christmas not just yet

it's less than two weeks before christmas but life in law school seems to have a calendar of its own.

 

we really should be looking forward to the lantern parade this friday. malcolm madness, a yearly tradition of lampooning our most-"loved" profs, comes right after. then, this year, our block christmas party happens to fall on the same night. plenty of happenings in one night eh? we should be in a partyin' mood right? not quite.

 

because on december 19 and 20, we're having make-up classes. and it's not a lecture class; it's a recit-based, 3-hour class with the most "verbatim" of all profs, joint class at that with 2 other sections. that's twice the normal coverage, almost twice the time spent standing and reciting at your wits' end, and with an audience of almost thrice the normal class size (if all are present, that is), before whom you better be ready to lose face. christmas nightmare?

 

lest i be misunderstood, i'm not complaining. i love going to school. what better way to spend time this christmas than doing what you love best, right? besides, what am i gonna do at home anyway? who cares about christmas? it's a waste of time, and money as well. we shouldn't be having christmas vacations. that way, we don't pretend having christmas vacations when there's really none!

 

pardon this rant, but just so you'd get the picture, i'm even talking about one of the more reasonable profs. wait til you hear about profs who don't show up and who do not even have the courtesy of informing you that there's no class until, say, 30 minutes before end of the supposed class. not that they have the obligation to inform you anyway. or profs who give you all or nothing exams, when the subject matter is highly debatable. and when you press for explanations, all you get is an "i believe in my heart" statement with no legal basis whatsoever. or profs who'll flunk you because they don't think you'd make a good lawyer.

 

i have nothing personal against any of these profs. i even like them as persons, but as profs...i might like them someday.

 

and what are we students doing about this? nothing.

 

because in a world where profs reign supreme, we mere mortals can only bow our heads in obedience and comply with their wishes. no matter how outspoken the image of a law student is, s/he must remain meek. nowhere is the distance between teacher and student more felt than in the halls of malcolm. some dare to bridge the gap, at their own risk.

 

to be sure, there are still brilliant, reasonable and compassionate profs. but they're getting fewer and older by the minute. help us find replacements pretty soon. even replacements for the not-so-old but not-so-likeable.

 

then again, i might just be exaggerating. bitter? nothing to be bitter about, for now. hope there won't be any reason to be so in the future.

 

and so, ever wonder why malcolm hall seems to be festive these days, what with all the lights outside and the poinsettias almost everywhere in the malcolm lobby? it's to make up for the lack of christmas spirit inside the classrooms.

 

what the classrooms lack however, we more than make up in the company of our peers, our blockmates.

 

merry christmas everyone. even if you don't feel it just yet.