled to Japan with the Japan Law Society and is being wined and dined by various Japanese law firms. Other students, such a myself, opted to go home and spend break catching up on sleep and rekindling friendships with friends that do not happen to attend the U of C.
"Lamentably, spring break is 10 days this year (it will be two weeks next year – yet another reason to come to U of C!) and upon our return, we will be bright eyed and bushy tailed, ready to embrace the Socratic method for another 8 weeks. However, spring quarter at the U of C is arguably the best quarter. The weather in Hyde Park becomes pleasant, even enjoyable at times. We have our big softball trip next weekend – 100+ U of C students travel to UVA to play softball all weekend (last year, there may have been a bench clearing incident when a member of Harvard’s team threw at one of our base runners…) which is perhaps one of the more fun weekends of the year. After that, we roll out the maroon carpet to welcome all of the prospective students for Admitted Students Weekend with an entire weekend of activities, receptions, and outings. And finally, May 5 establishes the completion of the law/high school transformation when the Law Students Association hosts a Prom for the student body. And this year, there will be a Prom King and Queen."