Law School Moments

As a law student, your life changes in some strange ways. We do ridiculous things to try to get work done. At some points, one might call them desperate. Random things make us excited. Things that most people wouldn't even giggle at, we find hysterical. These are my law school moments.

LSM #1: Backseat typing.
C and I decided to take a break and grab some In-N-Out when our homework just wasn't progressing. I really wanted to go, but I really needed to do work, so we found a compromise. While C drove, I busted out my computer, my civil procedure book, and started typing my memo that wasn't happening before. Surprisingly, I finished a solid half page in the time it took to drive to In-N-Out and back.
I wish I could have taken a picture, but it was too dark.

YKYWRIAW, post 2

YKYWRIAW #4: The temperature hits 50 degrees and you have nothing to wear.
So, it gets cold in Sacramento. My "winter" clothing consists of sweatshirts and some Ugg boots. When I walk back to my apartment after a long night in the library, I freeze. I've taken to wearing a blanket in my apartment, because McGeorge apparently doesn't believe in double-paned windows. For the first time in my life, my flannel quilt, two regular quilts, massive afghan, and four fleece blankets isn't enough on my bed. I only own two real scarves.
What will I do to survive this winter, you may ask?
I'm not really sure.
I've been layering things as much as possible. I can put tights under my jeans, wear three shirts, and throw my big jacket on over my sweatshirt. I'm going to look like I gained 20 pounds, but I value warmth over fashion.
I can do this. I think.

Jared Lee Loughner.

Yesterday, Jared Lee Loughner was sentenced for opening fire at a Safeway in Tucson during one of Gabrielle Giffords' "Congress on Your Corner" events.

Loughner was sentenced to seven life sentences and an additional 140 years; the seven life sentences are six for the people who were killed and one for attempting to kill a member of congress and the 140 years is 20 years for each person injured.
I was in class during the sentencing, but I followed three reporters who reported from the courtroom via Twitter. Being able to follow this sentencing was important to me for several reasons. First, the mass shooting rocked my quiet little college town. The event affected the entire country, rippling through the nation, as every tragedy does. But this was in Tucson. One of my homes. It’s that age old cliché: you never think it could happen to you, until it does. I wasn’t in Tucson when it happened, but when I went back to school three days later, the whole town was in a state of terror and shock. My roommates and I visited the memorial, and it was nothing like I have ever experienced before. Nothing I ever want to experience again. Here's my post from last year about the memorial.

It also made me think about the people around me. I always felt safe at U of A. Whether that’s because I spent time in high school there, I had created my life there, or just being lulled into a false sense of security, but I always felt safe. When it first came out that Loughner was a student, I had to wonder, was he someone I had seen on campus? Did I pass him in the Union?

Second, I majored in journalism, and this event rocked that world. Several news stations declared Gabby Giffords dead before anything was confirmed. My mom and I had both of our laptops open and two T.V.’s on trying to figure out what was going on, and we were getting a different story everywhere we looked. The initial news about Loughner was just as confusing. I was disappointed in the industry for making as many mistakes as they did.

Third, now I’m in law school, and I have an interest in being a public defender. While I’m attracted to the idea of helping people and ensuring that people receive due process, I don’t know if I could do what Loughner’s defender, Judy Clarke, has done. She’s represented on scary and twisted people. What it comes down to is, being  public defender is not about getting someone off, it’s making sure that someone who can’t afford legal services has help and that they have a fair trial. For this, I have to admire Judy Clarke.

The sentencing trial itself was interesting to read about.
The statements from all of the witnesses were heartbreaking, as well as inspiring. The coverage said that every witness was looking directly at Loughner, and often spoke directly to him. All of them spoke of the pain and sadness that resulted from Loughner's actions. However, every single one of them also testified that they were slowly healing, Loughner didn't ruin them, and they weren't going to dwell on him anymore.
Here are some of my favorite statements:
From Suzi Hileman, who brought her neighbor Christina Taylor Green to the event: "I will walk out of this courtroom and walk into the rest of my life."
From Mary Stoddard, whose husband was killed: "I forgive you. I do not hate you I hate the act you performed."

From Stoddard: "Your family is not blame and I want them to know that I put no responsibility on them."
From Pam Simon, to Loughner's parents: "It is my hope your parents can eventually find some peace."
From Mark Kelly, Gabby Giffords' husband, after telling Loughner to pay attention: "You tried to create a world as dark and evil as your own. Know this: you failed.”
From Kelly, regarding Gabby's spirit: "Mr. Loughner, you may have put a bullet through her head, but you have not but a dent in her commitment to make world a better place."
From Kelly: "After today, after this moment, Gabby and I are done thinking about you."

While this trial doesn’t signify the end of the pain and healing that is taking place in Tucson and the families affected, it does at least provide a resolution. From here, things can only get better. 

You know you were raised in Arizona when...

Now that I've been here for awhile, it's become glaringly obvious that I grew up in Arizona.

As I find more, I'll add them to the list.

YKYWRIAW #1: Day light savings time seems like the stupidest idea ever.

I understand that it is necessary for some geographical locations, but having grown-up without it, it just seems unnecessary. So you have to get up in the dark?  I usually just alter my schedule to work around it. However, I did survive my first time change, the only causality being that my text messages now record the time I receive them in Arizona and California time.

YKYWRIAW #2: You get excited that the leaves change color.

In grade school, we were taught that the the leaves change color in the fall. I've never actually seen that happen. BUT this is what is outside my door.

THOSE ARE RED LEAVES!

YKYWRIAW #3: You feel the need to step on every leaf on the ground.
Running with the theme that Arizona doesn't get real autumn leaves that fall, I impulsively step on as many leaves on the ground as I possibly can. This results in me stomping across campus, usually disappointed because most of the leaves have already been crunched, sometimes by my own doing. However, when I finally get a good one that succumbs to my stomping with a delightful crackle, I'm completely thrilled.

Adventures in This Week's Menu

I did my cooking for the week tonight as usual.
Tonight I baked pumpkin apple streusel muffins with this recipe.
I give these muffins a B-. They're not bad, and I like them, but they're not my favorite or even one that I would mention to friends.
To me, the pumpkin and the apple, mellow flavors it the first place, mellow out each other further.
The struesel did work very well either. I know my dad has a recipe, so I'm going to have to work on stealing it.

For dinner this week, I made spicy chicken rigatoni a la Buca de Beppo using this recipe.
I give this an A. I've never had this particular dish at Buca, but I've had other spicy dishes, and this one comes pretty close.
I really enjoyed how easy it was to make as well. Anything that makes it a little more idiot proof is awesome to me.
The only thing I changed about this recipe is that I close to tripled the amount of chicken. That was how much chicken came in the package, and I didn't really want to find something else to do with it. Plus, protein's good, right?